IN THE DINING ROOM
Evening Worship
COMMUNION
April 2, 1978 Seven-thirty p.m.
PRELUDE OF SILENCE
Organ Prelude
“Bring Back the Springtime” Kurt Kaiser
Call to Praise
Hymn 166
“At Calvary” CALVARY
Prayer Pastor
Greeting our Guests/Opportunities for Service Pastor
Hymn 252
“Let Us Break Bread Together” BREAK BREAD
Offertory Hymn
“Jesus Paid It All” ALL TO CHRIST
Offertory Prayer
The Presentation of our Offerings
Offertory
“Unworthy” STANPHILL
Scripture LUKE 22:7-13
7. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb must be killed. 8. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. 9. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? 10. And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entering into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. 11. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? 12. And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. 13. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover.
Journey to Dining Room for Observance of Lord’s Supper
#704 IN THE DINING ROOM
Communion
Orig. Date 4/2/1978
Series: Communion Lord’s Supper
Let Us Break Bread Together 252
Solo and Congregation: “Jesus is the Sweetest Name I Know”
There have been names that I have loved to hear.
But never has there been a name so dear
To this heart of mine, as the name divine.
The precious, precious name of Jesus.
Chorus:
Jesus is the sweetest name I know,
And He’s just the same as His lovely name.
And that’s the reason why I love Him so;
Oh, Jesus is the sweetest name I know.
And some day I shall see Him face to face
To thank and praise Him for His wondrous grace,
Which He gave to me, when He made me free,
The blessed Son of God called Jesus.
Hymn: “Amazing Grace” 165
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Scripture: I John 4:7-11
7. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 9. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Sharing of Testimonies
Chorus: “God is So Good.”
God is so good, God is so good,
God is so good, He’s so good to me.
Scripture: I Corinthians 10:16-17, 21; 11:27-29
10:16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17. For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread. 21. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 11:27. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Hymn: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” 111
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it Lord that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ my God.
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Scripture I Corinthians 11:23-24
23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; 24. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: This do in remembrance of me.
Prayer of Blessing
Sharing of Bread
Hymn: “Break Thou the Bread of Life” 178
Break thou the bread of life, Dear Lord, to me,
As thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word.
Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth That saveth me;
Give me to eat and live With Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy Truth, For thou art love.
Scripture: Mark 14:22
And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body,
Eating of the Bread
Scripture: I Corinthians 11:25-26
25. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.
Prayer of Blessing
Sharing of the Cup
Hymn: “At the Cross” 157
Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I?
At the cross, at the cross Where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day.
Scripture: Matthew 26:27-28
27. And he took the up, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. 28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Drinking of the Cup
Scripture: John 13:34-35
34. A new commandment I give unto ye, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Hymn: “I Love Thee” 75
I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee my Lord:
I love Thee, my Saviour, I love Thee my God:
I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.
Our Master hath told us to follow His steps
To love one another, forgive and forget,
To reach out, to follow, are His chief commands,
If we’ll only let Him, He’ll touch through our hands.
Now let us as Christians show others our love
And follow the sample of our Lord above.
As His Holy Spirit works through us each day
We’ll praise Him, We’ll praise Him both now and for aye.
Scripture: Matthew 26:30
30. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Hymn: “Blest Be the Tie” 256
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
. . . Amen
HOLY SPIRIT TRUTHS
#694 HOLY SPIRIT TRUTHS
Scripture John 20:21-22; Luke 3:16 NIV Orig. Date 2/2/1978
Passage:
Luke 3:16 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John 20:21-22 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Purpose: To direct attention to the various aspects of consideration relative to the Holy Spirit, and the specific truths needed to be understood in the life of the Christian.
Keywords: Holy Spirit Gift of Gifts Fruit Filling
Introduction
Charles Swindoll: “I heard some time ago about a couple of nuns who worked as nurses in a hospital. They ran out of gas while driving to work one morning. A service station was nearby but had no container in which to put the needed gasoline. One of the women remembered she had a bedpan in the trunk of the car. The gas was put into the pan and they carried it very carefully back to the car.
“As the nuns were pouring the gasoline from the bedpan into the gas tank, two men were driving by. They stared in disbelief. Finally, one said to the other, ‘Now Fred, that's what I call faith!’
“It appeared to be foolish. Trouble was, those doubters just didn't have the facts. And were they ever surprised when those nuns went ripping by them on the freeway!”
Every person who has ever labored as an achiever has faced a time and circumstance when he realized that he needed additional resources if he were to succeed. Every profession has only a limited number of super-stars. Others succeed because they find a source of strength which simply enables them to achieve, sometimes far beyond their capability. Our proper identification of and with Holy Spirit truth is the means whereby Christians (at least some) are able to serve God and man beyond the enablement of their own resource.
My wife and daughters have become interested of late in the writings of Elisabeth Elliot(1). You may recall the name Jim Elliot, her late husband, as the name of one of several missionaries who were killed by the Auca Indians in Brazil. Through the writings of Mrs. Elliot, the full story of her husband’s life, and death have been shared with the Christian community.
Had Jim Elliot left a will to be probated and divided among his heirs, not many people would have been impressed. He had little of this world’s goods. He had so much of God’s power, however, that the very Indians who felled him were themselves later converted to tell the whole story. His was a dream energized by the Holy Spirit, to love the very people who were waiting to ambush and kill him and the others.
The same Holy Spirit who energized her husband, enabled Elisabeth Elliot to continue his work, and then write about what he had been under the intriguing title, Through Gates of Splendor. Perhaps one brief line from Elliot’s diary depicts the Holy Spirit’s control in his life. He wrote, “He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”
The Bible teaches us Holy Spirit truths. If we would gain the richest resource for the Christian life, it must be by appropriating these truths to our lives.
I. The Gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself. Acts 2:38 KJV Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. You may look all you please at the newer versions for variances on this text, and all that you will find different, is that the Holy Ghost is called Holy Spirit.
There must first be genuine repentance. Then, a covenant of trust that eventuates in baptism. In this inter-woven act of faith that is repentance, baptism, remission of sin, there is the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Please do not make the mistake of presuming that the Holy Spirit is a non-entity in unbelievers. John 1:12-13, . . . he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Titus 3:5, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost.
Let me, on the subject of this Holy Spirit truth, share two all-encompassing guidelines. (1)Don’t let the experience of other people interpret the Bible for you. Let the Bible speak to you of the kind of experience God wants for you. (2)Remember, it is never a question of how much of the Holy Spirit you have. It is how much of you He has.
