God’s Work With Our Hands

Luke 14:25-33

Pastor Barry Kerner

In the past, many churches staged rally days as they were beginning a new program or season of ministry. They used these times to  promote their ideas and to rally their members to come on board and provide support. After a long, weary winter a church man hold a rally day to mobilize their church members to perform service at the church or in the community. At the beginning of summer a call is made to rally like minded volunteers to prepare for one of the fiercest battles to be fought – the annual Vacation Bible School. At the end of the summer, rally days are held to welcome back members who have taken a vacation from church and to rally the forces for the work of fall and winter ministries.

Rally Days have become more of being a church event rather than a focus towards ministry. People are welcomed back to church without a word these days, though I doubt that the church leaders of a century ago would have approved of a winter break or a summer vacation from any ministry. I’ll would ask you this question, “Has the church negotiated a truce with Satan? Has the church declared a cease fire in its war to win souls?”

Here’s a crazy idea, perhaps what the church needs is a new type of rallying cry.

A rallying cry can be like a lightning rod for our members. It should harness and focus their energy, and guide them towards the things that really matter.

America’s first rallying battle cry, was used during the Revolutionary War, It was, “Remember Paoli.” On September 20, 1777 over 1800 British Light Infantry (Special Forces) attacked 2000 hardened American Continental soldiers under Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne at midnight with bayonets and swords, dispersing them in one of the bloodiest battles of the War of Independence. But, in accomplishing the mission, the Redcoats committed numerous atrocities murdering soldiers who surrendered, burning some alive, and  repeatedly stabbing wounded men with their bayonets. This so outraged American civilians and soldiers alike that it crystallized American hatred of the British. The cry “Remember Paoli” was heard repeatedly in later battles.

Two years later, General Wayne led America’s first official Light Infantry unit in a midnight, bayonets only, attack against Stony Point, high on the Hudson Palisade. Wayne was successful. But more importantly, General Wayne spared 600 captured British soldiers when all thought him justified to put them to the sword. Wayne took the high ground and no atrocities were committed.

Remember Paoli took on an additional luster for now it meant more than revenge.  As Benjamin Rush (Founding Father, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Surgeon General of the Continental Army) said to AGeneral Wayne: “You have established the national character of our country.  You have taught our enemies that bravery, humanity, and magnanimity are the virtues of the Americans.”

The American Revolution gave rise to dozens of other rallying cries—“No Taxation Without Representation;” “Join or Die;” “Don’t Tread on Me”—but few had as significant an impact as “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.” The phrase first appeared in a March 1775 address by Patrick Henry, which concluded with the immortal line, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Henry’s speech convinced the Second Virginia Convention to raise militias, and his words immediately became a battle cry among colonial minutemen. They considered them a symbol of their determination to shake off the yoke of British rule. Many Virginia militia recruits marched under banners emblazoned with “Liberty or Death,” and some even sewed the words onto their shirts.

On February 23, 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna besieged Colonel William B. Travis and some 200 Texas independence fighters at a former Franciscan mission known as the Alamo. The Texans were outnumbered and outgunned, but they held out for 13 grueling days until March 6, when the Mexicans stormed the fort and killed nearly all its defenders. The defeat was catastrophic—Travis, James Bowie and famed frontiersman Davy Crockett all died in the onslaught—but the Texans’ courage under fire helped galvanize their compatriots. General Sam Houston and others used the rallying cry “Remember the Alamo” to whet their troops’ appetite for vengeance, and in April 1836, the Texans routed a superior Mexican army and captured Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. “Remember the Alamo” lived on even after the United States annexed Texas in 1845, and was later revived by U.S. troops during the Mexican-American War.

Soon after the towers fell on September 11^th, 20001, a cry went up and “Remember 911” still rings in our ears today. America’s outrage against terrorists launched the longest war-time footing in U.S. history. The American Character brought out by this horrendous tragedy still endures today.

Rallying cries are often easy to spot. They masquerade as the slogan or tagline of a company:

• Nike tells everyone, “Just do it.”
• Technology company One Plus is committed to “Never Settle.”
• Dunkin’ Donuts reminds us that “America runs on Dunkin’”
• McDonald’s customers voice their support as they say “I’m lovin’ it”
• Apple wants us all to “Think Different.”

Each statement is proudly proclaimed in the organization’s branding and marketing campaigns, but its true value is felt internally. The slogan guides behaviors. It frames the brand, and clearly articulates what the company represents. This is the power of a brand’s rallying cry. It guides an organization to greatness. A rallying cry is more than a tagline. It has a deep meaning for the organization that transcends marketing and sales.

In 1997 Apple launched its slogan, “Think Different.” The slogan became a rallying cry for the brand, and it still guides the company twenty years later.

Think Different was launched with an ad called “Here’s to the Crazy Ones.” The narrator speaks over a series of photographs of time-honored visionaries — people like Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Edison, and Alfred Hitchcock.

