Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Worshipping the God of Love

Pastor Sherry’s message for 12/26/2021

Scriptures: Isa 61:10-62:3; Ps 148; Gal 4:4-7; Lk 2: 22-40

Does it matter which God-concept we hold to? Recent brain research by Dr. Newberg at the University of Pennsylvania has documented that all forms of contemplative meditation were associated with positive brain changes—but the greatest improvements occurred when participants meditated specifically on a God of love, our God, the One, True God. “Such meditation was associated with growth in the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain right behind our forehead where we reason, make judgments and experience Godlike love) and subsequent increased capacity for empathy, sympathy, compassion and altruism.”

“But here’s the most astonishing part. Not only does other-centered love increase when we worship a God of love, but sharp thinking and memory improve as well. In other words, worshiping a God of love actually stimulates the brain to heal and grow.”

Taken from The God-Shaped Brain, Timothy Jennings 2017, IVPress, Downers Grove, IL.

That’s pretty astonishing, isn’t it? It suggests that worshipping God keeps our brains sharp. In other words, worshipping God is scientifically good for us! But we already knew that worshipping God was a good thing to do, right?

Our Scriptures today, the day after Christmas, are all calls to, or demonstrations of, worshipping God.

A. Our Old Testament lesson comes from Isaiah 61:10-62:3. The prophet is speaking for the Messiah, who in Isaiah’s day, was not due to appear until a good 750 years later. Isaiah tells us (v.10) that the Messiah believes we have reason to be filled with joy as we worship our God. After all, all creatures and all believers are presently groaning and travailing (and have been for centuries) for His Kingdom to manifest on earth.

Messiah yearns to change that for us (62:1): For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. Verse 2: At Jesus’ 2nd Coming, those of us who believe in Him will have a new heart, a new situation, a new earth, and a new righteousness, all of which will deserve a new name. And Israel will have a new positon among the nations: (v.3)You will be a crown of splendor in the Lords’ hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No wonder the Messiah is joyous—we should be too! He knows, way in advance, what God the Father intends to do for us. And Jesus, because He too is a God of love, is highly motivated to bring it all about.

B. Psalm 148 is a stirring invitation to all of creation to praise the Lord! In verse after verse, all of Heaven and earth is called to dynamically and energetically offer praise to our God—listen to Peterson’s paraphrase of the Bible into modern English (The Message, pp.1090-1091) You will be more impressed if you read it out loud to yourself:

Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven,

praise Him from the mountaintops;

Praise Him, all His angels,

praise Him, all you His warriors,

Praise Him, sun and moon,

Praise Him, high heaven,

praise Him, you morning stars;

praise Him, heavenly rain clouds;

Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—

He spoke the word, and there they were!

He set them in place

from all time and eternity;

He gave His orders,

And that’s it!

Praise God from earth,

You sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;

Fire, and hail, snow and ice,

hurricanes obeying His orders;

Mountains and all hills,

apple orchards and cedar forests;

Wild beasts and herds of cattle,

snakes and birds in flight;

Earth’s kings and all races,

leaders and important people,

Robust men and women in their prime,

and yes, graybeards and little children.

Let them praise the name of God—

it’s the only name worth praising.

You would be hard pressed to discover any creature or category of created thing omitted from that list. All of creation should worship God because He created us out of His great love!

C. Our Galatians 4:4-7 reading adds to our reasons to celebrate God. Paul writes (v.4), in His perfect timing, God sent Jesus to redeem us so that we might receive the full rights of sons. We weren’t just set free and sent on our way, like prisoners let out of jail, You’re on your own now; stay clean and have a good life! They fail and land back in prison because they have become “institutionalized,” and don’t know how to make it outside prison walls. No, Paul tells us our God made us sons/daughters. He included us in His family. Additionally, He sent (v.6) …the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.”