II. The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Gifts of Divine Initiative. Hebrews 2:3-4 . . . deliverance was first announced through the lips of the Lord himself; . . . and God added His testimony by signs, by miracles, by manifold works of power, and by distributing the gifts of the Holy Spirit at (according to) His own will. NEB
The summum bonum of these gifts is, of course, salvation. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Romans 6:23, The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Of exceeding importance however, is our comprehension of individual spiritual gifts given at the discretion of God to the believer at the outset of faith.
***THE REMAINDER OF THIS SERMON HAS BEEN LOST***
(1)Elliot, E. (2010). Through Gates of Splendor: The Event That Shocked the World, Changed a People, and Inspired a Nation. Hendrickson Publishers.
PRINCIPLES OF DIVINE GUIDANCE
#865 (w 781d) PRINCIPLES OF DIVINE GUIDANCE
Scripture I John 5:15, NIV Orig. Date 5-21-1980
Rewr. Dates 1-6-1991
Passage: 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Purpose: Share a Sunday night with my people to encourage them in understanding some of the ways by which God leads His children.
Keywords: Will of God Guidance Series: Prayer
Cross reference: #781d
Introduction
Charles Hadden Spurgeon was a man of rare gift in relation to following the guidance of God in his life. Not only was he the outstanding evangelist preacher of his day, several other notable ministries were performed through the church he served.
After touring a series of Baptist churches, preaching in most of them, he collected funds from many of these churches to use in an orphanage run by his own church. On the way back to London, he perceived the Lord had spoken to him about these very funds. Instead of using them in London, he was to give them to his friend, George Muller who ran an orphanage in Bristol. He said that he resisted these instructions, but finally, relented and did what he thought he was to do.
When he delivered the funds to Muller, his friend explained to him a pressing need of the very amount now in his possession. Even though he was surrendering needed capital, Spurgeon1 rejoiced with his friend over this met need. Arrived back in London, he found an envelope on his desk containing a sum greater than he had given away that was to be used in his own work. Spurgeon felt that God had honored his obedience. Had he not been faithful in what he had been called upon to do, these larger funds would not have come to him at all.
How do we develop the attributes in our own lives that enable us to know what God expects of us?
I. First, a Word about Seeking Guidance. I John 5:15, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.”
The appropriate beginning place is prayer, E.W. Kenyon: “Prayer is simply talking it over with Him, getting His views, His will, His plan, and our carrying out these plans, with His grace, ability, and wisdom.”
Prayer is not intended to be a one-sided conversation. Call someone on the telephone, the receiver is lifted, yet no one talks. Attempt to talk with someone who has lost their voice box. Dad struggled with that time when the doctor wanted to remove voice box.
God is not interested in being a voiceless co-respondent. He intends to hear us. It is His will for us to hear Him.
We are to pursue the will of God through the following means. The will of God is made known in the Word of God. Deuteronomy 7:11, “Thou shalt keep the commandments which I command thee this day.” They were given
***THE REMAINDER OF THIS SERMON HAS BEEN LOST***
1Spurgeon, C.H. (1889) The Lamb in Glory, from Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 35.
KNOWING GOD’S WILL
#781d (w 865) KNOWING GOD’S WILL
Scripture I John 5:14, KJV Orig. Date 5-21-1980
Passage: 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
Prayer—E.W. Kenyon—“Prayer is simply talking it over with Him, getting His views, His will, His plan, and our carrying out these plans, with His grace, ability, and wisdom.” In His Presence.
Cross reference #865
I. Seeking Guidance.
1-The will of God is made known in God’s Word. Deuteronomy 7:11 Thou shalt keep the commandments, which I command thee this day. The Ten Commandments—Exodus 20. 2 Peter 1:21 “. . . Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2-The will of God is made known by circumstance—An open door, or a closed one; confirmation by another person; fleece—Judges 6.
3-The will of God is made known by the Holy Spirit. John 14:17, “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” I Corinthians 12:7, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with.”
II. Principles of Divine Guidance.
1-It is possible to hear God’s voice. (It is basic to any understanding of guidance that we can know God’s will.) Colossians 1:9,”. . . that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will.” They are to live differently. Ephesians 4:20, “Ye have not so learned Christ.” Ephesians 5:9, 10, 9 “(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” I Peter 2:15 “For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
Illustration of the blind woman from LaMancha in Madrid, looking for evangelical church. In prayer she is directed to a bus. A woman sits beside her who is going to that church. Gutenberg illustration: “To work then! God has revealed to me the secret that I demanded of Him.”
2-The purpose of all guidance is to become more intimate with Christ as Lord. Rosalind Rinker—We need to learn to pray in His presence and let Him speak with us, to be in tune with Him until we are willing to hear what He has to say to us. So close to Jesus when He calls my name. Every day with Him in heaven will be the ___. Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” No further in Christian life, and in relationship to God, than we go in prayer.”
3-The place from which God speaks is the place where He dwells. He speaks from dark curtain of anonymity, He speaks in judgment from lofty throne. He speaks in companionship from within. Luke 17:21, “The kingdom of God is within.” I Corinthians 6:19, “Ye are the temple of God.”
4-The Holy Spirit is the voice of all true guidance, John 16:13, “When he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you to all truth.”
5-God’s Word is the final judge in all guidance. Satan does not want you to do God’s will. 2 Peter 1:17, “there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory.” V 19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” 2 Peter 1:17 and Matthew 17:5, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Spurgeon’s2 illustration of the angel’s announcement that his name is in the Lamb’s book of life.
In the instance before us, the strong angel had proclaimed with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” And there was no response from heaven, or earth, or hell. No man was able to open the book, neither to look therein. The divine decrees must remain for ever sealed in mystery unless the once slain Mediator shall take them from the hand of God, and open them to the sons of men. When no one could do this, John wept much. At that grave moment the Lamb appeared. Old Master Trapp says, “Christ is good at a dead lift”; and it is so. When there is utter failure everywhere else, then in him is our help found. If there could have been found another bearer of sin, would the Father have given his Only-Begotten to die? Had any other been able to unfold the secret designs of God, would he not have appeared at the angel’s challenge? But he that [he who] came to take away the sin of the world now appears to take away the seals which bind up the eternal purposes. O Lamb of God, thou art able to do what none beside may venture to attempt! Thou comest forth when no one else is to be found. Remember, next time you are in trouble, that when no man can comfort and no man can save, you may expect the Lord, the ever-sympathetic Lamb of God, to appear on your behalf. –Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Lamb in Glory”, July 14, 1889, Revelation 5:6-7
6-Guidance, from God, is always accompanied by God’s peace. James 3:17 LB, “But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness.” Matthew 18:19, “If two of you on earth agree (symphōneo) about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”
7-God speaks through various means. Cloud. Still, small voice. “Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.”
