Redeemed – The Membership Perks

Psalm 103

Pastor Barry Kerner

These days most stores and businesses have some type of membership or rewards programs. Others such as gyms and some big box stores operate on the business model of joining a club. Many museums and zoos as well as IKEA even equate becoming a member with joining their family. The premise of any membership program is that if you sign up and become an affiliate you are then entitled to certain benefits that are not available to non-members. While some businesses’ membership programs appear to be free, others may charge an upfront membership fee. At the minimum you need to provide something personal even if it’s personal information in exchange for becoming a member. Others such as country clubs and national gyms, may charge a hefty fee, to become a member, in order to access their benefits and rewards. The greater the rewards and benefits the larger the fee that may be charged.

I’ve heard many sermons and have read many book that seemingly advertise that Christianity is free for all who would believe. I believe that they may be somewhat shortsighted. They overlook the great cost that is required to become a member of the family of God. They undervalue the rewards and benefits available to Christians when they teach that there is no price for joining the family.

Christianity seems to come at a pretty steep price. Jesus tells us clearly that whoever wishes to follow him must lay down his own life. The cost to join the family of God isn’t just some personal information or even a hefty fee. The cost to become a Christian is everything you own. Sometimes it can be hard to do this, especially when you can’t see the immediate benefits. But being a Christian is a life with only advantages! Here are some of the many benefits of being a Christian – all really good reasons to give up everything and live for Christ.

First, by becoming a child of God – a member of the Kingdom of Heaven, your sins are forgiven.

This is truly a good thing because Romans 3:23 says “ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” But the Bible tells us how you can be made right with God. In 1 John 1:9 we’re told, “if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness”

You are forgiven solely because of what Christ had done for you. The apostle Paul told the Colossians, “For it is by God’s Son alone that we have been redeemed and have had our sins forgiven.” (Colossians 1:14)

Christ took the punishment for your sins at the Cross to free you from the guilt and condemnation of your sins. On the account of His Son, God gives you a receipt of pardon instead of an invoice of penalty. You no longer need to fear punishment for your sins because Christ had already paid for them all – past, present and future.

Some believers are taught to dredge up their sins for them to get right with God. Counting your sins instead of your blessings will cause you to accuse yourself. It tears away your identity and derails your purpose. Every time you recall your sin, you are actually re-enacting your shameful past. It will lead to self-loathing and personal rejection.

God’s approach is to forgive and remember your sins no more (Hebrews 10:17). He no longer looks at you with a pair of judgmental eyes, but with eyes of love. It doesn’t matter how much God loves you if you don’t know that He does! The more you know that  God loves you, the better you are able to live for Him.

Paul reminded the Corinthians, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

To the Romans he wrote, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”  (Romans 10:9-10)

Staying focused on His love, you are able to live not in the past and not in fear.

A well-known Christian psychologist once said that he would have no patients if he could only convince them that they are truly forgiven.

God tells us that when we accept Jesus Christ we:

• have been washed clean by the blood (Revelation 1:5)
• are clothed in the righteousness of Christ ( 2 Corinthians 5:20)
• are sealed (Ephesians 4:30) by the indwelling Holy Spirit
• are taught and directed (John 14:26, John 16:13) by the Holy Spirit’s power
• are promised eternal glory (John 10:28, John 17:22)

Rejoice that Jesus had satisfactorily paid for your sins when He died on the Cross. And when you become a child of God, there is no longer a debt for you to settle. Instead, the new benefit is that there is a new life for you to live.

Second, as a child of God, you receive a personal connection with Jesus Christ

When I was a child I was taught to sing a song with the words, “I have a friend in Jesus.” It wasn’t until I was born again that I realized what a true friend is to found in Jesus Christ. Imagine, Jesus Christ –  Lord of Lords and King of Kings, a friend for life. Think of the benefits of having a lifelong friend and companion, mentor and teacher, role model and help in every situation in life. Jesus is such a person for you. He was tempted in all things like us but overcame all sin, so no matter what we meet, Jesus can relate to your situation and will help you to get through it too!

He is somebody you can talk to at any time of day about anything at all. He is always there, through thick and thin, and He is always able to help us. Jesus is somebody to whom you can say “Help, me, I’m struggling, I’m sinning, I don’t know what to do.” And Jesus will say back to you: “I know, I’ve been tempted there too, but I got victory over that, let me show you how. Let me give you strength.”