We are to consider God our loving, heavenly Father. We can rely upon His Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us into right ways to live. And we can take heart in the fact that we are now His heirs, through Christ Jesus. I had a brother-in-law named George who used to joke about receiving his inheritance check– which never came. My father-in-law left my mother-in-law millions when he died, but by the time she passed away, she had spent it all. There was none left for the grown children to inherit. Unlike George, we don’t have to wonder if there is anything left for us to inherit. The God of love has promised that we are His heirs, inheritors of His Kingdom through Christ Jesus. We can rejoice in God’s gracious provision for us.

D. Our Gospel lesson, Luke 2:21-40, tells of two saintly, elderly folks who hung around the Temple, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Messiah. They trusted in the promises of God. The Holy Spirit told Simeon he would see the Messiah, the comforter or the consolation of Israel before he died. Mary and Joseph traveled to the Temple to both (1) see to the rites of purification required of Mary (40 days after giving birth, as per Leviticus 5. They could sacrifice either 2 doves or 2 pigeons because they were poor); and (2) to dedicate their first-born, Jesus, to the Lord (as per Exodus 13:13).

Simeon, alerted by the Holy Spirit, takes Jesus in his arms and prays over Him. He sings a song now called the Nunc Dimittis, or The Song of Simeon (which we sang almost daily in my seminary chapel services) 76:

Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace,

according to Your word.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

which You have prepared before the face of all people;

and to be the glory of your people Israel.

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles,

We directly followed this, in song, with The Gloria: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.

But back to Simeon: He rejoices that God has kept His promise, that he has seen Messiah. Now he can go on to his grave, satisfied. He recognizes Jesus as a light, a blessing to both Jews and Gentiles. Then he blesses the baby and warns Mary that people will be divided over how they see Him, savior or fraud or crazy man; and she will suffer (Joseph will be gone by then) deep anguish (at the Cross).

Anna was an 84 year old prophetess. She was a devout woman of prayer and fasting, who lived in a room on the Temple grounds. When she saw Jesus, she knew (through the Holy Spirit) who He was. She gave thanks to God for Him. She proclaimed to anyone who would listen His identity. Some may have listened and remembered later; but others probably dismissed her as an old nutcase.

These two elderly saints trusted in the promises of God and lived to see the baby Jesus. No wonder they both rejoiced in the God of love!

Christmas Day was yesterday, but we can keep it all year in our hearts if we remember we worship the God of love…The One who gifted us first with Jesus Christ. The One who presented us with a way to abide in His presence. Let us bring Him gifts of love in return: (1.) Our faithful trust in Him; (2.) Our obedience to His will; and (3.) Our deep desire to make Him known to others.

Come, let us adore Him!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols

Pastor Sherry’s Christmas Eve Message

Scriptures: Gen 3:8-15; Isa 9:2-7; Isa 35:1-10; Mic 5:2-4; Lk 1:26-38; Lk 1:59-79; Titus 2:11-14

Some of us will leave here tonight to gather with family and open Christmas gifts. For others, your practice will be to wait until tomorrow, Christmas Day, to unwrap your presents. Once, when my husband was on a naval cruise to the Mediterranean, I left the tree up and presents unwrapped until he got home on Valentine’s Day! Whatever your tradition, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the original Christmas-gift-giver was God the Father. As Scripture says (Isaiah 9:6), For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son [God’s Son] is given….God sent His only begotten Son on a rescue mission to earth. The Father gifted us because of His great love for us. At the Father’s command, Jesus–the Person of the Trinity who spoke creation into existence—“clothed Himself in humanity,” took on human flesh. He arrived among us as a “wee baby,” an expression we use here in the South. Yet He was entrusted with a gigantic mission: to save us sinners from the penalty for our sins. And He completed that mission gracefully and completely, didn’t He?

Perhaps this Advent Season, you have heard played or sung a 12th century French carol called, “The Friendly Beasts.” In the song, each of several animals (that might have been found in the stable where Jesus was born), sings to the Christ child, presenting Him a gift to bring Him comfort. The lyrics are as follows:

Jesus, our Brother, strong and good…

    Was humbly born in a stable rude,

    And the friendly beasts around Him stood, 

    Jesus, our Brother, strong and good.