8-Most guidance from God comes unawares but not unsought. Psalm 25:9 KJV “The meek will He guide in judgment.” Isaiah 45:2-5, 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me…
9-There are various sources for guidance, but only one is dependable. God/flesh/Satan. James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
10-Hearing God speak must prompt to action. Isaiah 6:8, “Here am I: Send me.”
11-Divine Guidance Comes from Meeting God’s Conditions. George Muller (“How George Muller Started His Day”): i-Begin by getting heart [to a] state where I have no will. ii-Refuse to leave the result to feeling. iii-Seek the will of the Spirit through the Word of God. iv-Consider providential circumstances. v-Ask God in prayer to reveal His will alright. vi-Through prayer, the study of the word, and reflection, judge accordingly.
12-Divine guidance does not mean that we will know the future. Mumford, “Take another look at guidance.” Little boy watching parade of circus through a knothole in the fence. Clown happiness/lion fear—friend calls to him from a rooftop. But we are not spectators in life, we are participants. God has willed that we will know His will as seeing it in brief.
13-Guidance is not always pleasant. Isaiah 55:8,9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.
14-Guidance is a skill to be learned.
***THE REMAINDER OF THIS SERMON IS PERSONAL COMMENTS
FILED AT “RANDOM FINDINGS”***
________________________________
1-Kenyon, E.W. (1969) In His Presence. Lynnwood, WA: Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society.
2-Spurgeon, C.H. (1889) The Lamb in Glory, from Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 35.
THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF EASTER
#372 THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF EASTER
Scripture John 20:11-18, NIV Orig. Date 3-26-1967
Rewr. Dates 3-1978, 3-19-1989
Passage: 11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Purpose: To share an Easter message exemplifying the hope that is in our Christ.
Keywords: Christ, Saviour Easter Hope Resurrection Special Day, Easter
Introduction
There have been times over the years when I was the first to leave the scene of someone’s darkest hour. Other times I have lingered at the grave-site following a committal service. Occasionally, I have even returned with the family to the family home.
I have watched bereaved and broken-hearted people shuffling away from some flower-bedecked grave. The flowers, for all their beauty, did not change in one iota, all that that grave represented. I have seen men and women leaning heavily on the stronger arms of some other loved one because the grief had sapped all strength.
“Oh, ‘tis the pang severest
That human hearts can know,
To lay what we hold dearest
Thus, in the dust below.”--unknown
A painting pictures Mary Magdalene in such an hour as this. It is called The Return from Calvary. Mary Magdalene and another woman, Mary (Zebedee’s wife), Salome, Joanna, we are not told which. Grief is etched on Mary Magdalene’s face. Despondency is her destination.. Against the horizon, in the background of the picture can be seen the three crosses of Calvary. When first mentioned (Luke 8:2f) she is identified as one “out of whom went seven devils.” Jesus had occupied such a special place in her life. Now what?
As another has written that it was she:
“Who while apostles shrank, could dangers brave
Last at His cross, and earliest at His grave.”—Eaton Standard Barrett, 1786-1820
Those who went out on that first Easter morning did not know what Easter was. Too many still are not so certain of the meaning, of the “dawning of the age of Easter.”
I. The Dawning of Easter Confirms the Lordship of Christ. V16 “Jesus saith unto her, ‘Mary.’ She turned herself and saith unto him, ‘Rabboni.’” Other passages confuse us in the failure of disciples to recognize Jesus. Was it the semi-darkness of first light? Did tears distort her first look? Were their recollections altered by what they had seen of Him on the cross?
Make no mistake, this is the One who had lived among them as the Son of God. V17 “I ascend to my Father, . . . and to my God.” What Mary doesn’t need, and Jesus doesn’t impart is some well-intentioned philosophy. We have mentioned her “seven devils.” They could be medically derived. She could have been a social outcast. Likely, the problem was sin. I heard Dennie Duron tell about the conversion of a former team-mate during surgery for a self-inflicted gun-shot wound.
Whatever else it means, here is a woman of checkered past into whose life Jesus came.
Now Jesus is dead. What is left? No words will still the torrent in her breast. Times Picayune (3-23-1978): Killed cancer-stricken wife, then himself. Note: “I had rather spend eternity in hell, than see her spend another day in her hell.”
She waits for some hope that is equal to her grief. Uncle Tom had been sold and was on his way to Simon Lagree’s death farm. Reading scripture to a slave who could not read. Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all.” Slave: “Them’s good words, but who sez ‘em?”
Only God’s Son and Consort would dare to brig such outcasts into the Father’s presence. V17 (again) “I ascend unto . . . your Father, . . . and your God.” The One He called Father, He identified as her Father, also. Thus is the ascension of Christ surety for the believer.
II. The Dawning of Easter Declares Jesus Alive. V12 “Two angels in white sitting . . . where the body of Jesus had lain.” You see, we are not merely left an empty tomb. As important as burial places are. The tomb of Abraham has been a revered place among Hebrews for 4,000 years. Mohammed’s shrine has been marked in Medina since June 8, 632 A.D. Lenin’s tomb bears the inscription “He was the saviour.” But the empty tomb of Jesus brought no comfort to Mary Magdalene.
By His appearance to the disciples, Jesus showed Himself alive. What an impact those appearances had on the disciples. Cleopas: “Was not our heart burning within us, while he spake?” (Luke 24;32). “The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord” John 20:20. “Peter cast himself into the sea” John 21:7.
John 21:24 “This is the disciple which beareth witness of these things: and we know that his witness is true.”
Picture, then, what his sudden appearance would mean to Mary Magdalene. V15 “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Tears of sincere remorse and conviction do not go unnoticed. Revival for most churches, believers, awaits such contrition. Every pastor’s burden is, “Is it something I lack?” It was to comfort such grief that Christ came. V15 “Tell me where thou has laid him and I will take him away.” The empty tomb has not assuaged. An unknown Jesus has not comforted.
In speaking her name, she at once sees. V16 “Mary!” “Rabboni! which is to say ‘Master.’” The flush of recognition pierces her broken spirit. So poignant the sound of her own name that the cobwebs are driven from her brain.
It is the intent of Christ, through his Holy Spirit to verify Lordship, Life today. V17 “Go to the brethren. Tell them I ascend to my Father, and your Father.” See v23.
III. The Dawning of Easter Evokes His Purpose—Provides the Resurrection. V17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father.” Up to now, they had been able to love Him as one whose physical presence was known. Mary reaches out to touch Him as she has done before. In the dark defile the shepherd does not lead, but accompanies the sheep. The staff is the extension of his hand.
