Sermon preview--The Good Samaritan

On September 1, 1983, a Russian Air Force pilot named Major Osipovich volunteered for night duty, patrolling the skies over the eastern region of the Soviet Union. He did this because he had been asked to give a speech about world peace at his children’s school, and he needed some time off. That night, as Osipovich flew his lonely night patrol, he spotted an unidentified aircraft in Soviet airspace. After asking his superiors what to do, Osipovich followed standard procedure. He fired on the aircraft, shooting it down. Osipovich didn’t know it at the time, but he had just shot down a commercial airliner, Korean Airlines flight 007. No one knows why the plane strayed into Soviet airspace, nor why the Major had such a quick trigger finger. What is indisputable is that 240 innocent civilians died that night, including several American passengers. Some of you remember that time. It wasn’t quite like the Cuban Missile Crisis, but it was a very tense moment in world events. It felt very much like the Cold War was about to get hot. Ironically, a man who was getting ready to talk about peace almost started World War III.

Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. We all know those cliches, but how many of us back up our profession in Christ with Christ-like actions? We wear our WWJD bracelets, put a fish on the back of our cars, and call ourselves by the name “Christian,” a word that literally means “little Christ.” But how many of us really want to be like Him? Sure, we want Him to bless us. We want to spend eternity with Him. But do we really want to live like He lived? The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) shows us what it really means to live like Jesus. This Sunday, we'll explore this great story that is still just as revolutionary today as it was 2000 years ago. Do you really want to be a Christian? Find out what that means this Sunday.

Sermon preview--Counterfeit Salvation

Last week, we talked about how Jesus wasn't the bland nice guy that so many of us picture when we think of Him. He was bold, provocative, and didn't let political correctness stand in the way of speaking the truth. This week, as we continue our study of the parables of Jesus, we're reminded of another interesting characteristic of His teaching: Sometimes He said things that absolutely baffled His listeners. That's certainly the case with the Parable of the Eight Spirits in Matthew 12:43-45. The only time I've ever heard a sermon on this parable was when I preached it myself, more than ten years ago. I showed up to the service and a church member approached me. He had seen the text in the bulletin and had read it ahead of time--a practice I heartily endorse. He said, "How in the heck are you going to make a sermon out of that? What does that even mean?" He looked at me like I had some sort of homiletical death wish; that I was convinced I would preach successfully on an impossible text or die trying.

But it's not impossible. Jesus wasn't being deliberately vague or intentionally enigmatic when He told this story. His point was inflammatory and inspiring back then, and it is just as much so today. This Sunday, we'll take a close look at this parable. We'll examine its context and drill down into the meaning. Then we'll see how it applies to us corporately (as a church body), interpersonally (in our relationships with others), and personally--in our daily decisions and priorities. The parable may be mysterious, but the message is too important for us to miss. I hope you can be there.

Sermon preview--God's Favorite People

Writer Virginia Stem Owens once taught a class at Texas A&M in which she challenged the students to study the Gospel account of Jesus’ life. If you know anything about A&M, you would expect most students there to be very familiar with Jesus’ story. But while most of the students knew some basic Bible stories, very few had ever really studied the man. During a class discussion, Owens asked the students if anything about Jesus surprised them. One student made a comment that everyone else rallied around: “He wasn’t very nice.” They had a picture of Jesus as being rather quiet and gentle, even boring, but definitely a nice guy. But this guy they read about was downright rude at times. He said provocative, uncomfortable things. You could imagine if you were one of His followers that sometimes you’d be a little embarrassed when He infuriated the kind of powerful people you wanted to impress, or humiliated when He called you on some sinful attitude. Have you ever had a friend who always told you the truth, even when it wasn’t what you wanted to hear? When you get a bad report from your cardiologist, instead of just saying, “I’ll pray for you,” like Christian friends are supposed to do, he says, “Sounds like it’s time to stop having bacon cheeseburgers and sour cream enchiladas every day for lunch.” When you’re mad that your wife won’t let you go on a hunting trip this weekend, he’s supposed to say, “Women. They just don’t get it.” But instead, he says, “Well, you have been gone pretty much every weekend lately. How are you supposed to build a family if you’re never home?” Don’t you hate that guy? But he’s a true friend. That’s Jesus. This Sunday, He’s going to say some things in this message that will make most of us feel uncomfortable, stuff we wish He would keep to Himself.

We'll be looking at the parable of the banquet, found in Luke 14:15-24. Jesus challenges us to pay special attention to His favorite people...the people He pays special attention to (because no one else will). It helps if you read vv. 1-14, just to get the context. I look forward to seeing you all Sunday.

Worship on September 11

This Sunday in our worship service, we will observe the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. As worship leaders, we've put a great deal of prayer and discussion into what this service needs to accomplish. We will sing some great songs of our nation, but it won't be a July 4-style service. We will pray for our nation, leaders and troops, but we won't talk about how the war should be fought, or what our nation's leaders should do next. It will be, first and foremost, a service of worship for our Almighty God, as every worship service in our sanctuary should be. Primarily, the focus will be on the way God wants us--His people--to live in days surrounded by so much fear.

Did you know where the term terrorism comes from? It’s actually a French word. It comes from the time of the French Revolution, when the Jacobins instituted their “Reign of Terror” over the nation. They took the term from a Latin word, terrere, which means “to frighten.” A terrorist uses fear as a weapon to bring down a nation or an army that he could never beat in a fair fight. So terrorism doesn’t have to kill all of its enemies in order to win, it just needs to intimidate them into giving up. In many ways, Satan is the first terrorist. He uses fear to enslave us, to turn us away from the one who can save us forever. We don't have to worship him in order to be defeated; we just have to miss the plan God has for us.