He says, Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The rallying image is still a useful one for us today, especially because the meaning can vary so much. In some cases, it’s the troops getting assembling for battle — in others a listless patient gathering strength to rise off a sickbed.

Let’s take a moment and turn to the Gospel of Luke. The 14^th chapter. Starting in verse 25.

25 Now large crowds were traveling with [Jesus;] and he turned and said to them, 26“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be unto you from God who is our Creator and from Jesus Christ who is our Savior and our Friend. Amen.

Now, large crowds were traveling with Jesus, because summer was finally over and it was Rally Day in Galilee. So Jesus turned and began his “welcome back to church” sermon by saying: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Can I get an Amen?

It’s not a message many want to hear and I don’t think it went over very well when Jesus preached it, either! This was one heckuva sermon for Jesus to deliver, especially after the Pharisee’s dinner party during which he proclaimed “all are welcome!” Now that all those sinners, outcasts, and other folk have heard His message and rallied around Him, He tells them “hate your family” and “carry the cross or you can’t be my disciple?” Today we might call that bait and switch. Jesus was realing them in hook, line and sinker. Well played, Jesus, well played.

Like the people of the Apple commercial, the crowd must have thought that Jesus was one of the “crazy ones!” Throughout His ministry He was thought of as a misfit, a rebel. The Pharisees and Sadducees believed Him to be a troublemaker. Jesus was the round peg trying to fit into the square hole of Israel’s religious system. Jesus saw things differently than those in charge. He wasn’t fond of all of the rules with which they had added to God’s Word, burdening God’s people. Jesus had no respect for the status quo when it conflicted with the will of His Father. Millions have quoted Him. Whole populations disagree with Him. His followers glorify Him while the rest of the world vilifies Him.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore Him. Because Jesus changed things. He thought and acted outside the box and pushed the human race forward.

Back then as today many think Him a crazy one. Others number Him among the geniuses.
Because, like the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Jesus was one who did.

Jesus embodied Apple’s rallying slogan long before they were even founded. Jesus wanted His followers, His church to “THINK DIFFERENT!”

That day, as He sat and preached, Jesus must have been at least somewhat excited to see that his message was reaching more and more people. But the words He spoke indicates His concern, too: Do the people really understand what they’re signing up for? Do they realize this is an “all or nothing” proposition? Do they know where this path leads?

Looking out at the crowd, Jesus may have noticed how some of the folks seemed to have one foot on the path with Jesus and one foot back at home. A few were keeping one eye on the door just in case someone more important or interesting showed up. Others appeared to be listening to the sermon, but were in fact mentally making a shopping list for later on (go ahead you can nod if you know what I mean. And don’t worry – I’ve actually written sermons in my head while listening to other preachers’ sermons! In the name of Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven! Amen?)

It may not be a crowd pleaser, but this passage from the 14th chapter of Luke represents one of Jesus’ central messages: All are welcome, grace is for everyone, but following Jesus is a costly affair. This was literally a “come to Jesus” rally day talk for the crowds that day! Jesus says to all who would follow him: “No one comes any further on this journey until you know what you’re getting into and where we are going. I need you to be all in: Both feet forward, eyes on the prize, and, most importantly, hands free of possessions so you can carry the cross and follow me.”

You see, Jesus calls us to practice “hands-free discipleship.” He asks us to give up all that stuff we love to hold on to so tightly—our over-packed schedules, our control over everyone and everything, our personal comforts and privileges, our strongly held beliefs, and everything else we’re proud to possess—so that our hands will be free to carry the one thing Jesus requires of us: the cross of Christ.

When Jesus spoke to the crowds that day He basically said, “Hey. I need to clue you in about what it means to be my disciple. It isn’t going to be easy. Don’t follow me unless you are ready.”

He reminded them that they would have to leave their homes, their professions, and their families. He reminded them that they would have to carry the cross. He told them parables about a contractor building a tower and a king going to war. He warned them, “Think it through. Make sure you have the resources you need to finish what you start.” Jesus was saying, “Count the cost before you commit to following me.”

Today most of us are not called to leave family and home and profession behind to follow Jesus. But, there is one thing required of all of us, and that is to carry the cross.

When we think of carrying the cross, we tend to think it will be something very dramatic and difficult. We imagine that carrying the cross for Jesus must involve a huge sacrifice or spiritual battle. Maybe it’s terrible sickness or indeed the loss of family and possessions. And it could be, if those things serve the Kingdom of God.

But in general, the meaning is really much simpler. It’s closer to home, to our real lives. Here it is: Carrying a cross is what we do voluntarily as a consequence of our commitment to Jesus Christ.

I’m going to say it again. Carrying a cross is what we voluntarily do as a consequence of our commitment to Jesus Christ. It’s when we do God’s work with our hands.

So, what does that mean? Well, God doesn’t hand us a contract and say, “Donate this percentage of your income and every Tuesday and Thursday volunteer for this charity, and be in church 48 out of 52 Sundays.” As your pastor, I’d like to sign a contract like that, but God doesn’t.