Friends come and go. Family comes and goes. People drift into our lives for a season and we walk with them for a while. But just as fast, our paths diverge and we find ourselves moving on, having taken different paths. But Jesus won’t ever leave you. Once you’re connected to Christ there isn’t anything that can break that bond. The apostle Paul was so sure of this unbreakable bond that in Romans 8:38-39 he wrote,  “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

No matter how overwhelming the world may seem, no matter how many difficult situations you may face, no matter how many burdens may weigh you down, no matter how lost and alone you may feel, Jesus is there for you. Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us to, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you”

A personal friend, mentor, and helper for life. What more could anyone ask for? And remember, that as a child of God, the personal connection with Christ is available to you.

Third, you will receive the Holy Spirit as a help and companion in your life.

Jesus has ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. But, before leaving Jesus promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to live within them. He told them, “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” (John 14:15-17)

Jesus also told them what the Holy Spirit will do for them, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” (John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes that the Son and the Father have. He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), immutable (unchanging) and eternal. He is the third person of the trinity.

The Holy Spirit is instrumental in the redemption of every believer and without His indwelling none would be saved. Paul told Titus, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

God will give you His ‘Spirit of truth’ to provide you with knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

When you become a member of the family of God, He sends the Holy Spirit to be a guiding presence and power in your life. He will guide you in all things; a helper for whatever happens. He will show you your sins, and what you must do to overcome them, and then He gives you the power to do so!  The Spirit will reveal truths about major issues in your life (purpose, morality, destiny etc.) and the reasons behind certain major world events. He will also give you the ability to discern truth and error and to recognize deception. Such spiritual understanding is unavailable to those who are not children of god

The Holy Spirit is an engine, a motor that will drives you forward and give you strength when you feel that you have none. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26.

Imagine what it would be to have such a helping power in your life! The Holy Spirit can help you in your weaknesses, and can make intercession for you. With Jesus as your head and the Holy Spirit in your heart, there is nothing that can stop you from living completely according to God’s. Your life will be full of love and you will be a blessing and a help to others as well. The rewards of a Spirit filled life are worth the price of becoming a member of the Kingdom of  Heaven!

Fourth, your sins are not only forgiven but you will receive victory over sin and life’s misfortunes.

All the misery in the world is a result of sin. Just as Christ conquered sin, Christians can be victorious over all conscious sin.  “Victory over sin” means that you do not commit conscious sin – that which you know would be sin at that time when you are tempted. It doesn’t mean that you are without sin,  It means you are not going to face any temptation that you can’t overcome. … You don’t have to give in to sin each and every time you are tempted.

In other words, you can be free from everything that makes you miserable!

Impatience, anger, lust, jealousy – these are not pleasant things to experience. Living according to your sin is like grasping at the wind; it will only leave you empty and miserable and constantly needing more, reaching for the satisfaction of your lusts that seems so close, but will never be enough.

When you get victory over your sin then you you will find joy. A perfect, heavenly joy that won’t leave you feeling empty and miserable. Sin can feel like it makes you happy for a little while but the passing pleasures of sin are nothing compared to the joy of living a victorious life.

Fifth, you will take on the virtues of Christ and be transformed into His image.

Jesus spent His life victorious over all sin. He was free to bless people in all things because He didn’t have sin on His conscience to hold Him back. All that selfishness, demands on others, pride, greed, lust, and every other sin imaginable that gets in the way of everything – Jesus had victory over that.

Just like Jesus, you will be able to live this overcoming life and as you become freed from sin you become more and more transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 5:22 tell us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”   When you let the Holy Spirit come into your hearts and begin to follow Jesus in having victory over sin, then you will begin to take on the fruit of the Spirit. Think to be able to be loving, joyful and peaceful all of the time instead of selfish, proud, anxious, or angry. What a blessing you  can then be to others then!

As you become more and more like Christ, your capacity to bless and to serve others increases. Not only will Christianity make you happy, but through it you will also be able bless others and make those around you happy.

Sixth, you can obtain happiness and satisfaction in your earthly life.

Everywhere you look people are wondering what the formula is for a happy life. It is a universal goal, yet very few have come up with the answer. But as a Christian, a happy life is promised to you!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  Jeremiah 29:11.

It was never God’s intention that you should be miserable on the earth for 80 years and then become happy in heaven. God has thoughts of peace towards you – He wants you to be happy now! And as long as you align your will with God’s will for your life, then of course that is what is going to happen.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Corinthians 7:4.) This is what it means to be a Christian: to be exceedingly joyful in all your tribulations! It is easy to be happy when everything in your life is going well but being a Christian means being happy even when things seem to be going against you.