Jesus once said an unusual thing: I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4-5) He could say that because He knew He would someday destroy the one who held the power of death itself, the one who enslaved all of mankind. That truth is found in our text for Sunday, Hebrews 2:14-15. I'll be preaching a message entitled, "The Day Fear Died." How did Jesus set us free from all fear? What does that mean for the way we should live? Come find out this Sunday.

Sermon preview--Why Do Some People Never Fully Commit?

A couple of weeks ago my son, Will, had a loose tooth right in front. It had become so very loose it was practically pointing outward. All he needed was black eyes and a banjo and he’d look like the kid from “Deliverance.” So one day, Carrie talked him into doing the “tie your tooth to a string that’s tied to the door” trick. It had worked before. So she had Will all rigged up, the door was open and ready to be slammed, and then he got cold feet. I can remember when I was losing my baby teeth, and it’s a scary thing. Your parents can tell you that it’s not going to hurt, but it’s not their tooth tied to a door, is it? So we’re both standing over Will, urging him to let Carrie shut the door, and he keeps saying, “Not yet.” Finally, he says, “Can we pray about this first?” As he says it, he jerks his head back…and out pops the tooth. Next time you see Will, ask him to show you his new grin.

In the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23), Jesus talked about people who, like Will, have a problem with commitment. They are represented by the thorny soil. The thorny soil represents people who have the best of intentions to follow Jesus, but they never fully commit. For instance, imagine a teenager who starts attending the youth group, perhaps because a friend invited him, or his parents brought him, or he thinks the girls are cute. He goes away to youth camp, hears a message from the speaker that really challenges him, and makes a decision for Christ. He comes home and gets baptized. But nothing really changes in his life. He comes to youth events and church services, and he truly believes everything his pastor and youth minister teach, but he’s still sleeping with his girlfriend, still giving his parents headaches, still feels worthless and empty inside. Or picture a woman who was raised in church, saved as a small child. She’s faithful in her church attendance, and her Christianity is her identity. It informs how she votes, who she associates with, how she believes on ethical and moral issues. She gives an offering and says her daily prayers. But she’s one of the most joyless, judgmental, downright unpleasant people you’ll ever meet. Then picture a man who was moderately religious as a child, but who married a very devout woman. Now he attends church each week, but mostly just to keep peace at home. He has all the right beliefs, and everyone who knows him would say he’s a heck of a guy, but he can barely make it through that one weekly church service without falling asleep. Spiritual issues just have no interest for him.

The question most of us immediately jump to is, “Are these people really saved?” That’s not the issue in this parable. The issue is fruitfulness. People who profess faith in Jesus but don't fully commit themselves to Him never bear fruit. Why does this happen? What keeps many of us from falling short of full commitment? And what can we do when we find ourselves in this position? We'll talk about these things and more this Sunday.

Sermon preview--Why Do Some People Never Fully Commit?

A couple of weeks ago my son, Will, had a loose tooth right in front. It had become so very loose it was practically pointing outward. All he needed was black eyes and a banjo and he’d look like the kid from “Deliverance.” So one day, Carrie talked him into doing the “tie your tooth to a string that’s tied to the door” trick. It had worked before. So she had Will all rigged up, the door was open and ready to be slammed, and then he got cold feet. I can remember when I was losing my baby teeth, and it’s a scary thing. Your parents can tell you that it’s not going to hurt, but it’s not their tooth tied to a door, is it? So we’re both standing over Will, urging him to let Carrie shut the door, and he keeps saying, “Not yet.” Finally, he says, “Can we pray about this first?” As he says it, he jerks his head back…and out pops the tooth. Next time you see Will, ask him to show you his new grin.

In the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23), Jesus talked about people who, like Will, have a problem with commitment. They are represented by the thorny soil. The thorny soil represents people who have the best of intentions to follow Jesus, but they never fully commit. For instance, imagine a teenager who starts attending the youth group, perhaps because a friend invited him, or his parents brought him, or he thinks the girls are cute. He goes away to youth camp, hears a message from the speaker that really challenges him, and makes a decision for Christ. He comes home and gets baptized. But nothing really changes in his life. He comes to youth events and church services, and he truly believes everything his pastor and youth minister teach, but he’s still sleeping with his girlfriend, still giving his parents headaches, still feels worthless and empty inside. Or picture a woman who was raised in church, saved as a small child. She’s faithful in her church attendance, and her Christianity is her identity. It informs how she votes, who she associates with, how she believes on ethical and moral issues. She gives an offering and says her daily prayers. But she’s one of the most joyless, judgmental, downright unpleasant people you’ll ever meet. Then picture a man who was moderately religious as a child, but who married a very devout woman. Now he attends church each week, but mostly just to keep peace at home. He has all the right beliefs, and everyone who knows him would say he’s a heck of a guy, but he can barely make it through that one weekly church service without falling asleep. Spiritual issues just have no interest for him.

The question most of us immediately jump to is, “Are these people really saved?” That’s not the issue in this parable. The issue is fruitfulness. People who profess faith in Jesus but don't fully commit themselves to Him never bear fruit. Why does this happen? What keeps many of us from falling short of full commitment? And what can we do when we find ourselves in this position? We'll talk about these things and more this Sunday.