It is for reason other than rebuke that Jesus denies her touch. Remember, the first Easter service was not to Peter and John. They had been there but are now returned to their homes (v10). It is to Mary Magdalene that He has made His presence known. Mark 16:9 “He appeared first to Mary Magdalene.” Faith in one’s living Lord must be paramount. Touch is not necessary.
The Holy Spirit’s ministry throughout the ages has been to manifest a living Lord. To this end, Jesus lived His life with the cross ever before Him. His ministry was among the people with whom He lived. The Holy Spirit would broaden that outreach to touch all ages. John 16:7 “. . . it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”
Conclusion
A story is told of a wealthy merchant whose friend and acquaintance of many years had come to a destitute condition. The merchant was moved with pity at the plight of his friend and determined to do what he could to help. He chose a trusted servant and sent him to the man’s home with gifts, and with a sealed envelope.
The man was out, himself seeking some relief from his dire circumstance. His wife received the offerings of friendship. The gifts were applied to household needs of which there were many. The envelope she placed among her husband’s private papers. At the merchant’s death she inquired. Found: a blank check, the account now closed. Have we acted on God’s benevolence?
DO YOU LOVE ME?
#229 DO YOU LOVE ME?
Scripture John 21:15-25, NIV Orig. Date 2/13/1966
Rewr. Dates 10/1981, 5/23/1987
Passage: 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
Purpose: To share with my people three significant questions, in response to Jesus’ question, telling us about ourselves.
Keywords: Biography (John, Peter) Love Christ, Master Commitment
Introduction
The Jewish historical play, set in early 20th Century Russia, tells a story that was commonplace among the dispersed Hebrew people. It bore the title, Fiddler on the Roof, highlighting joys that were perceived by these people, even when they were suffering persecution.
One of the main figures in the story was that of Tavia, a poor man, but rich in spirit. A highlight comes when Tavia sees his little family, now grown and leaving home. He wants to be sure of what remains to him. He puts his wife through an ordeal asking of her “Do you love me?” Every assurance that she gives is of what she has done for him as his wife. She has borne his children, reared them, taught the daughters wifely skills, cooked his meals, washed, ironed, and mended his clothes. But Tavia wants to hear her answer to his question, “Do you love me?” True enough, she has done all of these things, but has she done them for the express reason that she loves him, Tavia.
Essentially, there is no more important question than this one: “Do you love me?” It is a question demanding, not just an answer, but the right answer. It is a question asked most often of husbands by their wives, and of wives by their husbands. It is an answer sought in silent, hurtful ways by children of their parents. Some go so far as to do unloving things because they want to be reassured that their parents do, after all, love them.
But Jesus’ question seeks not information for Himself, but insight for His disciples, then and now.
I. The Question First Addresses the Past Asking Who We Are. V15 “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” V16/17 “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?”
It may at first appear that Jesus is asking about things (boats, nets, fishes). “Simon, this is that from which I called. You gave evidence that the secure times of your life were spent here. Strong faith was evidenced when you asked to come to me during the storm. To this you chose to return.”
The significant call to faith often comes when it seems hardest to respond. Simon, so unsettled by what has happened, so secure back at his fishing. The rich, young ruler was another such case. [He] could have taken any moral directive; would have changed his life by measure; but it was his wealth in the way. “Follow me!” Basic difference between what Jesus says, and religious charlatans. Item this week (USA Today—5/18/87)—heiress suing to have millions returned. Jesus says “Give them away!” Charlatan says “Give them to me!”
The question raised here is of what we are the most inordinately proud. Not just “Do you love me?” But “How is your love effected here?” Do you love me in the context of obedience? We answer, “I quit!” (smoking/chewing). “I don’t drink (too much)!” “I can talk without swearing!”
“These things you do not because you love me. What do you do for love?”
One may consider, however, that Jesus’ question, put sharply to Simon, had not to do with fishing. “Do you love me more than them?” (Andrew, John, Phillip, Nathaniel). “Are you of us because of them or me?” Jesus’ teaching was very clear. Matthew 10:37 “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter is not worthy of me.”
How do we judge superior “love”? Athletes judge performance at tape. Farmers judge performance by quantity. “Love” for family is judged same way. The measure of our commitment is determined by the consequence of love.
II. The Question Next Addresses the Future, and Seeks to Determine Where We are Going. V18 “Simon, when you were young, you did what you wanted, went where you chose; but the future will be different (sacrifice, pain). Others will do to you what you would not.”
Not many of us are completely in charge of changes that confront us from time to time. I was intrigued in Transylvania by the number of people living where they grew up. Joe Cannon as a teenager with many classmates still there. But I found out some were not doing what they wanted to do. My experience over the years, it was never as easy to go as it was to stay. We are intimidated by predictability, you and me, it is never easy to confront change.
This was Simon’s dilemma. John 21:3 “I don’t know about you boys, but I am going fishing.” He was tired of hard choices. Time to find something comfortable. The boat, the sea, to some degree, the fish, were predictable. Following Jesus wasn’t very.
But you see, Jesus wasn’t through with Simon, nor was Simon through with Jesus. A boat on the lake was a diversion. It was a pretense of self-determination. He never expected Jesus to be along. They caught no fish, then he recognized Jesus. “Not peace, but a sword . . . turn a man against his father. . . who does not take his cross . . . is not worthy of me.”
Everything on that boat reminded him of where they were, and where they were not. Jesus had not called Simon to die on a cross, He called him to be faithful. Does that sound familiar? It should. Tradition holds that he did. No matter. He lived his life in love with Jesus.
There is no place in the scripture where we can learn more from words than here.
Jesus: “Simon, to you truly love (agapas) me?” Simon: “Lord, you know I love (philō) you.”
A second time—Jesus: “Simon, to you truly love (agapas) me?” Simon: “Lord, you know I love (philō) you.”
And a third—Jesus: “Simon, do you love (phileis) me?” It will be enough, if Simon will give evidence of what love he possesses in the way he lives out his life.
Jesus: “Others will bind you and carry you where you don’t wish to go.” “Feed the sheep of me.”
III. The Question Finally Addresses the Future and Asks Whose We Are. Simon decides he’s been the center of attention long enough. V21 “And this one what?” “That doesn’t matter, Simon. What matters here is you, and your commitment. Thou me follow.”
We don’t judge our stature as Christians on the basis of what others do. Whether they are of high or low estate. My success doesn’t depend on position. Nor, on the faithfulness of those around me. Am I willing to trust God for my needs?