    “I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,

    “I carried His mother up hill and down;

    I carried His mother to Bethlehem town.”

    “I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

    “I,” said the cow all white and red,

    “I gave Him my manger for His bed;

    “I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.”

    “I,” said the cow all white and red.

    “I,” said the sheep with curly horn,

    “I gave him my wool for His blanket warm;

    “He wore my coat on Christmas morn.”

    “I,” said the sheep with curly horn.

    “I,” said the dove from the rafters high,

    “I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry;

We cooed Him to sleep, my love and I.”

    “I,” said the dove from the rafters high.

    Thus every beast by some good spell, 

    In the stable dark was glad to tell

    Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,

    The gift he gave Emmanuel. 

The perspective is interesting, isn’t it? Like the little drummer boy in a more modern song, each friendly beast presents the only gift he/she has to set before the newborn king. The magi will show up later and present more costly gifts. But the first Christmas gifts were brought to Jesus…it was His birthday, after all. People and critters brought Him the best they had.

Some might think it’s childish or fanciful to think of animals gifting the Christ-child, but consider this:

a. In Numbers 22:28-30, the donkey belonging to Balaam, the pagan prophet, tells him a sword-carrying angel blocks their way (that donkey possessed more spiritual discernment than his master!).

b. Later, John reports that Jesus, during His earthly ministry, told the Pharisees that if He were to tell His disciples not to praise Him, the stones would cry out His name (Luke19:40).

c. Paul teaches in Romans 8:19: The whole creation [everything, hills, oceans, trees, animals] waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed [at the end of time]….Jesus Christ came to set humans free from the death penalty for sin—and He did! But animals and inanimate things are still held captive to decay.

d. Finally, Gabriel tells Mary, in Luke 1:37: For nothing is impossible with God! So, the animals who stood in the presence of the tiny King of the Universe may have truly known who He was. Giving Him gifts is improbable, perhaps, but not impossible.

If you were to present a gift to Jesus, what would it be? Can you bring Him the gift of your faith in Him? How about your willingness to obey Him? Are you ready to read Scripture regularly, to get to know Him better? How about spending more time with Him in prayer? Share what’s on your heart and mind, but also listen for His response. How about living a life-style pleasing to God? Can you give Him your obedience? Can you give Him your heart? The God of love wants our heart. The God of love wants our love.

This night, Our Savior has drawn near. Like the animals in the song, let’s remember a gift for baby Jesus. Then, come, let us adore Him.

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Love All Lovely, Love Divine

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 19, 2021

Scriptures: Micah 5:2-5a; Lk 1:46b-55; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-43

Two weeks ago, Bonnie chose one of my favorite hymns for Advent: Love Came Down at Christmas, a poem by Christina Rosetti (1874-1948), set to an Irish melody🡪

Love came down at Christmas.

Love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,

Love incarnate, love divine;

Worship we our Jesus,

But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,

Love be yours and love be mine.

Love to God and neighbor,

Love for plea and gift and sign.

This hymn reminds us that our God is love! That the way He responds to us is always motivated by His love. That Jesus’ birth and later His death on the Cross for our sakes were both manifestations of God’s great love for us. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is hesed and means God’s faithful, long suffering, loyal love for us. In the New Testament, the Greek equivalent is agapeo.

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent and we lit the 4th candle of the Advent Wreath, the one that signifies love, God’s hesed, God’s agapeo for us. It is to be expected, then, that our Scriptures today all emphasize different perspectives on God’s love—and they do.

A. Written some 700 years prior to Jesus’ birth, our Old Testament lesson comes from the prophesies of Micah (5:2-5a). God the Father authorized Micah to tell Israel (and us) that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. We recall from the Nativity Narrative that:

1.) Caesar Augustus had authorized an empire-wide census to be taken so as to aid with government taxation.

2.) Everyone was to journey to their birth-place to be counted. I was born in Seattle. I would have had to journey there from N. Florida at my own expense—no per diem for help with meals and accommodations, no money for gas. You can see how onerous a requirement this would have been.

