Category: Sermons

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.

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…

Sunday Sermon with Pastor Barry Kerner

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!.

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?

It’s Not Over

Romans 8:28

Pastor Barry Kerner

We all love a good comeback story. A story about those who have been beaten down, overwhelmed, and who have come out of nowhere, out of obscurity and hopeless conditions to beat the odds.

I think the king of the comeback has to be Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. Lincoln experienced setback after setback. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

There’s a phrase, “It’s not over till it’s over!”

It’s said that American baseball legend Yogi Berra first uttered the phrase about baseball’s 1973 National League pennant race. His team was a long way behind when he said it and they did eventually rally to win the division title. It’s not the only offbeat quote from the sportsman – there’s also the existential “It’s like deja-vu all over again” or the wry “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours” – but there is something about the never-say-die, no-matter-the-odds-we-can-do-this spirit of “It ain’t over…” that finds a place to inspire, time and time again.

It tells people to wait, don’t make a judgment yet, because the struggle still might be turned around.

We’ve all experienced setbacks. An unexpected change from better to worse, a disappointment, a reversal. Lincoln endured setbacks on the way to winning the presidency, Yogi Berra’s  Mets experienced setbacks on their way to winning the pennant.

You may be struggling with a setback right now. You may think it’s over but I’ll tell you, “It Ain’t.” Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to, “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” God began a good work in you and God will see it through to the end. You see, we serve a Finisher

That’s the Good News message of Easter – We serve a finisher and It’s not finished till it’s finished. It’s not over till it’s over!

One of the greatest strategies of the enemy is to convince you to give up on your faith. If he can’t succeed at that, then his objective is to persuade you to settle for less than what God has planned for you. Don’t give up when victory is just around the corner!

Jesus Christ died and rose again in victory over sin, and death and grave, so that we can have victory.

The victory is there. We just have to claim it.

Oh Victory in Jesus!

My Savior forever

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood.

He loved me er’e I knew Him.

And all my love is due Him.

He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood!

We have the power of the blood of Jesus

There’s protection thru the blood

There’s healing thru the blood

There’s deliverance thru the blood

There’s cleansing for your conscience thru the blood

There’s access into the presence of God thru the blood

There is overcoming power thru the blood

Revelation 12:11 tells us believers will overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.”

The same word that God used to create the universe.

The same word that Jesus used to cast out demons and to heal the sick, to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears.

The same word that allowed Jesus, our finisher, to endure the cross and with a dying breath utter, “It is finished!”

And, the same word that ushered in a new beginning when it rolled back the stone, breathed life into Him again and raised Him from the dead.

Psalm 119:89 says, “Thy word is eternal, forever O Lord thy word is settled in heaven.

There is healing power in the word

There is delivering power in the word

Psalms 107:20 tells us, “He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from all their destruction’s.”

There is power in the blood of the lamb.

And, there’s power in the word of God.

And as sons and daughters of God, Co-heirs with Christ, we’ve inherited them both.

There is nothing too hard for the God we serve.

He can turn a red sea into a super highway.

He can cause water to flow out of a rock like a river.

He can open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, and make the lame to walk. He can raise the dead, walk on water, calm the storm, and feed the multitude.  Why? Because when God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over!

He can save the drug addict, deliver them and set them free, and fill them with the Holy Ghost.

He can heal broken hearts, restore marriages and put families back together again, Save Souls from Hell. And you know why! Because when God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over!

Jesus came to prophesy life, Jesus came to prophesy restoration and healing. Jesus came to prophesy new beginnings.

Today, Easter Sunday, is the day we celebrate new beginnings, of restoration, and of resurrection.

Let me tell you, “When God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.”

That, I believe, is the message of Easter.  That’s why today is such a glorious day. We celebrate a new beginning. God can bring life out of death, victory out of defeat, resurrection out of crucifixion.  So, don’t close the books on a life too soon.  Don’t throw in the towel prematurely.  Don’t walk away from a problem before you ought to.  If God is in it, it’s not over until it’s over.

From his birth Jesus was on a collision course with death. When the announcement of his birth came to Herod, the king, he ordered all male babies two years of age and under put to death to make sure he killed the newborn king.

From the outset of his earthly ministry Jesus was confronted with opposition, rejection, and scorn.  The leaders of Israel soon determined he must die.  There was no other way to silence him. The shadow of the cross seemed always to hang over him. He said to his disciples, “The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many.”  He announced to them, on more than one occasion, that he must go to Jerusalem where he would be betrayed, crucified, and then raised again.  As he neared Jerusalem, in the closing days of his life, he said, “And I, if I be lifted up (speaking of his approaching death on the cross) will draw all men unto me.”  