In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul said, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Paul found contentment when he answered Jesus’ call and became a child of God. This same contentment is available to you when you too are a child of God.

Seventh, you can experience unimaginable peace and rest – a life without worry.

The world is a very uncertain place. Natural disasters, financial insecurity, economic crises – how can anyone possibly find rest in such a tumultuous time? Because, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28

This means that no matter what happens in the world, God will take care of His children. Come what may, God will take care of those who love Him. Nothing will be able to happen to you that isn’t for your absolute best.

Whether you understand what the end result of a situation is or don’t understand it at all, you will be able to go through life in complete confidence and rest in God, knowing that your whole life has been arranged for the best.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must rightly remember who is in control.  God is sovereign over all things, including COVID-19.  As preacher and theologian Charles Spurgeon  said, “The sovereignty of God is a soft pillow on which weary people lay their heads.”

Remember also God’s gracious promises, and that they are true and He is faithful to keep them:  Hebrews 13:5 …”I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”  The next verse remind us of the power that comes in trusting God and how you can live:  Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man [or COVID-19] shall do to me.”

God loves you, and in Christ you can find confidence and calm in times of uncertainty and trouble.  When you trust in God, fear is replaced with faith, stress is replaced with strength, anxiety is gone and hope abounds, problems become opportunities, and you will be able to receive the blessings God has for you in the midst of difficult circumstances. Turn to Jesus. He will lead you to the still waters and give rest for your troubled soul. 

When you come to the understanding that God is sovereign and in control you are able to hold on to His promises allowing you to release all your fears and anxieties. Peter wrote, “Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

To the Philippians Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This freedom from anxiety and fear are available to you as a child of God!

But the greatest benefit of being a member of the Kingdom of Heaven is that you are guaranteed life eternal as a child of God

Death is the greatest “unknown” in life. Fear of death can be the cause of much worry and anxiety. But Christians can go through life with the hope and certainty that they will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

 Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life, He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26.)

We get an eternal life in heaven, living forever in peace and happiness worshiping God.

John wrote of believers in the New Kingdom, “They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  (Revelation 7:16-17)

An eternal life in heaven without hunger or thirst, without tears; what could be better than this? How could anyone ever say no to such a life!

Television Commercial salesmen often try to get the viewer to buy by reminding them of  the additional benefits of their product. Psalm 103:2 reminds us to, “ Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”

Psalm 103 goes on to list the many additional benefits that are available to members of God’s Family:

• He forgives our iniquities (vs 3)
• He heals our diseases (vs 3)
• He redeems our lives from destruction (vs 4)
• He crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies (vs 4)
• He satisfies our mouth with good things (vs 5)
• He renews our youth (vs 5)
• He executes righteousness and judgment for the oppressed (vs 6)
• He makes known His ways (vs 7)
• He is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger (vs 8)
• He is forgiving and forgetting of our sins (vs 9, 12)

All of these benefits are available to you. The only price is that you need lay down your life here on earth by putting to death sin like Jesus did, and living only according to God’s will. God has the ability to give you  everything you could possibly want or need, according to His perfect will.

All of these benefits and more are available to the children of God. When the prize is this great, the cost to become a member of the Kingdom of Heaven seems like nothing at all.

Won’t you consider this moment to become a member of the family of God.

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No Greater Love

Pastor Barry Kerner

If you’ll turn in your Bible to John 15, we’ll be looking at verse 1 through 17 today.

In the Gospel of John Jesus uses metaphors to help us better understand justwho he is. In a series of  “I Ams,” Jesus compares Himself to things that would have been familiar to the crowds that followed Him and to us who follow Him today. Bread, light, gates, shepherds, life, vines and more are personified to reveal the true character of Christ.

In John 6:35 Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.”

In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

In 10:7, ‘I am the gate for the sheep”

In John 10:11 Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”

In 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

In 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

And in John 15:1 Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” and went on to compare his disciples to the branches which when connected to the vine bear fruit.

Read John 15:1-17

It’s that last metaphor with its comparison of the vine and its branches that we’ll look at this morning.

As the Lord spoke with his disciples one last time before the chaos of his crucifixion and resurrection, he told them, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (14:20). They then made their way from the upper room towards the Garden of Gethsemane. You can imagine the many vines they passed by on their way to Jesus’ special place of prayer. Vines which were just beginning to put forth fresh, new growth. Maybe this is why Jesus used the imagery of a vine and branches in John 15 to illustrate the deeply interconnected relationship that he spoke of as “you in me, and I in you.”