God says, “O.K. We’re in a relationship, you and me. We love one another. And you’ve made a commitment to follow Me. You know what I’m like.  You know where my heart is, because Jesus came and told you and He showed you. So how is your life going to look like Jesus’s?” And then we have a decision to make. Are you in? Or, are you out?

One way to think about it is to say that carrying the cross means living a cross-shaped life. A vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with arms stretched out to others. It is really simple but also really challenging. It’s a moving target because it’s different for each person and it keeps changing as our lives and resources change.

But for everyone, living a cross-shaped life means Monday through Saturday, as well as Sunday.

Carrying the cross certainly can be a deeply personal struggle with any number of things: loving our neighbors, dealing with an addiction or an illness, or overcoming adversity. Some days, carrying the cross and following Jesus means just putting one foot in front of the other and struggling forward in spite of what life throws at you. Day by day, we all seek to see Him more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly. (nod if you just started humming the music of Godspell)

Today, when we hear Jesus ask us to “take up the cross and follow”, we most often think of our daily discipleship walk. We imagine ourselves enduring life’s difficulties and coming out a better Christian at the end. But in Jesus’ time, the only people who carried the cross were criminals. Carrying a cross meant only one thing: a death sentence. The only people you saw with a cross on their backs were trudging through the city to their execution. This was not an attractive lifestyle choice. Carrying a cross didn’t make you a better person, build character, help you win elections, or give you better arm muscles. It just made you dead.

So for Jesus to say to the large crowd rallying around him “Listen, you can’t be my disciple unless you carry the cross and follow me” must have been quite a shock to the hearers. How many do you suppose turned around and went home? How many do you suppose turned to each other to ask, “What did he just say? Carry the what? Is He crazy? Where is He going with this?”

For those who stayed for the whole sermon, the point was made clear: discipleship is serious business. It’s time to get real about what it’s like to follow Jesus, and to trust in God, when the party’s over, when the crowds are gone, and when Rally Day is finished. It’s time to contemplate just where Jesus is leading us in this cross-carrying itinerary—because it sure looks like we’re all headed to Calvary.

While we all have personal crosses to bear, discipleship is not chiefly about our own daily struggles. Carrying the cross of Christ means lightening the load for others. It means keeping our hands free to do God’s work of loving our neighbors, bearing one another’s burdens.

The ones that are carrying their cross are the ones that very quietly give their time, effort, energy, money, love, compassion, acceptance to the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the dying, the addicts and alcoholics, those imprisoned/in jail, those requiring emergency assistance, those that give their lives during natural catastrophes and wars to save people and protect people – all without asking for anything in return, without asking for fame or acknowledgment.

Those are Christ’s people doing EXACTLY “God’s” work.

With absolute and unconditional love, compassion and care and kindness, acceptance and humility.

 “All their hands are blessed hands”

Those are examples of what it means to carry the cross and follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Today can be your Rally Day to lift up your cross. I’ll call it “God’s work, with your hands” Sunday.

This is a day to celebrate. It’s a day to roll up our sleeves and to get to work, in the name of Christ.

But let’s be clear about one thing: we seek to do God’s work not to puff ourselves up, and never to save ourselves or become better people, but rather to join with God in the work of loving our neighbors, and sharing their burdens. Because we are free in Christ—free of sin and death and everything else that would possess us—our hands are available to take up the cross and become instruments of God’s love, peace, and mercy using our God-given gifts and talents to comfort and to heal.

As we mark this day with a “God’s Work, Our Hands” day, I give thanks for each of you and the ways in which you will practice “hands-free discipleship”. Your hands are truly blessed!

And now, dear friends in Christ, as we prepare to move forward with a new season of work in the church, and as we celebrate all the work we do with our hands, let us also give thanks to God for the work we DO NOT do. Let us rejoice again in the work that God’s already got covered, for it is in Jesus Christ, our brother, that we see God’s work most clearly:

We see God’s work of love for the world through the birth of Jesus Christ.

We see God’s work of compassion in the life of Jesus Christ.

And we chiefly see God’s work of redemption for all sinners in the walk Jesus made to Calvary, carrying the cross, His cross, and loving us to the end—even to death on that very cross.

God’s work is love. God’s work is sacrifice for the sake of others. God’s work is redemption for all of creation. In Christ, our hands are free to carry on God’s work for the sake of our neighbors, easing their burdens, and loving them as we have been loved – to the very end. 

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Biblical Truths For Conquering Fear

Pastor Barry Kerner

While fear and anxiety often occur together, these terms are not interchangeable. Even though our responses to fear and anxiety may appear to be the same they are based on differing sets of circumstances.  Fear relates to a known or understood threat, whereas anxiety follows from an unknown, expected or poorly defined threat.

Fear is an emotional response to a known or definite threat. If you’re walking down a dark street, for example, and someone points a gun at you and says, “This is a stickup,” then you’d likely experience a fear response. The danger is real, definite, and immediate. There’s a clear and present object of the fear.