The cross never took him by surprise.  It was always before him. Then the day that shall live in infamy came.  It was the darkest hour in human history.  Jesus, the son of God, was betrayed by Judas, one of his closest friends.  He went through the mockery of a trial under the guidance of the most respected religious leader in Israel.  He was sentenced to death by the puppet procurator Pontius Pilate. He was nailed to the old rugged cross like a common criminal. And, finally, he was laid to rest in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

If you had asked his disciples who had followed him for three years and were now huddled in fear in an upper room, “Is it over?” with tears in their eyes and quivering voices they would have replied with one accord, “Yes, it’s over.  It’s finished. It’s all over.”

Ask Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, “Judas, is it over?” And he would have answered, “Yes, it’s over.  I wish it weren’t.  I have betrayed a friend.  I wish I could make it right, but I can’t.  Yeah, it’s over, all over.”

Ask Caiaphas, the high priest of Israel, “Caiaphas, is it over?” “Yes,” he would have said, “thank God, it’s finally over.  At last we’re through with the troublemaker.  It had to come to this, you know.  I’m glad we’re rid of him. I’m glad it’s over”

Ask Pilate, the vacillating puppet of Rome who sentenced Jesus to death knowing full well he was innocent of any crime, “Pilate, is it all over?”  “Yes it is,” Pilate would have responded, “it’s over. That Jesus wasn’t guilty of any crime, but at least this will satisfy the people and we can have peace once again.  Yes, it’s over and I wash my hands of it all”

Ask the Roman soldier who presided over the crucifixion, “Captain, is it over?”  And he would have answered, “Yes, it’s over.  I have presided over hundreds of these executions.  It’s a nasty business.  And this one was worse than most.  We pierced his side to be certain of his death and I’m 100 percent sure it’s over, it’s all over.”

LUKE 24:13-55

There were others that thought it was over even after His resurrection. Jesus appeared to two men walking on the road to Emmaus. They were deep in conversation and didn’t recognize Him. They were talking about what had happened to Jesus of Nazareth over the weekend back in Jerusalem. One of them said, “We had hoped that he was the one to save Israel” (Luke 24:21). Notice their hope was in the past tense.  They were no longer looking to Jesus as the savior, the Messiah.  They once did, but no longer are.  The reason?  They are sure it’s over, all over. But, we know it wasn’t. 

The disciples took Jesus’ lifeless body down from the cross, buried it in Joseph’s tomb, and rolled the stone securely over the entrance.  Early Easter morning some of the women made their way back to the tomb to finish the burial process.  And, to their dismay and delight they found it empty.  The angel greeted them with the best news of time and eternity, “He is not here.  The Lord is risen.” Then they knew firsthand the central truth of Easter:  it’s not over until it’s over. 

Nothing is over until God gets through with it.  He specializes in turning tragedy into triumph, and turning Calvaries into Easter mornings. Because of Easter, there are at least three things we ought never to do.

First, because of the resurrection we should never give up on ourselves.

Have you ever seen someone try to walk with their feet tied together by a short piece of rope or chain? It’s a very effective method of controlling how far, and how fast, someone can move. That’s why prisoners have shackles on their legs. They have no chance of going anywhere with any speed. If they try, they will fall down. Shackles are effective because they restrict movement. You can function, just not very well.

Many people feel shackled by their sins and their circumstances. They feel enslaved and entrapped.  They are so deeply in debt; their marriages are so messed up; their children are so rebellious; they are so enslaved to drugs or alcohol that they feel their lives are “too broke to mend.” They feel they can never be free from their bindings. But God says that it a lie. Jesus came to set us free. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Paul wrote the Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

But Satan, the father of lies tells us different. “You’re worthless,” You’ll never amount to anything,” “No one can forgive what you’ve done.” They’re all lies but a lie believed is as powerful as the truth. So many of us live out our days believing lies that steal the fullness of joy promised in Jesus.  Many of these untruths are spoken in the tapes that replay within our own heads. For many of us, it is our past failures that haunt our thoughts and speak a lie into our lives.  For others of us, it is our present pain that becomes our focus.  As the tape in your head plays on and on, nothing less than your very self-identity is at stake.  You see, the question at hand is this; Are you a product of your sins, your failures, your pains? Do they define who you are? Or… Are are you something much, much greater?