We are to seek out God’s will and conscribe it. Calvin Reid(1), in his book, “We Knew Jesus,” summarizes the lives of the disciples. Of Peter he wrote, “The Master did not turn me into a barnyard fowl. He did not even clip my wings. He showed me in what direction I should fly.”
“Do you love me?” means that there is a place, a time, where Jesus became Lord, and I continue to honor His special place in my life. Sin continues as a problem until faith crucifies it on the cross of Jesus. “Nicodemuses” needed to be “born again.” But, not even “Judases” and Jews and Romans.
Jesus wants to know if we love Him. It means we believe in His love. It means that He has priority in my life. It means that I must be inspired to love in the way that He loved. It means bringing my life in harmony with the expectations of scripture.
(1) Reid, C. (1954). We Knew Jesus. William B. Eerdmans Publishing.
SALVATION: WORD OR WONDER
#348 SALVATION: WORD OR WONDER
Scripture I John 4:7-21, NIV Orig. Date 11-19-1961
Rewr. Dates 3-1978, 4-25-1988
Passage: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Purpose: To call attention to the message of scripture as it relates to God’s purpose in the salvation experience.
Keywords: Christ, Saviour Grace Revival Series, Baptist Beliefs Salvation
Introduction
The concept of salvation generally understood today is woefully inadequate. It is assumed to be: goodness, lack of badness, church membership, a particular church membership, baptism, baptism of the Holy Spirit, and, there are those ardent enthusiasts that it is just so much hokem.
Confusing there is. And understandable so. A major car manufacturer advertises the latest model of one of their lines as having been “Born. Again.” The witness of so-called Christians does not always keep the air-waves of communication open and clear.
Larry Flynt was for years a moral demi-god, and the word suddenly surfaced that Flynt had been converted. You may remember that he was born into the kingdom(?) on the wings of Ruth Carter Stapleton. Evidently, it was not the Holy Spirit’s doings, because Larry Flynt clearly gives evidence today that he is still a moral demi-god.
Eldridge Cleaver was another. He had a flair for drawing the attention of the media. His conversion was short-lived. After a couple of bounces in the world of the born-again, he was off on another tangent.
Thank God, there are legitimate happenings of people being saved. Salvation still works; and it is still a wonder. Charles Colson came out of Watergate, out of prison, and into the kingdom. The only splash we hear about him, is of some effort to reach back into some prison somewhere with the good news that “Jesus saves.” The salvation that is genuine is the salvation that sends people back to where they have been, and along, where they are going, giving evidence of God’s love along the way.
I. The Wonder of Salvation Begins with God. V10 “This is love: not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” NIV.
You see, Salvation begins, as all things that are of God must, with an uncomplicated offer.
An offer based on the integrity of God. Romans 8:32 “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give all?” My wife, and two young teenage daughters, went with me from New Iberia to Brookhaven, in response to an entrepreneurial advertisement. They were going to pay for our gas, give us a set of dishes, other things, but it all hinged on a name on a contract.
And though God can not compromise that offer of salvation, we may. It is compromised exceedingly through the irrational of unbelief. Its power is quelled when we renounce its moral uniqueness. Daniel Weiss spoke a word not to be forgotten (Christianity Today 3/10/78, p.69). “If God had meant for us to live in a world of moral uncertainty He would have given us ten suggestions rather than ten commandments.”
This uncomplicated offer addresses man’s most basic need. Erma Bombeck is cute and clever saying, “Man shall not live by bread alone; every once in awhile he needs a little gravy.” If we gave consideration to God that we give to “gravy” we would all be better off.
This salvation is the personification of grace. Our need is first of all spiritual. I Corinthians 2:4,5 “My teaching and message were not delivered with skillful words . . . but with the power of God’s spirit.” It is God initiating care undeserved. Not what we are owed, but offered. Not man’s worthwhileness, but God’s willingness. Man’s crown originates in Christ’s cross.
II. This Salvation Rests upon the Accomplishment of Jesus Christ. V14 “And we have seen and testify that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
The Old Testament concept of salvation was sometimes confused, but it was not without hope. Even Job addressed the subject. “For I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, and even after worms destroy this body, . . . I shall see God.” Job 19:25. David knew the subject well. “The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein forever.” (Psalm 37:29)
Must I remind you that salvation is not moping around, waiting to die, so we can be happy. It is intended to grace this life also. TS host interviewed Madalyn Murray O'Hair (New Orleans). She remarked strongly against the church’s running gambling operations for profit. Woman called to respond. Seemed to offer witness of faith, then said, “My life would be zilch without my bingo.”
God grants enrichment of joy. Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
And we should not need reminding that it is an eternally lasting experience. Once we have faithed our way into the Kingdom, there is no unfaith that drags us out.
We have already concluded that God is the author of this salvation. He is likewise the sustainer/keeper. We have control at the outset. We do not have any option in the intermediary stages to renounce. We can misuse and abuse the gift. As material gifts can be rejected, others can be received but used in ways not intended.
We do need reminding that God responds to our carelessness in ways that amplify His sovereignty. 2 Timothy 1:14 “That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”
III. The Wonder of This Salvation is that it is the Answer to the World’s Distresses. V11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
Surely, we can comprehend the variances of love. We have different capacities to love. There are people, things in our lives of greater importance than others.
Evidently, then, God’s love is supreme. I John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us.” With such verses, I don’t need to try to explain the Trinity. It was God in Christ on the cross. At Golgotha I can get the clearest view of love. Any unanswered dilemma of scripture needs no answer when we see the blood.
There we see love. Thus, from God’s love for us, there is the well-spring of our love for God, and concurrently, our love for others.
Take charge of your relationship: know who God is—Goal #1. Strangers do not become our best friends, but those whom we choose to get to know better do.
Goal #2—Love Him. Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Any goal beyond these two (#3) is to make Him Lord. Not some teaching about Him. Not some surrender on my part. Open yourself to His lordliness.
Finally, because He loved, so must we. Our own. Our extended family. Others. (He decides.)
A WORD OF WILLINGNESS (Fifth Word from the Cross)
#247 A WORD OF WILLINGNESS (Fifth Word from the Cross)
This entry includes an attached illustration from Light, Journal of The Christian Life Commission–March/April 1988
Scripture Luke 23:40-43 NIV Orig. Date 4-3-1966 (4-1976)
Rewr. Dates 3-24-1988
Passage: 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Purpose: Continuing a series on Words from the Cross, here given evidence of the example of faith in the life of the thief who believes.