3.) However, this decree accounted for Mary and Joseph’s travels from Nazareth in the north to Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. This is a distance today—given paved highways—of about 97.5 miles or 2 hours by car. On foot and by donkey, it probably took 4.5 to 5 days. Mary was then 8.5-9 months pregnant! YIKES! Imagine the discomfort! Mary and Joseph were certainly braver than most of us would have been. But given God’s protection and provision, they completed the journey just before the baby arrived.

Additionally, God declares (v.2) Out of you [Bethlehem] will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, Whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. This Jesus will arrive from heaven, incarnate, as a dependent baby; nevertheless, as the 2nd person of the Trinity, He has always been and always will be God. It has been said that at His birth, Jesus who was already in existence in heaven, “clothed Himself in humanity.”

Like the Malachi prophesy from 2 weeks ago, Micah foretells the fact that, due to God’s silence for 400 years, (v.3)🡪Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth….

God will (and did) break His silence at the birth of Jesus. Furthermore, when Messiah returns a 2nd time, all of Israel [and all believers in Jesus] will be gathered together. At His 2nd Coming, Jesus (v.4) …will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.

What Great Good News! At that time, we will live in safely and security. When I moved to Live Oak, Florida, in 1975, most people left their cars and their back doors unlocked. Car keys were often found on the dash or the car console somewhere. Most felt very secure that no one would steal their vehicle or break into their home. We will return to that state when Christ comes again. Jesus will rule in such a way that He will provide us with everlasting peace. Isn’t this truly a message of God’s love?!

B. Our Gospel lesson, Luke 1:39-43, relates Elizabeth’s response to Mary’s arrival at her home. But first, let’s recall the “backstory” to this event: Back in verse 26, we are told that the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she is to bear God’s Son. She is thought to have been somewhere between 14-18 years old. She was a virgin, betrothed or pledged to Joseph, but not yet having had conjugal relations or living as man and wife (unlike the practices common today).

Gabriel tells her, “Greetings! You who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Those of you from a Roman Catholic background will recognize the first lines of the “Hail Mary Prayer,” Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” We can only surmise that Mary felt some mix of fear, wonder, and confusion. After all, angels are said to be very large and tend to appear suddenly. The angel hastens to reassure her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end”

I am always amazed that her only question was one of mechanics: “How will this be? How can I become pregnant without a man? Or even, “How will the divine mix with the human? God become a baby?” Gabriel replies to her, “Nothing is impossible with God!” We should repeat this daily, “Nothing is impossible with God!” Her beautiful response is one of humility and obedience: “I am the Lord’s servant…may it be to me as you have said.”

Put yourself in Mary’s shoes. Wouldn’t you have been overwhelmed? “Whoa, what an honor! I’ve been chosen to bear God’s Son!” But then wouldn’t your next immediate thought be, but I’m not married…how will I explain this to…Joseph, the neighbors, my mother and father?!! At that time, the Law said the penalty for fornication (having sex outside of marriage) was the stoning of both parties. Mary was actually in danger, not just of disapproval and gossip, but of being executed. The Earthly Reality looked grim!

But in verse 36, Gabriel tells her that her older cousin Elizabeth is pregnant too, in her 6th month. Gabriel has suggested a reprieve, a time out for her. She can leave town before she starts to show, and soak up on some love and nurturing from someone who will understand and not condemn.

This is the focus of our passage today: Elizabeth is so glad to see her that she proclaims in verse 42, Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! [the second line of the “Hail Mary Prayer,” Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”]. But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth immediately affirms that all Gabriel told Mary is true. She will bear the Messiah. As a sign of this, John the Baptist leaps in her womb. No matter the earthly circumstances, the Heavenly Reality is GREAT JOY!!! Consequently, Mary is encouraged and affirmed by someone who shares her awe and delight.

Mary experiences God’s love for her through His choice of her as the theotokis, the God-bearer, and by her cousin’s reassurance, warmth, and faith.