When the eleven heard Jesus say, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser,”  their minds would have undoubtedly flashed back to a series of Old Testament descriptions of their nation.

Mentioned more than any other plant in the entire Bible, the grape vine was very important culturally and economically in biblical times. Because of its centrality in everyday life, it is often used symbolically in Scripture standing for Israel. A fruitful vine was a symbol of obedient Israel, while wild grapes or an empty vine spoke of Israel’s disobedience (Jeremiah 2:21).

In other places throughout the Hebrew Scriptures God continues the metaphor describing His people, the nation of Israel, as a vineyard, a choice plot of ground cultivated and cared for by the Lord – the vine dresser. Jeremiah 12:10; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17:7-10; 19:10-14; Hosea 10:1

The most famous of these vineyard passages is a song found in Isaiah 5. In it, the prophet sets forth the tragic theme of this vineyard motif of the Old testament – Israel has been an unfruitful vineyard and faces judgment.

Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines;
He built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it;
He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting (Isaiah 5:1-7a).

There’s one more OT vineyard passage we should take note of. It is Psalm 80:7-19. This passage is framed by a plea for God to restore and to save his people. It then describes Israel as a vine that God planted and cared for, only to be trampled by wild animals. So the psalmist begs:

Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself. (Psalm 80:14-15)

Notice that in the last line, the imagery of the vine morphs into that of a person – a son. That’s what this Hebrew word mean. Although some versions render the word “branch,” the meaning is closer to our idea of offspring. Just as a branch may be considered the offspring of the vine, a son is of his father’s “stock.” But this language also reminds us that Israel – the vine – is also described as God’s “son” found in Exodus 4:22-23, as if the nation could be embodied in a single person.

And of course, that is exactly what the Gospel of John tells us about Jesus. As in John 2:19 Jesus lets us know that he has come to be the ultimate temple when he says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  By transforming the water of purification to wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-10), and personifying the great water and light ceremonies that took place at the great feast days (John 7:37-39; 8:12), Jesus shows that he came to fulfill the Law itself and point to the greater blessings of the Messianic age. By providing food in himself that was greater than Moses gave in the wilderness, Jesus came to surpass even Israel’s greatest leader (John 6:49-51). And of course, by offering himself as the lamb to take away the sins of the world, Jesus came to be the ultimate Passover sacrifice. (John 1:29; 18:39).

As we read Jesus’ description of himself as the “true vine” in John 15, then, what we are seeing is a remarkable claim. Jesus is teaching that he has come to be the vineyard of God. He reveals himself to be the “son” of Psalm 80:15 that ethnic Israel was supposed to be, but failed to be in faithless, fruitless disobedience. And his disciples, intertwined in fellowship with him, would be the first branches to sprout as this regrown vine emerged from the tomb conquering death and promising life.

With this biblical background in mind, here are some important applications from Jesus’ teaching here in John 15.

Abiding in Jesus is essential to spiritual life. Just as a sprig cannot survive if it is cut away from the vine, there is no spiritual life apart from Jesus Christ. As Jesus makes clear, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers” (15:6a).

Throughout the gospel of John some people encountered Jesus and even recognized who he was, but refused to commit to him out of fear (12:42-43; 9:22). It is only through fellowship with Jesus that we can have life.

Jesus guarantees that abiding in him will produce fruit. “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5b). There will be true signs of life in us spiritually – what Jesus here calls “fruit” – just as surely as there will be signs of life physically in a living vine and branch. Just as James teaches that genuine faith produces works (James 2:14-26), Jesus says that genuine life produces fruit. If there is no is fruit, there is no life, and God “takes away” that dead branch (15:2a).

Jesus tells us that abiding in him involves pruning. “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (15:2b).

While watching a documentary on Israel and its vineyards, I was struck by just how far back the vine dressers pruned the vines. It looked overly severe to me and I thought it would end up killing the plant.  The documentary went on to show that it is necessary for the health and growth of the vine. God’s pruning of us can certainly feel severe at times, but we can be absolutely confident that the Lord knows what he is doing. Just as the vine needs to be cropped to bear even more fruit, our faith needs God’s pruning so that, “it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness by those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

By abiding in Jesus we can enjoy true life, bearing the fruit of Christ’s life in our own, all while enjoying the gracious refining of God. As he said, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

Jesus then connects the idea of the vine with the concept of love. The message being that if we abide in Christ the fruit we bear will be love for our God and our neighbor.