Many of us live our lives imprisoned by shame and guilt; shame over the the things we have done and the things done to us, guilt over our inability to be who we want to be.  If left unchecked, our guilt slowly becomes our identity, and we die slowly and privately, shackled by our shame. But to hide our shame is to embrace a lie. Shame over a behavior is a call to repent.  Romans 6:14 tells us that “Sin shall not be master over you”.  Hiding our shame is to believe that the grace God promises, while available to others,  is not sufficient to redeem our sin.

But no person is beyond redemption.  It matters not how deep into sin you may have fallen, how far away from God you may have wandered, how many scars may be on your soul, it’s not too late for you or your loved one.  Remember the message of Easter:  “it’s not over until it’s over.”

In the New Testament world, who is the person least likely to have been saved?  Was it not the apostle Paul?  He called himself “a Hebrew of Hebrews.”  He was born of the tribe of Benjamin.  He was circumcised on the eighth day.  He was a strict Pharisee.

He had such a fanatical zeal for Israel and against Christians that he said, “I made havoc of the church of God.”  The word “havoc” describes a wild boar rooting indiscriminately in a vineyard, tearing up everything he could get to.  That was Paul’s attitude toward the church. While on the road to Damascus to arrest and imprison Christians, he met the living Christ and was converted.  After he became a Christian he became the greatest church planter in history.  He sought to spread the gospel with the same zeal he had previously sought to destroy it. If the apostle Paul could be saved, anyone can be saved.  His life is proof positive that no one has to stay the way he is. 

A seminary professor used to remind his students, “Young men, when you preach, never leave Jesus on the cross or the prodigal son in the far country.”  God can bring his son down from the cross and he can bring the prodigal back from the far country. The Lord can save from the uttermost to the guttermost. Jesus was crucified between two thieves.  In those last dying moments, one mocked him, and one turned to him in repentance.  One was lost so that none might presume.  The other was saved that none might despair.

Second, because of the resurrection, we should never write off any experience as a total waste. 

If God can raise the dead, he can bring good out of the bad that comes to us. You ordinarily don’t expect much philosophy from Monday Night Football, but several years ago Don Meredith said, in one of his commentaries, “If you sail the seas long enough you are eventually going to run into rough waters.” Storms are a part of life.  They come to all of us.  And, being a Christian does not alter that fact. 

The Bible knows of nothing of the new strand of Christianity called, “Health and Wealth” theology.  Jesus never taught it.  He said, “In this world, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The apostle Paul never taught it.  He wrote, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). 

Peter never taught it.  He said, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on his behalf” (1 Pet. 4:16). 

And James never taught it.  He wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into different kinds of trials” (James 1:2).

The fact is, in the Bible and throughout history some of God’s best people have endured constant pain and intense suffering.

What the Lord promises his people is not exemption, but redemption. 

He does not promise to get us out of trouble, he promises to get us through it. 

He does not isolate us from life’s trials, but insulates us in them.

The apostle Paul lays the foundation of our faith and hope in the midst of the storms when he wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

The word “know” means to have absolute and settled knowledge.  There are some things we can be sure about.  One of them is that God works in and through all things for our ultimate good, that we may be made into the likeness of his son, Jesus Christ.  We don’t just think so.  We don’t just hope so.  We don’t just pray so.  We know so.

There are three basic truths that flow from this verse.

The first truth is that God is at work in our lives today. 

Some people have a hard time believing this.  The deist believes that God created the world and that has no personal involvement with it today. He believes God created the heavens and the earth, wound them up like an eight-day clock, then walked away to leave them to run on their own.  He does not believe that God is active in the affairs of men today.  But the whole message of the Bible is that God is personally concerned about each one of us and that he has acted and still acts on our behalf.

Some people have trouble believing God is at work in our world today because they cannot see his hand or feel his presence.  And what they can’t perceive, they won’t believe.

Like Thomas in the Bible, they tend to think that seeing is believing. Thomas insists, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25). We are often the same.

First, we need to dispel the myth that seeing is believing. It isn’t and it never has been. The evidence for this is found in the people who did see Jesus. Many people have said to me before, “If I could just see Jesus I would believe in him.” In my braver moments I reply, “No you wouldn’t—if you saw Jesus, you would kill him!” Because that’s what people did. Thousands of people witnessed Jesus perform miracles impossible to man. And yet it was those same crowds that cried out for his crucifixion. Seeing is not believing: just look at those who saw Jesus and did not believe.