C. The writer to the Hebrews (10:5-10)wants us to clearly realize that Jesus, like his mother Mary—and his step-father Joseph—was an obedient servant of His Heavenly Father. This passage attributes to Jesus the words from Psalm 40:6-8–Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll—I have come to do Your will, O God.’

In other words, Jesus came into the world to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. His death on the Cross once-and–for-all paid the price for our sins.

There is no further need to offer up animal sacrifices to cleanse us from sin.

The animal sacrifice only covered the most recent sins. Later, after sinning again, more animals would have to be sacrificed. But one Jesus did it all for everyone for all time! What a perfect gift of love!

D. We know from Luke 1: 26-45 that Mary was humble and obedient. Her behavior provides an excellent example for us of what love for God compels us to do. In our psalm-like, New Testament song, Luke 1:46-55, we see her humility demonstrated yet again in her song of praise, the Magnificat. Notice: We would expect the whole psalm to say, “YIPPEE, God picked ME!” This was every Jewish girl’s dream. And she does briefly rejoice in God’s choice of her. But then she proceeds to glorify God for what He is doing through her for His people! She takes the focus off herself and sets it upon God’s activity. She praises Him for (1.) His mercy to those who respect and revere Him; (2.) His past works of power; (3.) His surprising, unexpected propensity to reverse worldly fortunes: The lowly are raised up, while the lofty are brought low; the hungry are fed while the well fed are not. (4.) His fulfillment of His promises (going back to Genesis 12 and 22) to Israel: A king from the lineage of David, and a Messiah who will bless all nations on earth.

Love was born at Christmas: Christ Jesus, God’s gift of love and salvation to the world. Love was carried for us by a poor young woman of amazing faith, strength, and humility. Love was demonstrated for us by Jesus’ willingness to atone (take on the penalty) for our sins. Love was also revealed for us in Mary’s attitudes toward God. As we approach Christmas Day, let us take our focus off ourselves and place it where it best belongs…On our worship of the Godhead, the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Love all lovely, love divine!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Re-JOY-ce!

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 12, 2021

Scriptures: Zeph 3:14-20; Isa 12:2-6; Phil 4:4-7; Lk 3:7-18

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story: “A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.” (source unknown)

Have you ever noticed that this is the way our God often answers prayer? The results appear to be instantaneous, but God had the request in mind—and answered it–even before someone asked. We have learned this often happens with the Christmas shoeboxes we so recently packed and shipped. My favorite example is of the young boy who wanted a black t-shirt and a black hat, and was overjoyed to find one in his gift box. (I would not have thought to send a black pair, but a hat and shirt that was colorful. Instead someone packed just what this child wanted and God saw to it that he was the one who received that shoe box. And isn’t it true that we who prayed are often shocked, amazed, and filled with joy when we witness how God has answered our prayers?

In discussing God’s answers to prayers, Bill Hybels, in his book, Too Busy Not To Pray (IVP, 2008, p.74), writes:

If the request is wrong, God says, “No!”

If the timing is wrong, God says, “Slow.”

If you are wrong, God says, “Grow.”

But if the request is right, the timing is right and you are right, God says, “GO!”

Hybels obviously believes God always answers our prayers; He just doesn’t always answer them in the way we desire.

Our Scripture passages, on this 3rd Sunday of Advent, all revolve around God’s response to the prayers of believers. Remember, today we lit the candle representing “Joy,” the joy the shepherds experienced when the angel choirs told them Messiah had arrived.

A. The prophet, Zephaniah (3:14-20), foretells Jesus’ 2nd Coming as a warrior God! When Christ returns, at some unknown future date, He will have the authority to set all things right! This will not be “Jesus, Meek and Mild.” Instead, He will come back to earth in all of his kingly glory. The first time He came, it was as a poor baby, born to a homeless couple. But when he comes back, it will be as the all-powerful King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Zephaniah wants his Jewish audience–and us–to know we will then have nothing to fear! Non-believers will be shaking in their boots as they face judgment; but we who love Jesus will experience great joy! In verse 17, Zephaniah predicts we will never again be afraid or anxious! How wonderful is that?! Instead, we will experience God’s delight with us. It will be as if we are infants in His arms, as He quiets us with His love, and rejoices over us with singing. When has anyone rejoiced over you with singing? Maybe your mom or dad sang lullabies over you as a child, or perhaps people sing for your birthday, but otherwise, it isn’t often than anyone sings over us. But imagine, the Great God of the Universe will do this with each of us who has asked Jesus into her or his heart.