Anxiety is often a response to an imprecise or unknown threat. For example, imagine you’re walking down a dark street. You may feel a little uneasy and perhaps you have a few butterflies in your stomach. These sensations are caused by anxiety that is related to the possibility that a stranger may jump out from behind a bush, or approach you in some other way and harm you. This anxiety is not the result of a known or specific threat. Rather it comes from your mind’s interpretation of the possible dangers that could immediately arise.

Fear and anxiety produce similar responses to certain dangers. Muscle tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath mark the most significant physical responses associated with a response to danger. These bodily changes result from an inborn fight-or-flight stress response thought to be necessary for our survival. Without this stress response, our mind wouldn’t receive the alerting danger signal and our bodies would be unable to prepare to flee or stay and battle when faced with danger.

Fear and anxiety drive us to do things we would not normally do. Our response can be either positive or negative. Is it unrealistic to think we can live without fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions designed by God to alert us to dangers so that we will take action against them. A negative response to anxiety or fear will drive us to seek safety and consolation in the things of the world. Alcohol, drugs, dysfunctional relationships may provide temporary relief by masking our distress but soon the euphoria wears off and we find ourselves facing the same fear and anxiety. Facing the same unconquered giants in our lives. But our faithful God doesn’t want us to keep coming back to a place of disorientation, hopelessness and despair. He gives us the answer to conquer those giants, cast off our bonds and to be set free. That answer—Himself! The action He wants us to take is to flee from the false security of the world and run into the open arms of Him who can calm the raging storms in our lives. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)

Fear will happen. We can let fear take root in us so that we give way to panic and hysteria. Are you prone to that? When we are afraid, God wants us to trust Him and not give way to fear. Learning to do that is our walk from fear to faith.

We suffer when our own imaginations often lead us down paths of fear and anxiety and we turn to the world instead of turning to God. To compound our distress, Satan himself tempts us to be afraid, for if he can get our focus on the possible bad things we may face, we won’t focus on God. We won’t be found praying to God, putting our trust in Him or experiencing the joy of the Lord which brings peace. Instead we try to alleviate our fears in sinful ways.

But God tells us not to fear. And he gives us hundreds of Bible verses and promises about conquering our fears and overcoming our anxieties. These verses are intended to give us peace in the midst of the hurricanes and raging storms of life.

But we must fight to believe God’s word and not give in to fear. I’m not saying this is easy. But God’s will is that we experience his deep rest and joy. Here are a few things to remember, Scriptures to meditate upon and promises to stand on to help us fight for God’s peace and joy.

Remember to fear not!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

God tells us, His children to “Fear not”. Why? Because He has redeemed us and made us His own. He has called us by name. Therefore when we go through hard things – when we pass through waters, rivers and fire, God Himself, our Savior, redeemer, fortress and strong tower will be with us, and will keep and protect us. We are sure to go through waters and flames, James calls them trials – we will go through various afflictions in this life – but God promises us that we will not be overwhelmed nor destroyed.

Remember that God is for us!

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?…

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-32, 35, 38-39)

This is a life changer if we stand on this wonderful promise. God, the Creator of all things, the all-powerful one is FOR US. But not only that, He gave up His precious SON to purchase us! If He gave his Son for us, He is sure to meet all of our needs and to keep us safe in every situation.  Therefore NOTHING – nothing now or in the future will be able to separate us from his love for us in Jesus. And because he loves us in Christ, he will meet our every need.

Remember that we are engraved on His hands, always before His face and ever on His Mind!

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

What mom would forget her nursing baby? It may rarely happen, but God will NEVER FORGET one of his children. He has engraved us on the palms of his hands. When Jesus looks upon His glorified hands, and sees the marks of the cross, He sees our names engraved there. He will never forget us and are ever on His mind! Some parents have their children’s names tattooed on their arms. How much more did Jesus engrave our names upon his hands when he died for us on the cross!

Remember that the steadfast love of the Lord gives us new mercies every day!

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

Here is how we cultivate hope and put fear to flight. The key is to “call to mind” the truth about our God. We must call to mind the fact that God’s steadfast love for us NEVER ceases. We must call to mind that his mercies to us NEVER come to an end.

We must call to mind that every single morning God has new mercies for us. And we must call to mind God’s infinitely great faithfulness.

Remember that we must wait upon the Lord!

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14)

Satan tries to get us to believe we will look upon bad things in the future. To combat this we must remember, that even if we can’t see it now, we WILL look upon God’s goodness in this life and certainly the next. When we meditate on these things it helps us to let our hearts take courage rather than fear.

Remember how abundant is God’s goodness!

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:19)

We should not fear the future, but fear God and take refuge in him, because He has abundant goodness stored up for us. He has blessings waiting that we can’t even imagine. Paul told the Corinthian church,  However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) And to the Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) God’s goodness is abundant, inconceivable, immeasurable, unimaginable and inconceivable!