Love is one of the most important themes in John, and we find plenty about love both in the Gospel of John and in the First Epistle of John. Verses such as:

“Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear”

“Those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”

In John 13:34 “Loving”  is called a ‘new commandment.’  What’s new about it?  It’s not human love…it’s a command to love AS JESE CHRIST LOVED!  It’s a new height of love, with a greater quality than we possess on our own!

We’ll find that Biblical love is something we practice regardless of how we feel.  As Christ showed us, though his rejection by Israel and his subsequent punishment and crucifixion, sometimes love involves sacrifice, difficulty, and pain.  And love always involves commitment!

And today, Jesus draws on the metaphor of himself as the vine to talk about the disciples abiding in love. “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” If we abide in Jesus, and Jesus abides in us, then we also remain in Jesus’ love, and therefore remain in the love of God.

But we don’t always want to abide in God’s love, do we? It’s sounds like a nice and a beautiful thing to do, staying in God’s love and  living in God’s love. It would make for a good pop song. But we don’t always actually want it. Or, to say that another way, there are other things we would rather do. There are other places that sound more exciting than just lying around, staying in God’s love. But more to the point, in order to stay in God’s love, we have to stay with God. And we don’t always want to stay with God. Or is it that we don’t want God to stay with us? There are places we’d like to go where we don’t want God lurking around. It’s too much pressure, having God around all the time. We wouldn’t be able to get away with anything. Wouldn’t have any rest or any privacy or any fun.

Because, there are those parts of our lives that we would rather hide from God. There are those things that we know would disappoint God, but we’d rather keep on doing them. So wouldn’t it be best to keep God out of them? That’s most easily done by keeping God at a distance. After all, if we let God in completely, then God might see every part of us, see each of our actions and intentions and thoughts and motives. And if we let God too far into our lives, God might even try to change us.

Saint Augustine of Hippo is one of the giants of the church. In Western Christianity, there is no theologian whose life and writings are more influential than Augustine. He’s the one responsible for the Doctrine of Original Sin, which, for good or for bad, has shaped the way we interact with God for the last sixteen centuries.

Like all of us, Augustine struggled with sin. Augustine’s particular sin was lust. In his most famous work, titled Confessions, he records a prayer that he had addressed to God regarding his feelings of lust. He wrote, “Lord, make me chaste, but just not yet.”

That simple statement so clearly encapsulates a particular part of our human experience. On the one hand, we want for God to accept us fully, to make us a new creation, to perfect us in love. But on the other hand, there are certain things in our lives that we are aren’t ready to let go of. Even if we know they get in the way of the blessings that God wants for us. It’s a kind of double-mindedness. We want to be good. Just maybe not that good. We say, “Let me remain in your love, God… but let me hold on to these things. There’s plenty of time. Just let me keep doing what I’m doing for now, and we can work the rest of it out later.”

Jesus invites us to something more. He invites us into a relationship that brings joy. “So that your joy may be complete,” he says. The catch is that we can only enter into that complete joy if we also allow God complete access to our lives. We can only have that complete joy when we abide completely in God’s love and allow God to live completely in us.

Jesus says we do that by keeping his commandments. And he makes it clear that, “This is my commandment,” he says, and, “that you love one another as I have loved you.” Love one another as Jesus loved us. And how is it that has Jesus loved us? Not the way we’re usually taught that love works. Jesus didn’t send us flowers on our special day. He didn’t write us a love letter. He didn’t fix us breakfast in bed. Jesus didn’t do any of the typical things that our culture associates with love. Jesus would make a poor substitute for the heartthrobs of major motion pictures. Jesus practices a different kind of love than the kind we celebrate in the movies.

I once heard a story about a cultural anthropologist who went to study the Hopi people in the American Southwest. He was out with a Hopi man in the desert, and the Hopi was singing him the songs of his people. After the first song, the anthropologist asked, What was that song about?” The Hopi man answered, “This song is about water.” After he had sung second song, the anthropologist asked him, “And what was that song about?” He answered, “This song is also about water.” He sang a third song, and the anthropologist asked him the same question. “This is also a song about water.” The scientist was beginning to be a get agitated, and he asked, “Don’t you ever sing about anything except water? Don’t you pray for anything except water?” And the man answered that for the Hopi, water is very scarce, and so it is very precious. “We don’t have much of it, and so, yes, most of our songs are about water.” And then the Hopi said to the anthropologist, “I have noticed that on your radio almost every song is about love. Is this because you don’t have very much of it?”

Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” To lay down one’s life. And when you think about it, it is absolutely extraordinary. God came into our world as a human being. The creator, the high and almighty, and the exalted one above the heavens, became a human being, ordinary flesh and blood. If it weren’t a story we had heard so many times, it would be unimaginable. And what’s more, that same God who became human in order to reach us, loved us enough to die for us, to lay down his life for us.

In our songs and movies, love is often about possessing someone else. It’s about being able to say, “This person is mine.” But Jesus loved us enough to die for us. And it wasn’t in order to possess us, to own us. It was in order to set us free.

Jesus says, “I do not call you servants any longer, but I have called you friends.” Not servants, who are owned, who have no choice but to serve the master, but friends who have the choice to stay or to leave. Friends who have the freedom to love in return or not to love.

“You did not choose me,” says Jesus, “I chose you.” We did not make the invitation. We did not decide on our own to initiate a relationship with God. Jesus came to us first. Jesus loved us with a love that we can hardly conceive. Jesus invited us into a relationship with God that can make our joy complete. If we will only accept the invitation. If we will only allow God in. If we will only abide in God’s love, and let God abide in us, fully and completely, without reservation.

It is our choice. How fully do we want to embrace the gifts that God has offered us in Jesus Christ? How far are we willing to let God into our lives? How much do we trust that what God has to offer us is indeed better, more lasting, more satisfying, than the things we can get apart from God?  How much do we believe Jesus when he tells us, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete?” And are we willing to take the next step, to accept Christ’s invitation and take one step closer to the God who loves us into being?

Jesus comes back to this in John 15 and makes the meaning clear: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12–13). Yes. And how do we love like that? In John 15:9 tells us, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

This is our newness. This is the new commandment. “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Don’t pretend to copy me fruit, stay connected to my vine. Jesus says, “Don’t imitate, participate! Your love for each other is not to be a simulation of mine, but a manifestation of mine. You are the branches. I am the vine. If you abide in me, you can bear fruit, and prove to be my disciples (John 15:8). This is how all people will know you are truly my disciples.

So the reason the love we have for each other shows that we are truly Jesus’ disciples, is that it is only possible because we are grafted into the life and love of Christ and live by the power of the Spirit of God. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, the apostle Paul asks the Corinthian believers a question: “do you not realize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?” In Galatians 2:20 Paul wrote, “ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We love as he loved, because we love with his love.

So, True Followers – True Disciples, in these crucial days, these historic days in the life of our church, this is what Jesus is calling for among us. “Just as I have loved you, that you, my people, love one another.” Go low in foot-washing-like service to one another. Lay down your lives, your privileges, for one another. Love your brothers and sisters across all racial and ethnic lines. Love the weakest and oldest and youngest. Love the disabled. Love the lonely trouble maker and outcast.

How blessed the church — especially the church in transition — that loves like this!

Let us pray…

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Sunday Sermon with Pastor Barry Kerner

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Now Is The Time To Pray

Pastor Barry Kerner

When we ask something of God and do not get it, we may feel that our prayer did not work. Those of us who live in a consumer culture tend to view prayer as a transaction, a way to place an order or purchase a blessing. We then measure its impact by our level of customer satisfaction.

Jesus’s relationship with His Father was marked by different types of prayer, setting a perfect yet practical example of what a life of prayer looks like. Jesus dedicated Himself, often hours at a time, to prayer. When we look to the relationship between God and Jesus as our example, we see that prayer is vital to our relationship with Him. Yet instead of imitating Jesus, we can fall into the habit of treating God like a genie in a bottle, thinking of our prayers like the magic words that force the genie to fulfill our wish. Then, when we don’t get the answer we want, we feel confused, upset, or angry, declaring that prayer does not work and is a waste of time and energy.

But prayer does work and if there was ever a time in our lives NOW is the time to pray!

If you would have told me last month that grocery store shelves would be bare and that we could not hold church services on Sunday, I would have thought that you were an alarmist. And if you would have added that it would be best for me to “self-quarantine” because I am one of the “vulnerable” to COVID-19 I would have thought that you had lost your mind.

Well, it’s happened. Our lives have been upended and every day’s headlines confirm that we’re living in uncertain times. The President has declared a national emergency and America is in an absolute panic. I’m not quite sure why so many people have emptied the store shelves of toilet paper though. It has become so valuable that we may start using it as currency! “How much for that candy bar? Will two squares of toilet paper do?”