So, if seeing is not believing, how can I believe in God?

One of the wonderful things about God is that he never leaves us in the dark. He doesn’t just tell us where to go but also how to get there. And the same is true for faith. Consistently throughout the bible, God teaches us that seeing is not believing: Hearing is believing.

This is what Paul says:

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17).

You could not get a more unambiguous verse about how to believe in God. God tells us plainly: Faith comes from hearing!

The second truth found in Romans 8:28 is that God works for good. 

Trouble is not the handiwork of God.  He is not the author of tragedy and heartache. Whatever God touches, he touches for good.  If he comes into your life, it will be better for it.  If he touches a marriage or a home, he enriches it.  If he is a part of a business, he will improve it. 

Whatever God does to us and for us ultimately is for good. Why then is there evil and suffering and death in the world? Where do they come from, if not from God?  The simplest explanation for the existence of suffering and death is sin and Satan.  We live in a fallen world.  When Adam sinned, all of creation came under the curse.  As long as we live in a sin-cursed world we will be touched by these things.  Moreover, we ourselves are sinners.  We are a part of man’s fall. 

If God is to blame at all, it is only in that he made us free.  He gave us the freedom of choice and that choice did and still does involve consequences.

Third, God works for us. 

He not only works for good, he works for our good.  The verse says, all things work together for good “to them who love God” and are “the called” according to his purpose.  Do you love God?  Then he works all things for your good.  Have you heard and answered his call to repentance and faith and discipleship?  Then he works all things for your good.

You may say, “I can understand how God works in the life of Billy Graham.  He is a great evangelist.”  Or, “I can understand how God works in the lives of missionaries.  They sacrifice their all for him.”  “But,” you say, “it’s hard to believe God works in my life for my good in the same way.  I’m insignificant.  I’m a nobody.” Yet, that is precisely the promise of this verse.  Look at it again — carefully.  What it does not say is as important as what it does say:

It does not say God causes everything that happens — He doesn’t!

It does not say that everything that happens is good — it isn’t!

It does not say everything is going to work out good  for everybody — it won’t!

What the verse says is that God works in and through all things for our ultimate well-being, so that we might be made in the likeness and image of Jesus Christ. Don’t forget the message of Easter, even in the darkest night, “It’s not over until it’s over.”  God can take man’s worst and turn it into his best.  He turned Calvary into Easter.  He can bring  resurrection out of crucifixion.  He did it once and he can do it again.

The third basic truth comes out of easter is that because of the resurrection we should never despair in the face of death. 

Death is a fact of life.  The moment we are born we are old enough to die.  Life’s ultimate statistic is the same for all people, one out of one dies. We need to recognize and be ready for the ultimate.  The scriptures say, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  The psalmist prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

But, while death is certain, we need not be afraid of it. Because of our Lord’s resurrection we can face it with calm assurance.  The scriptures declare that Jesus abolished death rendering it powerless and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10).  

Jesus has transformed death from a conclusion to an introduction; from an ending to a beginning; from a period to a comma. And because He died, we can experience abundant life now and eternal life then.

We can take the posture of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55.  He is an old man growing older all the time.  He stands before an open grave, looking into the raw red throat of death. Then in one of the most dramatic moments, not only in the New Testament but in all of literature, Paul defies and mocks death by saying, “Ha!  Death where is your sting?  Ha!  Grave, where is your victory?” 

Then he adds, “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Someone once said, death did something terrible to Christ.  But not everyone knows that Christ did something wonderful to death.  He didn’t just endure death; He conquered it. 

The punch line of the New Testament therefore is not a tragic cry, “Help!” but a triumphant shout, “Hallelujah!”

No matter how final death may look, remember the message of Easter:  It’s not over until it’s over. 

God raised Jesus from the dead and one day He will raise us up also.  Now, because of His resurrection we can live until we die and then we can live forever.

It is the way of God to bring life out of death, victory out of defeat, success out of failure, triumph out of tragedy. 

He has a way of turning Good Fridays into Easter mornings. 

That’s why we ought not to give up on anybody, we ought not to write off any experience a total waste, and we ought not to despair in the face of death.

Indeed, today we celebrate a glorious day. My Jesus is alive!