Remember to be anxious for nothing!

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

To combat anxiety and conquer our fears we must pray and give thanks to God “in everything” – in everything you are tempted to worry about. Keep lifting your requests to God. Keep thanking Him for everything you can think of. The result: “the peace of God” – God’s very own peace – “which surpasses all understanding” – a peace that human understanding can’t grasp – “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Pray and thank God! All day long.

Remember we must humble ourselves!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

God promises to give grace to the humble. When we cast our anxieties on Him, He promises to “exalt us” – lift us up – at the proper time. Why should we cast our anxieties on God? “Because He cares for you” – the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen cares for you!. God is not too busy running the universe to care for us. We may be like flowers that fade, grass that whither and vapors in the wind but He still knows our name, numbers our hairs and cares for us! He cares because he has redeemed us by the blood of his Son. He cares because he has adopted us as his own children. He cares about every detail of our lives so cast your anxieties on Him!

Remember that the Lord is our Shepherd!

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4)

When you believe in Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior, he becomes your personal shepherd, and you shall want for nothing. Jesus will make you lie down in green pastures, not deserts. Green pastures are rich and full. Jesus will lead you by still waters – a picture of peace. He will restore your soul. He will lead you and guide you in paths of righteousness, by ordering your steps, in ways that bring blessing to your life.

And He will do this for His name’s sake – for His glory.

The Bible is full of truths related to issues such as anxiety and fear. As believers, God gives us authority to use these truths as weapons to combat whatever we experience or feel that doesn’t agree with His Word. Remember to continually be in God’s Word, trust in Him and rest of His promises!

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Have Faith And Wash Your Hands

Pastor Barry Kerner

I went to shake hands with someone at church this weekend, and he jokingly held up his elbow and with a smile, said, “I’m doing elbow bumps today, okay?” He then grasped my hand and pumped it up and down. In light of what’s going on in the world and in our communities it’s heartening to continue to find a bit of humor.

In an effort to control the spread of the Coronavirus, governments have ordered quarantines and lock downs. Schools have closed and businesses have shuttered to wait out the pandemic in an effort to “flatten the curve.” Guidelines have been issued to help individuals fight the virus: Wash your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer, wash and disinfect surfaces often, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Local and state governments are promoting social distancing and the White House, to limit the transmission of the Coronavirus, has directed, no more than 10 people in one place.

Although things may appear to be spiraling out-of-control I find they’re not. When facing out-of-control situations that may cause anxiety, I have found it helpful to sort my concerns into two categories: First, what I can control and second, what I cannot control

There are many things we can control when it comes to the Coronavirus? We can wash our hands. We can use sanitizers and disinfectants. We can boost our immune systems with vitamins and extra sleep. We can stay home when we’re feeling sick and seek the help of medical professionals if our symptoms persist. We can practice social distancing and comply with any regulations our governments see fit to put in place. Those are some of the things we can control.

What about that second category? Can we control the Coronavirus? Can we control its outbreaks? Do we—as individuals—have ultimate control over what happens or how far this virus spreads? Can we control whether we or our families get sick? No, we can’t.

Here’s what we must remember. Just because we’re not personally in control of a situation, it doesn’t mean that God isn’t. Just because we feel like control is slipping out of our hands, it doesn’t mean that even one detail has slipped through the fingers of our all-powerful God.

Do you find yourself watching the news obsessively? Have you been vigilantly tracking the proximity of the outbreak? Do you have enough toilet paper to last you into the next year? Have you bought gallons of sanitizer or washed your hands till they are chapped and bleeding? Have you been spritzing your spray bottle of disinfectant on every surface of your home rather than attending to your spiritual well being? If so, perhaps it’s time to ask. Who are you trusting in? Who do you truly believe is in control of the situation? Where does your security lie? In God, or in yourself?

Only one word can adequately describe the feeling of despair we feel when life spirals out of control—fear. Even those of us who find our hope in Jesus can face overwhelming anxiety, especially when it comes to those things that are out of our control.

The good news is that God offers hope for us when we are afraid. In Scripture Jesus uses the imperative to tell us “Do not be afraid,” but it’s not always easy to take Him at his word. If we turn to God’s promises throughout the Bible, it becomes easier to face the future and know God is in control, He cares for his people, and He will not forsake us.

In Hebrews 13:6 the writer quoted the Psalms by saying, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” It was Jesus who taught us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” and to acknowledge that He does. (Matthew 6:11) It was the apostle Paul who wrote, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) And then, the apostle Peter told us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

If the Coronavirus continues to spread and become more devastating, it will be easy, in the coming weeks and months, for many to lose hope and allow fear to control their lives. “For over 2,000 years, through plagues, wars, and natural disasters the Church of Jesus Christ has been a source of hope and compassion. Faith, not fear, should be our animating principle. Calm, not conspiracies, should be our societal contribution. Prayer, not panic, should be our spiritual practice.”