All joking aside, you can see the fear on peoples’ faces. They are alarmed and feel as though they don’t have control, because the truth is, they don’t. This is a wake-up call from God Almighty if I have ever seen one. Now is the time to pray.

I don’t mean flippant, casual prayers. I am talking about a fervent, storm-the-gates-of-Heaven type of prayer that calls out to God in desperation and urgency. Thomas Watson wrote a book called, Heaven Taken By Storm. That’s what we need to do. We need God in America today. We need him to eradicate what President Trump has called, “An invisible enemy.” We need to bang on Heaven’s doors, pressing on and pressing forward with ardent and impassioned prayers crying out to God.

In the Bible, prayer stopped storms, calmed waves, healed the sick, raised the dead and even stopped time. Scripture reminds us, “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). We need to turn our panic into prayer. At this time, the sources we often turn to for comfort cannot do anything for us.

Hollywood can’t save us. There is no blockbuster film or actor that will get us out of this. Technology can’t save us either. Our smartphones and computer screens just feed us a barrage of information that heightens our stress and anxiety. Our lawmakers in Washington can’t save us from this pandemic. They will hopefully work together and do what they can, but the outcome is outside of their control.

Even the President of the United States can’t save us. He has put together an excellent task force to deal with the Coronavirus, but they can’t fix this for us. We should, however, take their advice seriously.

That is why the President wisely called for a National Day of Prayer. In his proclamation, he stated:

“As your President, I ask you to pray for the health and well-being of your fellow Americans and to remember that no problem is too big for God to handle. We should all take to heart the holy words found in 1 Peter 5:7: ‘Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.’ Let us pray that all those affected by the virus will feel the presence of our Lord’s protection and love during this time.  With God’s help, we will overcome this threat.”

We need to begin praying in earnest and to keep on praying, because the worst of this virus may still be coming. But remember this: God is bigger than the Coronavirus. He is bigger than any problem you may be facing right now.

The Bible says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” (James 4:2) And the Lord promises, “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” (Jeremiah 33:3)

The Old Testament tells us the story of a man named Jehoshaphat. He was in big trouble. Three armies were marching toward him bent on destroying the King of Israel and his people. This terrified Jehoshaphat, and he asked everyone to fast and pray.

He prayed, “O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

And guess what happened? God answered their prayers and their enemies turned on each other.

There is a spiritual element to every problem. And this is the time to pray to break spiritual strongholds. Here is a promise from God: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

God says we need to humble ourselves, pray, seek His presence and turn our backs on our wicked lives. If we do that, the Lord promises to hear our prayers, forgive our sins and restore our land to health.

God keeps His promises.

NOW is the time to pray!.

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I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel

 Pastor Barry Kerner

Matthew wrote that Jesus came to His Disciples and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

I’ve always believed that the biggest word in the Bible is “Go.” Christ said that being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, involves action on our part.

All Christians are given the mandate to preach the Gospel to all nations, even to all creation. (Mark 16:15). It’s our divine duty and privilege to tell people who Christ Jesus is and what He has done for us. And not only is the Gospel of Christ a message of hope – it’s the only message that will bring life to those who receive it the right way.

The apostle Paul asserted, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”” (Romans 1:16-17)

As recipients of God’s love and salvation through the atoning work of Christ, this should be our declaration as well.

When an aging Paul wrote the last of his inspired letters shortly before he was martyred in Rome, he used powerful words to remind his young protege Timothy of the priority of his calling and ministry, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ … preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. … Do the work of an evangelist”(2 Timothy 4:1–2, 5).

We need to remember that if it weren’t for the love of God that gave boldness to someone who shared the Gospel to us, we wouldn’t even be Christian today. There are many instances, however, that we Christians actually become ashamed of the very message that caused us to believe in Christ and be saved by Him.

Preaching the Gospel is not an option. The Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we are called to do the same. He has entrusted all born-again Christians with the ministry of reconciliation and He expects us to be faithful in sharing the Good News.

There are times though when our words and actions may call into question whether we truly believe that the Gospel is the only hope for all who are lost.

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we water down the word!