At His 2nd Advent, our long-prayed-for and triumphant Jesus will gather us and restore us. He will eliminate evil, sorrow, and all of our burdens. I believe He will explain for us the purpose of our trials and suffering on this earth. And He will raise us up to honor and fame!

Isn’t this the ultimate prayer of all of us? Come Lord Jesus, make all things new, including us. Heal us, restore us, help us to rest in Your love and Your peace.

B. The message of Isaiah 12:2-6 is very similar. In that day, the time of Jesus’ 2nd Advent, [we will] (vv.2-3)…trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Our response to Jesus will be great joy! We will be so overflowing with gratitude, that we’ll be saying (as per Peterson’s Bible paraphrase, The Message, p.1228), verses 5-6🡪 Give thanks to God. Call out His name. Ask Him anything! Shout to the nations, tell them what He’s done, spread the news of His great reputation! Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all! Let the whole earth know what He’s done! Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion! The greatest lives among you: The Holy One of Israel.

C. Paul’s message in Philippians 4:4-7 encourages us to act as if we believe in the prophesies of Zephaniah and of Isaiah. Since we trust that Jesus will grab us up in a joyous celebration at His 2nd Coming, we can (vv.4-5) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!…The Lord is near. As we await Him, we want to put away all of our anxiety, our worry. Stated another way, Paul appears to be saying, Worry about nothing, pray about everything! That’s worth saying again: Worry about nothing, pray about everything! If you are afraid your prayer request– including parking places near the door to a store when it rains–is too little a thing to bother God about, remember that to God, every concern we have is a little thing! (not in value, but compared to His power).

Daily, we can send all of our worries to the Cross of Christ. That’s where they belong. Jesus is the only One who can redeem and transform them for us. So we present our requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, because we know He hears us. Thanksgiving, because we know His answer will be either “No,” “Slow,” “Grow,” or “Go!”

Then because we have off-loaded our concerns to Jesus, we feel His peace come over us. It’s …the peace that passes all understanding (v.7) because it’s not dependent upon our circumstances–whether external to us, like jobs, relationships, news events, etc.–or internal circumstances, like our feelings, attitudes, health, and so on. It is dependent only upon our relationship with Jesus Christ.

D. Our Gospel lesson today, Luke 3:7-18, lands us right in the middle of John the Baptist’s sermon. He’s not a cuddly character, is he? He shoots form the hip and tells it like it is: Repent! Turn from pride, arrogance, greed, extortion, dishonesty. Ask God’s forgiveness for your sins. Be baptized with water, as an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual truth: that we have been cleansed from our sins and have made a decision to behave differently. John the Baptist also exhorted the crowds coming to him to treat others with generosity, love, and respect. He was not Jesus, but only the forerunner to Messiah. He baptized with water. But Jesus baptized us with the Holy Spirit in His 1st Advent, and will baptize us with the fire of judgment in His 2nd.

For centuries, God the Father had had His prophets announce that Jesus was coming. John the Baptist says, Well, He’s here! Get ready! Be prepared! And, while you are at it, be ready for the Return of the King!

We can rest assured that our Lord is returning to earth to restore us and our world. We can trust that our Lord hears and responds to our prayers.

Listen to this very earnest call to prayer by a famous American leader:

Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray–to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight–all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word ‘concern’ out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice. (Robert E. Lee).,

As we pray, we want to do so with the confidence of a long-ago professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Harry Ironside. In its early days, the school needed $10,000 to remain open. During an emergency prayer meeting, Ironside prayed, “Lord, you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of those cattle to help us meet this need.” Shortly after the prayer meeting, a check for $10,000 arrived at the school, sent days earlier by a friend who had no idea of the urgent need or of Ironside’s prayer. The man simply said the money came from the sale of some of his cattle!