Keywords: Christ as Saviour Commitment Faith Conviction
Timeline/Series: Words from the Cross
Introduction
It’s been several years, but when the best foreign film of the year was chosen, it was a spiritual film. It was a Greek community, featuring the Greek Orthodox Church during the reign of the Turks. The title, “He Who Must Die,” told the story of the citizens of this community in their efforts to enact the passion of Christ during the Easter celebration.
A few weeks before the Lenten season, the people would elect the actors who would play the lead roles. A young man was chosen for the very first time to portray Christ. He seemed especially suited to the role. There was even some resemblance to Jesus, and he was a man completely without guile. He, and the other chosen speaking roles were given six weeks to prepare themselves for these roles.
During this time, however, a crisis arose in a neighboring community where people were starving. The young man, playing the part of Christ, came to feel a burdensome responsibility to do something for these people. He was convinced that it is what Jesus would have done. He became so resolved and so adamant in his intent that in an angry confrontation with his townspeople, he was killed, “He Who Must Die.”
The message of the film seemed to have to do with actions and attitudes found everywhere in every age. Goodness, the kind that Christ brought to the earth, is subject to confrontation, anger, even death.
What Jesus brought with him to the earth, to humanity was the concept of willing self-sacrifice. His was a willingness to die, and to die for others. This fifth word shows us another man who has been inspired to follow his example, to die with him. At the very heart of the gospel is a willingness to die.
I. A Man in the Consternation of Willingness. V40 “Dost thou not fear God seeing we are in the same condemnation?” Many times others had come to Jesus expecting a sign. They had watched with curiosity in the performance of miracle. The cripple made to walk, the blind to see, the deaf were no longer, even the dead were raised, and His lessons on forgiveness were legion, that too a miracle, preaching deliverance to the captives.
They had had the sign of prophecy, but that seems not to have been enough. Isaiah 61:1f “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the humble, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, . . . to comfort all who mourn, . . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.”
They wanted something akin to Moses dividing the Sea of Reeds.
It makes us want to ask what the sign is that we are looking for. Is the text of Easter not enough? Do we question the legitimacy of Jesus? Why are we slow to respond?
As it is now, it was then, even at His cross they demand a sign. In life they had asked that very question, “show us a sign?” And He had responded in the only possible way. “The only sign you will receive is of Jonas." The sign of death and burial. The sign of submergence, not in water but in God. So now in death, they wanted a sign. Give us something that will make the world remember “Golgotha.” Give us anything but accountability. Had the woman at the well know what awaited her, she would have stayed home. We too are guilty of avoiding what is in our spiritual best interest.
II. He Was a Man Caught Up in the Conviction of Willingness. Can, should, must. V41 “We received the due rewards for our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss: And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
It does us well to remember that others have also been crucified, and for lesser reasons. I don’t know if there were other crucifixions at Golgotha. I know there have been other Golgothas. Men and women have died for causes just and unjust. But the crucifixion of Jesus is unique in all the earth. The place where it happened remains contested, but the fact of crucifixion and its meaning is undeniable.
The source of all wisdom chose to die, and such an ignoble death. If Hollywood, or Wall Street, or the Louisiana transition team or our church committees had planned Easter, none of us would have planned a lynching for our super star.
But Easter is precisely what has turned everything around. It has altered history. Its impact has been universal in scope. Other religions have been cultural and/or military. Christianity has manifested itself as a faith of and for all people.
We have, regrettably, become so entertainment conscious. Phineus Barnum was a great showman. He knew what people would pay to see. But he isn’t remembered long after the show leaves town.
And I remind you that Easter was not some kind of divine appeasement. Parents sometimes find it easier to try to buy their children’s respect, than to earn it through genuine caring. Others mandate it with threats. But, what really happened at Calvary is that personal sin had to face up to God’s parental concern. The parents whose children know they care, will be the ones who don’t lose them in adolescence. Those who learn this kind of caring on the part of God will stay with their profession. It is to see sin from God’s point of view. It is to realize the nature of sin that separates. But as well, it initiates the step of faith leading back to God.
I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God.”
III. Finally, He Is Brought to the Commitment/Willingness. V43 “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.”
He concluded, as so must we all, that the one way to God is through Christ. It is what the world does not wish to do. The world wishes to find its way intellectually. Paul Harvey reported (4/4/76) a major Ivy League school (Harvard) had eight punishable crimes per day on the campus. Security had become a major expense.
John 6:40 “This is the will of him that sent me, that everyone that seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.”
This is that essential difference between these two men. Both were similarly guilty. They were judged fairly, and sentenced justly. Forgiveness is assessed to the one because he looks to the son in faith.
Believers are to come to renewal and revival in the self-same way. Sin is still the distress of the spirit. We must continually look to the Son.
J.S. Whale in his book, “What Is a Living Church,” reminds us “Christendom’s deadliest enemy is not a doctrinaire godlessness but a practical atheism.” I think what he means by that is that too many run around with a name-tag of Christian, and a lifestyle of worldliness.
Conclusion
Leonard Griffith (E14p164) writes that the pearls of the former House of Austria periodically lost their luster through exposure. They would then be taken back to the ocean and left in their natural state. Their beauty would always be restored. The church also, through exposure to the world, loses its luster, and if it does not immerse itself continually in the ocean of God’s redeeming love, it will lose its way. Holiness can be recovered only in the sanctuary, in the place of prayer.
Illustration from Light, Journal of The Christian Life Commission – March/April 1988
When teaching phonics to my pre-schooler, we started at the beginning of the alphabet. “This is the letter A,” I said, “Do you know a word that begins with A?” The poignant reply came, “A is for AIDS.”
So it is in our lives—A is for AIDS. It is the beginning and ending of every facet of our existence. Those of us who have contracted AIDS are the new untouchables.
I was infected with the AIDS virus by a blood transfusion while still pregnant with my first child. As a result, our baby also contracted the virus. Although I frequently was ill and fatigued, I passed it off as being “the new mother syndrome.”
Our baby was quite ill as well, requiring weekly trips to the doctor, and I blamed much of my exhaustion on stress.
Having no idea that I was carrying the AIDS virus, two years after the birth of my first child, I became pregnant again. Our second child was premature and also had multiple medical problems.
When the baby was five months old, I received a call from the blood bank that had supplied the blood for my transfusion. They said that the donor who had given the blood for my transfusion had AIDS.
My world started reeling. As soon as I heard the words, all of the events of the past three years came into focus with a searing clarity—the children’s inability to stay well; the doctor’s frequent head-shaking and statements: “This is rare”; “The medicine should have worked.”