When we try to share the Gospel of Christ, do we try to make it sound politically correct so that we won’t be labeled as “extreme”? Or, when we try to preach the Gospel, do we take away the seemingly “harsh” topics of sin and human depravity, so that we won’t sound offensive? Our society has become so secularized today. Some churches feel like they have to adapt to the culture, but by doing so they can shy away from clearly presenting the Gospel, as though ashamed to talk about Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins. They may feel that the Gospel sounds too radical for the culture–but it is radical. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

If we, as Christians, truly believe that the gospel is so powerful, wonderful, and deep that even angels look into the mysterious depths of it (1 Peter 1:12), then why is it that we tend not to preach this immeasurable message when evangelizing? In the name of being relational and “seeker friendly,” we can often leave out vital elements of true gospel preaching. When we water down the gospel to make it less offensive to our audience, it loses its power completely.

We must relentlessly and boldly preach the message of the cross of Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection.

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we present it as an “option” rather than an ultimatum!

We can fall into the trap of presenting the Gospel as “another” way to life, eternal security, and true joy and peace. Jesus is black-and-white regarding salvation. In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Much of what we call evangelism today isn’t true evangelism. We can call it what we like, but unless a person is confronted with the fact that unless they confess and repent of their sins they are headed for destruction, we are not evangelizing. Most lost people don’t believe they are lost. Sadly many church members don’t realize that they too are lost and live the illusion that they have been saved and are still under the penalty for their sins. They’ve joined a church, pay their dues and play their parts. Unfortunately they’ve never given their life over to Christ. They were given the option of joining “the club”and liked what they saw they came onboard but they never came to Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Such an exclusive statement may grate on the postmodern ear, and offend many but it is true nonetheless. The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation than through Jesus Christ. He is not a way, as in one of many; He is the way, as in the one and only. No one, regardless of reputation, achievement, special knowledge, or personal holiness, can come to God the Father except through Jesus.

When we treat the Gospel of Christ as “one of the ways” to be God’s child or perhaps “a good way” to bless someone, we treat it like an option. Going to church, doing good things, even reading the Bible is a good thing, but these aren’t enough to save anybody. Those who want to be saved must believe in Christ

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we shy away from sharing it!

When we prefer to simply be “a good friend” or a “good Christian” to others without sharing the Gospel to them, we actually are hiding what we believe in from them. How can we be a good friend if we don’t tell them what Christ did for them and what He demands for us to be saved?  And when we tell ourselves we’re being salt and light but we don’t tell them the source of that salt and light in us, then what good is it?

It may be that we fear the risk of being rejected but we must remember Christ said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

It may be that we believe that we are able to share the Gospel through our actions. Unfortunately our kind acts and thoughtful deeds have limited power in themselves. While your lifestyle may make someone open to hearing the Gospel,  Romans 10:14 makes clear that the word must be shared, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

We often shy away from telling people about Jesus because we think it’s some sort of sales job where we have to convince people to become a follower of Christ. There’s certainly a critical element of persuasion in urging someone to repent and believe the gospel. But personal evangelism isn’t about making people Christians. That’s God’s job, not ours, and he does it through the power of the gospel. Our job is to faithfully explain the gospel, to help people understand what Jesus has done for us through his life, death, and resurrection, so that the gospel can accomplish its saving work in their life.

To many, sharing the Christian faith is not easy. Face-to-face discussions are not easy for many people. This is probably why the church has a difficult time influencing the culture today. We don’t have a presence other than a church building and its sign out front.

Paul insisted that he was not ashamed of the Gospel. He knew it to be the power of God for salvation to everyone who believed (Romans 1). He knew he was the messenger of the gospel and not the power behind it. The power of its efficacy comes through the Holy Spirit. We need not be ashamed or afraid to share the gospel because Christ has already endured the cross and suffered the shame for his preaching, and we are called to boldly share that same message.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for our turbulent world. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that which transformed Paul’s life and made him love those he hated before. That gospel has transformed millions of life all over the world. It has transformed my life to make me see others as God sees them: not in terms of black and white, Gentile or Jew, but God’s beautiful creations.

When you have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, the love of God is shed in your heart to love people, whether they look like you or not, and you want to spread goodness and God’s love wherever you go, regardless of who they are. That was what happened to Paul; that is what happens to you if you accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is authentic and real. That was why Paul, one of the greatest people ever to live on this earth said: he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s love changed his life forever.

I pray that all believers will be able to overcome and be unashamed of the Gospel that sets people free from sin. Think about this: If those who shared the Gospel to you were ashamed of it, you wouldn’t have heard it. If the disciples of Christ shied away from sharing the Gospel for fear of rejection or ridicule, who would have heard it?

If Christ Himself was ashamed of God’s plans and love for all of us who are destined for God’s wrath, then who could have been saved? 

If Christ humbled Himself for us how then can we be ashamed of Him?

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