I love stories like this! They deepen our faith and our trust in our Lord! We can be confident that, as believers in Jesus, we can await His 2nd Coming with re-joy-cing!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Preparing our Hearts

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 5, 2021

Scriptures: Mal 3:1-4; Lk 1:68-79; Phil 1:3-11; Lk 3:1-6

What are your favorite “signs”/symbols of Christmas? My two particular favorites are the Advent Wreath and the music of Handel’s “Messiah.” Last week, we lit the first candle on our Advent wreath. The wreath is circular, signifying the eternality of God, or God’s endless love and mercy. The wreath is formed of evergreens, a symbol of our hope in God (newness of life; renewal; and eternal life). The outer four candles remind us of the 400 years from the prophesies of Malachi until birth of Jesus. In those years, God was essentially saying to the Hebrew people, “You have not listened to Me. Now I won’t say anything more (until Jesus).” There are 3 purple or white candles, which signify the following:

1st The Prophesy Candle, Messiah is Coming, which speaks of Hope;

2nd The Bethlehem Candle, signifying the Birth of Christ, and our need to Prepare our hearts for Him.

4th The Angel Candle which denotes Love. There is also 1 rose or pink candle. The third Candle, also called the Shepherds Candle, which indicates the Joy the shepherds felt at the birth of Jesus. The large, white candle in the center of the wreath signifies Christ. It reminds us that Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God; the light of the world; and the reason for the season. As the candles are lit, we symbolically note how the darkness recedes, and remember that we are called to be the light of God’s grace to a darkened and weary world.

My other favorite signal of Christmas is the music of Handel’s “Messiah.” Our Old and New Testament lessons this morning comprise a tenor and a bass aria, which you may recognize. Handel, a devout student of Scripture, set these verses to music in about 23-24 days. Modern psychology believes Handel was experiencing a manicy high as he wrote his massive and impressive “Messiah,” including music for both instrumentation and for voices. We believers know Handel was not a Bipolar, but was downloading gorgeous music given to him by the Holy Spirit, and he probably wrote it down as quickly as he was able. Clearly, he wisely understood the purpose of Jesus’ 1st Coming was to rescue/save His people; and, by demonstrating God’s saving love for them, to bring them comfort and reassurance. He also knew that when Christ comes again, He comes to judge the people of the earth, separating out the clean from the unclean.

Thus, the Second Sunday of Advent reminds us of the message of John the Baptist, the forerunner/proclaimer of Jesus: “Prepare your hearts! Stop! Pay attention! Get right with God!” Let’s see how these themes are present in the Scripture passages appointed for today:

A. Our OT lesson is from Malachi (3:1-4), the final book before the recording of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. This is God’s final word to humankind prior to 400 years of silence. The prophet proclaims that just before the public ministry of the Messiah, a prophet will come on the scene to prepare folks to receive Him. All four Gospels reference this Malachi passage. So, we are left with no doubt that the 1st messenger is John the Baptist. His preaching about repentance and his call to folks to be baptized were meant to help people get their hearts ready to receive Jesus, ourSavior at His first Advent.

But even before the end of his first verse, Malachi also declares a …messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come…. This is Jesus, the Righteous Judge, who will appear suddenly at the end of times.

He will return to earth a 2nd time, as our Sovereign Lord. Malachi asks (v.2), Who can endure the day of His [2nd] coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiners’ fire or a launderer’s soap. His mission then will be to judge and to purify us. The only ones who will be able to stand in the presence of God and live, according to PS 24:3, are those who have…clean hands and a pure heart, and who have not sullied themselves with idol worship. If we had not been cleansed with the blood of Jesus—shed on the cross for us—we would not be able to meet this important criteria. But because, by believing in Jesus, we are covered by His righteousness, we will one day stand before, and live, in the presence of Almighty God.

Malachi’s message is one which reminds us to be prepared, to ready our hearts by inviting Jesus to be King on the throne of our lives.