Whether this gets better or worse, I encourage you to turn to God’s Word and learn more about how believers can overcome anxiety in an uncertain world. To this end, stop back next Monday, March 23, when we will be discovering Biblical Truths For Losing Fear which will help you find true rest and hope in Christ and his promises.

“Yes, wash your hands and protect yourself, but put your faith in God and your trust in Him.” 

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Spring Has Sprung!

Pastor Barry Kerner

This morning I saw a true harbinger of spring. My children were wearing shorts to school! The last few months of winter found me shoveling snow and salting walkways. Before venturing outside each time I went through the ritual of finding a hat, scarf and a pair of matching gloves in the hat and glove basket on the bench by the back door. The basket is full to overflowing with winter apparel but seldom contains two gloves that match. Often I was struggling to grasp the snow shovel with two left handed gloves or making a new fashion statement with one black glove and one blue glove. The temperature is expected to rise to the sixties today and soon the basket and its cold weather accessories will be carried up to the attic to spend the warmer months out of sight and out of mind. Spring has sprung!!!

Spring is a season of warming weather and nature coming back to life. As the brown grasses slowly turn to verdant green, flowers begin to poke their way out of the muddy ground and animals are born. We, like the Earth are refreshed as we are reminded of the innocence and beauty that exists in this world. We are renewed as we experience the new life emerging all around us. As a Christian, we are given new life and new mercies every morning. Now, having begun to relegate the memories of the darkness of the short days of winter and their accompanying cold to the recesses of our minds, Spring provides a wonderful reminder to us that we should be living a full life and leaving the old dead parts of life behind. There has always been hope during the coldest, darkest winters of life that Spring will come and new life will come forth!

Just last week, we were starring out the kitchen morning waiting to see the first robin, or the first bud, or the first hint of green. We knew it’ was coming, but it just wasn’t here yet. Our hope was that Spring will soon arrive bringing light rain showers, pink flowers, chirping birds and the sound of buzzing bees.

And so we waited. We waited and hoped for spring because there is nothing we can do to hurry it along. The coming of spring is out of our control. In February we jokingly looked to Northwest Pennsylvania where a slumbering groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, proceeded to predict how soon Spring and it’s warmer weather would be upon us. But we knew it’s really the God of the universe who brings each new season.

In Psalm 104:30 the author credits God with the newness of life. “You send forth your spirit, they are created: and you renew the face of the earth.” After the darkness of winter, new life is breathed into our dreary lives. Spring is the perfect metaphor for the gospel. It is God’s nature to make something new. In Spring we can observe many attributes of God and find His gospel plan throughout creation.

When was the last time you really took a good look at the intricacies of a spring flower? What about a budding tree branch soon to unfurl its leaves to redress the tree whose leaves died and fell to the ground last fall? Or one of the heralds of Spring, a red breasted robin? Romans 1:20 tells us, “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…”  All creation tells of the innovative and unique works of God’s hand.

God is also creative in story telling. His word speaks of the relationship between the Creator and us, His creation. Each story- including your story- is part of the whole but stands alone as a chapter in His book. No one else has a testimony just like yours. God draws people to Himself in different ways. You stand alone, wonderfully and fearfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Who would have thought that through death would come life more abundantly? (John 10:10) Through the blood and death of Jesus comes eternal life. How creative! The old is gone, a new life is emerging. Spring reminds us of the new life available through Jesus Christ

Winter, while beautiful in its own way, can be dreary and cold.  After a long winter, when the snow has melted away and that first green leaf appears, joy explodes. All of a sudden, before you realize it, you can see green in other places along with yellow, pink…and smiles. Have you noticed that people begin to smile more when Spring arrives? God created us to be that way. The combination of increased light and warmth invigorates us. When it’s dark outside, our melatonin levels rise and cause us to feel sleepy. That means we have to work harder to stay alert during the long periods of darkness each day. The arrival of spring brings more daylight, so we can enjoy the energy that is no longer needed to fight off drowsiness. The increased light also triggers the release of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps us feel happier. The rising temperature means we’re more likely to be active, and as a result we release endorphin, the hormone that minimizes pain and boosts our good mood.

Before becoming a new creation we lived in a world of darkness-sin. Once a habitual life of sin is given over to the Lordship of Jesus, the Light of the World enters one’s heart. Salvation brings with it an altered mood-the Joy of the Lord. (Psalm 35:9) It’s indescribable! Believers in Jesus see the world differently and with more joy. The mood altering gospel of good news transfers a soul from the dreariness of sin into the newness of life and brings unimaginable peace and joy.

Even without a calendar, we know without a doubt that spring will arrive to the land around us. The seasons, after all, are cyclical. Just as we know the sun will rise every morning and set each evening, we know that every 3 months a new season will come forth in its time. Spring has come and after the seasons of summer, fall, and winter have passed away, Spring will come again. Our God who created all of these nature cycles is faithful to bring them about.