Let us pray…

A New Normal

Rev Barry Kerner

We live in a small rural community but our home is located at the corner of a busy intersection in the village. Early morning and afternoon rush hours saw cars lined up on our side road. As they inched their way to the stop sign on the corner to make their turn onto Main Street the revving engines, squeaking brakes, and the cacophony of music and radio announcers emanating from different cars added to the neighborhood noise. With the stay at home orders resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic the traffic noise has all but stopped. Although we had grown somewhat accustomed to the morning and afternoon din we relish the relative peace and quiet that’s come to our intersection. It has become a quiet time.

But at times the silence can be deafening. The lack of noise shouts that our way of doing things may be passe and that the world in which we live is moving towards a new normal. We look forward now to activities that we once considered chores. Life is a bit slower as we stretch our tasks to fill the day. Our local schools, business and churches have moved their activities online. Words and phrases such as Zoom meetings, Covid-19, and social distancing have made their way into our everyday conversations. We’re finding that our family spends a lot more time every evening around the dinner table and conversation has increased greatly. Our outlet of connecting daily or weekly with classmates, coworkers and church members has all but dried up. We all spend a lot more time using social media but it pales in comparison to a face to face connection. I know our world is changing when my pre-teen daughter tells us she can’t wait to get back to school.

At times this “new normal” of isolation might feel unproductive, confining, and uncomfortable, But, God is not wasteful. Even in the midst of uncertainty and fear, there are opportunities for each of us to grow. God has a perfect plan and is able to accomplish great things no matter the situation or circumstance.

Being forced to slow down has a way of revealing things about our hearts. When we are without the crutch of normal routines, we discover what we lean on. Without the distracting hustle and bustle of everyday life, many of us are—for the first time in a long time—left with nothing but our thoughts.

When so much in our lives is run on autopilot, going from one routine to the next, we are rarely forced to examine the true state of our heart. When the shelter of routine is disrupted, the inner state of our hearts is laid bare. How does God want to transform us in this time?

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “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.”

C.S. Lewis said, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”

We’ve been forced to explore new approaches to stay connected and to care for others. Church directories have been brought out of storage, dusted off and hopefully nobody is being left behind.  Churches, communities and individuals are reaching out to serve high risk folks to make sure they are cared for and safe.  Previously disconnected people are now connecting. 

Our circumstance has made us realize the importance of Sunday morning.  Or perhaps more to the point, we’re realizing that Sunday morning should not be as important as we’ve made it.  What’s most important is the overall discipleship focus of our churches.  Who are we when Sunday is taken away and we’re prevented from meeting face to face to worship, fellowship and encourage one another?  Jesus didn’t say go and produce great Sunday services.  He said go and make disciples.  Although some discipleship comes through Sunday services, now that they have been halted, how well are we actually teaching biblical precepts, while modeling and guiding others toward living righteously as followers of Jesus Christ?  We must put more attention and time into helping people follow Jesus in small groups and in one-on-one relationships.

We’ve been forced out of our four walls to truly understand that the church is us and not our location.  Facilities certainly make things easier, but God didn’t promise easy. James, Peter, Paul and a host of other Biblical writers let us know we will have trials and tough times. We’re in the midst of one now. We need to get our belief about church straight first.  We, the people, are the church.  We need to discover this anew.  Maybe we’ve been addicted to things we thought we could count on and like an addict need some intervention.  Maybe COVID-19 is helping us break this cycle of those parts of “church” that we are wrongly spending too much time, effort  and resources on. Maybe God is using this time to bring clarity to what it means to be a church.

In John 17 Jesus prayed that His disciples and others would become as one. At this time we’re all in this TOGETHER. I believe we’re experiencing and living the result of Jesus’ prayer in this moment. More than ever, we’ve been forced to see what is real, what is most important, and what church and life should be about.

Jesus prayed for us, “I pray that they will all be one…so that the world will believe [in me].” Even in these uncertain times God has given us a task- our unity is to be productive in reaching and disciplining others for Him.

I don’t know if this season will be like a passing storm, drag on like a cold, bleak winter or turn into an ice age.  I do know that we can’t just return to normal. Maybe normal wasn’t good as we thought it to be.  I believe we need a new normal and God is shaping that among us in this moment of isolation.

My prayer is that even while we may be physically distant, you will be experiencing TOGETHER greater than ever before.  And I know that TOGETHER will be even sweeter when we can physically connect face to face again.  In that, I pray that God would give us all a quiet time to do some soul searching.  What needs to stay the same?  What needs to change?  What do we need to hold on to? What do we need to let go?

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, may the reality of Jesus’ resurrection power and renewing work be deeply known in you and shown through you.  We continue to keep you and our church in prayer. Grace, health, and peace, to you all dear friends.