Within two months, I had lost most of what had constituted my world. Our baby was in critical condition with only days or weeks to live. My husband had lost his job and career when his employer found out that his family had been touched by AIDS. Our older child had to be removed from day care. We were asked not to return to our church. Our confidentiality had been breached, and as word spread throughout our community, we quickly fled and relocated in another town. We were too terrified to risk harassment and persecution.
Several months after our move, our baby died, and the second phase of my isolation began. This isolation was self-imposed by fear.
The few relationships I have had are superficial and almost totally based on fabrication. How could I truthfully answer simple questions: “Why did you move here?” “What was wrong with your baby?” I couldn’t talk about the fact that my heart was breaking every time I looked at my little girl. I couldn’t share the fact that my marriage was fragmenting from the incredible stress in our lives. I couldn’t “act sick” lest someone get suspicious, so I hid my symptoms and pain.
I didn’t reveal anything about the severity of our daughter’s illness lest my child be totally ostracized from all socialization. I couldn’t even contact former coworkers to explain why I had suddenly disappeared. I was in a new city with no friends, no church, no “home,” no job, a struggling marriage, a very sick child and the grief of our baby who had died. I had never been so alone in my life.
We reached out to a local church. The pastor was supportive, but when he asked parents about the possibility of our child attending Sunday School, the parents said “no.” We do not attend church now. The rejection runs too deep.
To Christians, I would say that AIDS cripples not only the body, but the heart. At a time when the AIDS victim is dealing with death and dying, heavy financial burdens and physical debilitation, they need support, care, and concern—not rejection! If there was ever a time to reach out and touch the “lepers” of our day, it is now.
I wear the Scarlet A. I keep it well hidden. You may never see me cry or realize from my appearance that I have been infected by the virus. Nevertheless, I have been shattered. I need love, compassion, and community to help me make it from day to day. I have done nothing immoral or illegal to contract this disease, but those who have, hurt just as deeply as I. Their needs are as great or greater than mine for a compassionate and loving response to AIDS.
(Reprinted from the Baptist Standard-Texas)
THE WORD OF PROCLAMATION (Seventh Word from the Cross)
#109 THE WORD OF PROCLAMATION (Seventh Word from the Cross)
Scripture Luke 23:44-46 NIV Orig. Date 4/22/1962 (4/1980)
Rewr. Dates 4/13/1987
Passage: 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Purpose: To conclude the seven-part series of Words from the Cross, here signifying Jesus’ willing commitment unto death.
Keywords: Christ the Redeemer Will of God Redemption Commitment Crucifixion
Timeline/Series: Words from the Cross
Introduction
We have come to Luke for the final chapter in these Words from the Cross. It is he also who records two phenomena that accompany the death of Jesus. These two marvels of divine condescension.
The first was from the natural world. Note Luke 23:44 “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.” Nature was in full accord with the events of Calvary. Authorities on solar activity tell us that an eclipse of the sun may last as much as 7 minutes/40 seconds. If this was an eclipse at all, it lasted for three hours. Nature adds its own mute testimony of the blackness of the present stage of man’s evolution to greatness. In man’s pursuit of excellence, the best of men has come to a wooden cross to die the shameful death of a criminal.
“He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:21
Then, in v45, as if in sequence, Luke tells of the second phenomenon: this time from the spiritual world. The Jewish temple was on temple mount, no more than a few hundred yards from Golgotha. The priests were performing their sacramental duties, oblivious to Calvary: not caring that Mary’s son was dying. Suddenly, there came the sound of fabric being torn. They looked up to see the veil, separating the sacramental area from the Holy of Holies, being torn as if by some unseen hand. This alone, the “rending” of a huge curtain, 30x60 feet in size, perhaps 4 inches thick, would have precipitated unmeasured fear. But more than that, they suddenly found themselves looking straight upon the sacred enclosure of the Holy-of-Holies. The veil, you remember, was under the severest of scrutinies, and was to be lifted on only one day of the year, that being the day of atonement. With the death of Christ, that which has before separated man from free access to God’s grace is forever removed. Two things more compel our attention.
I. Jesus Unhesitatingly Commits Himself into the Loving Providence of God’s Care. “Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
There was total confidence in His mission. It would mean to suffer pain. To die. Potentially to be separated from the Father. It meant believing in the Father’s will in the whole, and in all its parts.
There is reason to believe only that Jesus is in total control. Some of you will remember Grady Lee (Ruston, FBC) some years ago. He once shared an illustration from a black preacher friend. The death angel had robed himself in his blackest garment, had mounted his blackest steed, and was on his way to Golgotha. Thundering hooves were plummeting toward three men affixed to crosses. One looked toward Jesus, “Lord, remember me!” Jesus interrupted the angel with his death saber drawn, “Hold on death. I’m still in charge here.”
Remember that this final phrase form the cross is a quotation from scripture. Initially, it was a word from the Psalmist. It became, long before Jesus’ day, the first prayer, taught by every Jewish mother to her child against the threatening darkness of night.
“Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
When one is looking death in the face, there is no hope that does not find succor in God.
A learned man had a terminal illness. His days became few. His former colleagues came from time to time and brought new insight, or some new philosophy. They gave little comfort. A Christian friend came and took him for a drive in the country. The dying man told his friend about the conversations with others, and that this did not any longer satisfy his interests, or his present need. He then quoted I Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.” He added, “There is nothing else of any use to me now.”
Jesus altered the quotation only slightly. He adds the single word, “Father.” “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” A prayer the psalmist could not pray. God’s grace distant, and detached. Could not personalize so intimate a relationship, like [an] orphan’s concept of father.
Jesus also omits an irrelevant word. “For thou hast redeemed me.” These present are deeply moved. Jesus’ death has done what His life could not. So noble a spirit as He has died to call others to God. John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up, . . . will draw all men unto me.”
II. Thus Is the Spirit of Jesus Commended into the Hands of the Father. First, He prioritizes the human spirit. Even on the cross is fleshly concern. Third word assigns John care of Mary. Fifth word (thirst) expresses pain. Here at the last, He acknowledges the worth of the soul. “The worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.” [Myra Brooks Welch, 1921]
Consider carefully this Easter day this spirit here commended to the Father’s keeping. It is the spirit of truth. John 6:53f teaches they would eat his flesh, drink his blood. Repulsive to Jew. V61 “Doth this offend you?” V63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life.” It is this spirit of Jesus that draws us to the Father.
Romans 8:9 “. . .now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” V11 “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ . . . shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
It is this Spirit of Jesus that confirms our oneness with the Father. Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”
The Spirit of Jesus is the true spirit of liberty. II Corinthians 3:17 “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
The Spirit of Jesus is the seal of our adoption by the Father as His children. Galatian 4:4f “God sent forth His son, made of woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons . . . And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts.”