If we confess our sins, our God is also faithful and just to forgive those sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) But many times we seem to forget this. We try to fix our lives on our own and everything becomes out of sync and out of the cycle of life. Just as spring is “right around the corner,” God is “right there” when we stumble. He is ready to give us a new beginning and another chance.

In the Fall we ohh and ahh as the leaves turn from shades of green to shades of orange and reds. As winter sends it arctic blasts to strip the final leaves from the trees we may wonder why they had to die. Why did a living thing fall to the ground only to turn into dust?

It had to. The leaf had to fall and die. If it didn’t then the new leaves would not be able to bud forth the next Spring. In the same way, we must die to ourselves if we expect to live a new life. If we don’t, then the new life God wants for us will never be nourished and will not grow. We will never be able to serve God as He desires if we aren’t willing to surrender it all. The good news of the gospel is that those who are found in Christ Jesus may die but with the death of our lives comes the spring of eternal life.

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Man’s Chief End – Glorifying God

Pastor Barry Kerner

While studying at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, one of our assignments was to memorize the Westminster Shorter Catechism. The WSC was written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a group of 17^th century English and Scottish theologians. The catechism is in a question and answer format, which had been popularized by Martin Luther as a way to help children learn the meaning of the material.

The catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers. The first 12 questions concern God as Creator. Questions 13-20 deal with original sin and the fallen state of man’s nature. Questions 21-38 concern Christ the Redeemer and the benefits that flow from redemption. The next set of questions, 39-84, discuss the Ten Commandments. Questions 85-97 teach concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. The final set of questions, 98-107, teach and explain the Lord’s prayer. The Free Church of Scotland still gives a Bible to any child who can answer all 107 questions in one sitting.

After 20 years I struggle to remember many of the 107 questions and answers. The first question and answer though has burned itself into my memory and I am surprised at how often I find myself thinking about it. The  most famous of the questions (known to a great many Presbyterian children) is the first:

1. What is the chief end of man?
   A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

We were created that God might be glorified in us. The redeemed of the Lord yearn to live out this purpose. This week we’ll examine what it means to glorify God?

It might be well to first take a stab at defining God’s glory. In Isaiah 6:3 two angels were heard proclaiming, “Holy, holy, holy is the lord almighty. The whole earth is full of his glory.”  I think of the glory of God as His unequaled beauty and essence on display in our world. His glory can be evidenced in His creation and through His relationship with His people. We cannot add to God’s glory but we can reflect and magnify His glory in our lives. Paul told the Corinthians, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). But how do we do this in our daily lives?

A biblical and helpful answer for children to grasp is found in the Baptist Catechism for Girls and Boys:

1. How can you glorify God?
2. By loving him and doing what he commands.

In his sermon, “Man’s Chief End,” 17^th century Puritan, preacher, Thomas Watson, examined some ways by which we may glorify God. 

We glorify God through:

1. Appreciation. Watson first explained that to glorify God is to “set God highest in our thoughts, and, to have a venerable esteem of him.” We glorify Him when He is exalted in our mind and heart; when we find Him to be greater than all things created or imagined. God is glorified in us when we admire Him for His person, work, and promises (Psalm 92:8; 97:9).
2. Adoration. Watson then goes on to speak to the worship of God. He is glorified in us when we attribute worth and praise to Him; when we worship Him in spirit and truth, according to His prescribed methods. “Divine worship must be such as God himself has appointed… Surely here every thing must be according to the pattern prescribed in his word.” Gathering with the church on the Lord’s Day is one of the primary ways we glorify God but true worship includes both private and family worship as well (Psalm 29:1, 2).
3. Affection. We glorify God when we love Him. The love a Christian has for God is born of the Spirit and flourishes in our faith. Our love for God and others is only small when our faith is small. God is glorified in us when our love for Him and for others is sincere. “This love is overflowing, not a few drops, but a stream.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
4. Subjection. We glorify God when we seek to do his will out of a sense of love. “This is when we dedicate ourselves to God, and stand dressed and ready to be pressed into His service.” God is glorified in us through good works resulting from our faith in Him. He is pleased with such works, not because they are prefect, but because they are the fruit of faith and are perfected by His Son (1 Corinthians 10:31; John 15:8-10).

I believe we also glorify God when we proclaim His goodness and acknowledge that which He has done in our lives.

5. Proclamation. Throughout the Psalms David and his fellow authors couldn’t say enough about the beauty and essence of God and how He had repeatedly delivered them from their trials. God is glorified in us when we testify to his person, work, and goodness in our own words. In sharing the gospel, we bear witness to His grace in our lives in all its forms, and confessing his sufficiency in our afflictions all reflect God’s greatness. (1 Peter 2:9)

Ecclesiastes 9:10 tells us, “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might.” Whether it is through our labor or our leisure, our thoughts or our words we are created, called and set apart to glorify and enjoy God. Our lives should forever be proclaiming, “My God, how great thou art.”

Next week we’ll look at the second part of the answer to the first WSC question and find out what it means to, “enjoy Him forever.”

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Faith That Lives

Pastor Barry Kerner

In my family we constantly seem to be separating things and placing them into categories. When the mail comes in, I separate it into three piles. One pile for pieces I need to open and address, one pile for my wife, and one pile destined for the recycling bin. Every spring and fall we drag totes of past seasons’ clothing down from the attic and separate them into a pile which we’ll keep and hopefully wear or into a pile of things that are no longer fashionable or will no longer fit and which will be donated to the thrift store.

When I was much younger my dad, needing more room for a growing family,  built an addition on the back of our brick house outside of Pittsburgh. Being as he called himself, “A Jack-Of-All-Trades but Master-Of-None,” he did most of the work himself with the help of some friends and my two brothers and me. One of the first things he did was to remove two stories of orange bricks from the back of the house so that he would be able to attach the new beams and trusses to the existing house. It fell to my brothers and I to sort the bricks into a pile of ones which were in “good” enough shape to reuse or bricks that were broken or damaged and were to be discarded into the “bad” pile. Because chiseling the old mortar off to clean the good bricks was next on the chore list for my brothers and me, it seemed that our criteria for a brick being worthless was low and the discarded pile grew tall.

The Bible shows us that we serve a God who separate things. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2) Scripture tells us that God then said, “Let there be light“, (1:3) and, “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.” (1:4)

As that this light was separated from the darkness prior to the creation of the sun, stars and moon on the fourth day some hold that the light of the first day was the manifestation of Jesus: “The true light, which enlightens everyone” John 1:9, “The light of the world” John 8:12; 9:5 or of God’s Shekinah Glory which is often said to shine and equated with light (see Exodus 40:34; 2 Chronicles 7:1-2; Ezekiel 43:2; Psalm 27:1; 1 John 1:5)

Seeing the light was good and separating it from the darkness God set up the concept of dualism wherein light is equated with goodness and darkness is equated with evil. That these two are opposed is evident in Christ, “The light of the world” (John 8:12) and Satan, who rules the domain of darkness (Ephesians 6:12; Acts 26:18, Colossians 1:13)

God advances this concept of dualism when He separates Israel, His chosen people (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 14:2; Psalm 135:4; Hebrews 8:8-13) from the other nations of the world. Scripture equates believers, those called out of the world, with righteousness and opposed to those still living in darkness, unbelievers, with unrighteousness. This contrast of the righteous and unrighteous is brought to the forefront in the Psalms, Proverbs and several of Jesus Kingdom Parables (Wheat and Tares; Dragnet; Sheep and Goats.) The final judgment will mark the time when the two, good and evil, are finally separated.

In the three Kingdom Parables the separate destinies of the righteous and the unrighteous, at the end of the age judgment, is distinct. In the Parable of the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13:24-30) , at the harvest (End of the Age) the two are judged. The tares (Unrighteous) being found lacking are bundled and burned destined for Hell while the Wheat (Righteous) are destined to be brought into the barn (Heaven). Likewise in the Parable of the Dragnet (Matthew 13:47-50), the fish that are caught when the net is drawn in (End of the Age) are judged and separated. The good fish (Righteous) are kept and placed into containers (Heaven) and the bad fish (Unrighteous) are discarded (Hell). And, in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46) , “when the Son of Man” (Jesus) “comes in his glory” (End of the Age) the sheep and the goats are judged and separated. Those who, by virtue of their righteousness, were compassionate and caring, loved their neighbor, and so loved Jesus. These of “his sheep” inherit, “the kingdom prepared for them since the creation of the world.” Contrasting these are those whose character was unrighteous. They lacked the compassion towards their neighbor and failed to exhibit the care and love commanded for their neighbor. Their lack of love for their neighbor is considered as a lack of love for Jesus. Jesus was clear as to their destiny, “Depart from me,you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) In verse 46, Jesus reinforces this stark degree of separation destined for the two groups, “Then they [ the unrighteous] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

As a result of their love for their neighbor, the righteous of the parable, “his sheep”, showed their love for Christ. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me,I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:36-36)

Although, God’s gift of eternal life is obtained not by works but, “that we are saved by grace through faith alone,” (Ephesians 2:8-9)  James makes it clear that, like the unrighteous goats of the Parable, a faith that does not exhibit good works (love for our neighbors)) is dead. (James 2:17) We would do well to do as Paul wrote the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5) Though these three Kingdom Parables paint a bleak picture for the unrighteous, the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats gives us a standard by which to “test ourselves.” Through God;’s Word, we can gauge whether ours is a dead faith void of love for our neighbors or if Christ’s love is indeed within us and our faith is alive.

Although we live in a world of darkness the redeemed of the Lord have been called out to be separate from the world. Our calling is to be a light to that would. The way for believers to illuminate the world of darkness is to love our God, whom we cannot see, by loving our neighbors, whom we can see, through a faith that lives. (1 John 4 20)

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