And, finally, it is the spirit of Jesus giving permanence to our faith. Ephesians 3:16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
Conclusion
The fight of faith is still a living, viable reality. It must be pursued unconditionally. But the spirit of Jesus is the spirit of victory.
In East Germany is a place called Wartburg. It is the place where Martin Luther lived during his years of strongest struggle. It is where he poured out his soul in obedience to God. The house where he lived is treated as a shrine by the city fathers. It is also, to all who believe in freedom of conscience. Keepers of the shrine will show visitors a black stain on the old wall in Luther’s study. It marks an occasion when, it is said, that the reformer threw his ink bottle at the devil. The confrontations with temptation, even sin, will come, but for the believer, the spirit of Jesus is our means of deliverance.
MATCHLESS MARY
#207 MATCHLESS MARY
Scripture Luke 1:26-33, 2:41-58; John 19:25-28 NIV Orig. Date 12-24-1961
Rewr. Dates 12-1975; 9-16-1990
Passage: Luke 1:26-33 The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 2:41-48 The Boy Jesus at the Temple
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
John 19:25-28
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus
28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
Purpose: Continuing a Sunday evening series on New Testament characters, here describing the mother of Jesus.
Keywords: Biography of Mary Devotion Christ as Saviour
Timeline/Series: New Testament characters
Introduction
Back in 1981 we witnessed by means of television, the wedding of Charles and Diana. Thirty-four years prior to that (1947), some of us, through the medium of news reels at the picture show saw similar ceremony when Charles’ father and mother were wed. It was a remarkable time for England.
Not only were the British people in a festive mood, dignitaries from around the world were on the scene. Among these important people were representatives of royal families. One monarch present was King Faisal II. Back when Iraq had a king, he was then the twelve-year-old sovereign.
The processional was underway. People lined the street from the palace to Westminster Abbey. King Faisal was one of those looking on. Though dressed the part, and attendants were at his side, few knew who he was. His interest was not in the nuptial couple, but in the horses pulling their carriage. As the carriage approached, he stepped through the line of policemen to see better. Doing so, one of the policemen grabbed bodily for the young king and thrust him back into the crowd.
How do you apologize for the abusive treatment of royalty? The English people were stunned. Newspapers for days carried accounts, and efforts to make amends not only to young Faisal, but to the Iraqi people as well. What they were attempting to say was, “King Faisal, we didn’t know who you were!”
It puts us in mind of another apology. That which rings out so clearly in the old spiritual, “Sweet little holy child, we didn’t know who you was.” Do you wonder how Mary knew?
I. The First Consideration is of the benefit of Maidenhood. Luke 1:38 “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.”
She is clearly a young woman of virtue and self-esteem. She was already spoken for in marriage. Joseph had claimed her in contract that only infidelity could break. Oliver First: “When a girl ceases to blush, she has lost the most powerful charm of her beauty.” Not only the maids, but the men also planned for the eventuality of marriage.
In addition, the angel had spoken to her. The angelic message must have been received with wonder and question. How would Joseph respond to the question of a baby? She surely must have suspected the response of the community. Why she went to Elizabeth’s.
In addition to this self-worth, she was apparently known for her faith/allegiance. She lived in open acknowledgement of God’s unique plan for her life. Make no mistake, God chose the best there was. Our study of Balaam didn’t suggest he must have been the best at that time. How much she knew of that plan? Her baby the “son of God,” but then, aren’t we all in one way?
Were thoughts conjured up of the Jewish Messiah? Did she understand that her baby would have no human father? The consummation of her marriage to Joseph was only weeks away. She understood the need, now, as never before, of obedience. A word is needed relative to virgin birth. Some well-meaning people reject. Jesus was God’s son (monogena), not because of Mary, but by the Holy Spirit. Tracing genealogy to Joseph is for convenience only. (Matthew 1:16 and Luke 3:23).
It is the submission of Mary that establishes choice. Luke 1:38 “Be it unto me according to thy word.” There would be other, normatively born, but this is not one of them. “Firstborn” Matthew 1:25/13:55.
II. Our Next Consideration is of the Burden of Motherhood. Luke 2:35 “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Though [he was] the son of God, Mary is not spared any of the agony of childbirth. I heard a medical critique that women experience more pain in childbirth than men experience in a lifetime. Probably the most important person at a birthing is the grandmother. I have been in the waiting room at many of these. My own and my daughter’s. With fathers joyous at prospect. In the city hospitals, I’ve seen them who grumbled through it.
She would be the major factor in childrearing. At some point, she had to carry on as a single parent. She gave birth to six other children. Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph, and Judas, and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us? Parenting is always difficult, made especially so by the uniqueness of the child. Imperfect parents—perfect child. God, in the flesh.
Susanna Wesley, mother of John, spent an hour every day praying for her children. She took each child aside for one hour each week for the purpose of discussing spiritual matters. Oh, yes, it is important that you know that there were seventeen of them. John, and his brother Charles, would be figureheads of protestant religion in America during the 18th Century. She was known by the people around her. Not as the mother of God, but as a woman trying to do right.
III. Finally, We Must Consider the Blessing of the Mediator. John 19:26f “And he sayeth to his mother, woman, behold thy son. Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy Mother.”
The great heart of Jesus reaches out to Mary in a special way, and that John did not burden the gospel with tidbits re: childhood and youth of Jesus! We know His special affection for John. For practical spiritual reasons, Jesus chooses for His mother to be in John’s care. This may be in part for John.
The consideration given her is in keeping with the degree of her own faith. Obedience was the cardinal virtue. She expresses her faith in submissiveness. Luke 1:45 Elizabeth to Mary: “You believed that God would do what He said; that’s why He has given you this wonderful blessing.” She bore God’s own son. John 1:4 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.”
Understand one final word. Mary needed Jesus as her own redeemer. At the last He no longer calls her “mother.” “Woman, behold thy son.” She, like the rest of us, stands empty before God. I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.”
Conclusion
Not knowing who He was should no longer be our excuse. The evidence is clear enough for one who seeks it out. H.D.M. Spence’s poem tells a different story.
“They opened their treasures, the wise men old,
And prostrate they fell on the ground;
Exultant in spirit, they worshipped the Lord,
For Jesus, the Saviour, they’d found!
The treasure of heaven in Bethlehem lay,
Incarnate was God from above;
No wonder their treasures they opened to Him—
Their feeble expressions of love!
We may not have treasures of glory or gold,
Nor perfume to pour out at His feet;
Though if we but knew the true worth of the Christ,
We’d give Him our homage complete.”