B. Instead of a psalm, this morning, we are treated to a song of praise sung by the priestly father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:68-79)!

Remember, Zechariah was struck mute by the angel when he did not believe God would empower him to father a son as an elderly man. He was praying, in the Holy of Holies of the Temple—praying for the sins of Israel, and no doubt asking for a son—when the angel appeared with the answer to his prayers. He was no doubt so startled and amazed at the sight of the angels that he lost about 50 IQ points! He expressed unbelief and earned 9 months of silence as a result. He only recovered his speech when he affirmed that his infant son was to be named John.

In his song, he first rejoices that God is sending a Redeemer, out of the dynasty of King David. This Redeemer (Jesus) will…

1.) Provide salvation for God’s people;

2.) Show us God’s mercy;

3.) Demonstrate God’s covenant relationship with us;

4.) and Enable us to serve God without fear due to Jesus’ holiness and righteousness. Finally, and only at the end of his song, he declares that John the Baptist, his son, will be a prophet of the Most High. We can well imagine that Zechariah feels honored. We can tell that Zechariah rejoices in the fact that God’s rescue of His people is immanent.

C. In our Philippians 1:3-11 text, Paul reminds us of this very essential fact: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will continue to work in us—if we allow Him to—to transform us into the best we can become. This is the second half of the Gospel. The first half is very big: Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. But the second is also important and involves our willingness to cooperate with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus loves us just as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us that way.

In that light, Paul also prays that we might (1) abound in love, knowledge and discernment; (2) make wise decisions in the way we live so that we are ready for Christ’s 2nd Coming; and (3) be filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22):…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

D. Finally, in our Gospel lesson from Luke 3:1-6, John the Baptist himself, calls us to prepare for Christ. Notice how carefully Dr. Luke places John the Baptist in time: He dates his appearance on the historic scene by placing him in the context of non-Jewish governmental leaders from AD 25-26:

1.) Pontius Pilot, the Roman Prefect (military governing power);

2.) Herod, Tetrarch of Galilee (1 of 4 to take control over a quarter each of Alexander’ the Great’s empire after his death— Archaelaus was already dead);

3.) Leaving Herod, Philip (his brother), Tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitus;

4.) and Lysanias, Tetrarch of Abilene. Luke also places him during the high priesthood of Annas (out of favor w/ Rome but still pulling the strings) and Caiaphus, his son-in-law.

Then Dr. Luke makes sure we realize that the word of God Himself came to John the Baptist out in the wilderness (west of the Jordan). This recalls the 40 years wandering of the children of Israel, in the wilderness between Egypt and Israel, as God formed them into a nation. And later, Jesus will spend 40 days in John’s wilderness, strengthening His identity, understanding His mission, and deepening His faith and trust in His Father.

This poses the question, what is our wilderness? And are we using it to strengthen and deepen our faith and trust in God? But, this is a sermon for another day!

JtB then embarks on his ministry, calling folks to repentance; readying them to receive God’s forgiveness; and helping them to realize they/we need a Savior. Dr. Luke refers to Isaiah 40:3-5, which Handel so beautifully set to music—and sung so well this morning–in the 1st tenor aria of his “Messiah.” John’s role was to call us to prepare our hearts for Jesus. Just as crooked roads are straightened and rough spots are filled in and smoothed out, we are to ready ourselves morally and spiritually to welcome Jesus.

Advent is a season of expectant Hope! Advent fairly shouts, Don’t give up! Our God makes good on His promises! Jesus is coming a first time to redeem us. He will come a second time to make all things right. He will overcome all the “bad actors” in the world. He will usher in His peaceful kingdom. He will set all accounts right. So we want to be prepared. We want to live in a way that mimics the behavior of Jesus. We want to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We want to express our gratitude, joining with St. Paul in saying, Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia, alleluia!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Alpha and the Omega

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 21, 2021

Scriptures: 2 Sam 23:1-7; Ps 132:1-12; Rev. 1:1-8; Jn 18:33-37

Let me begin by sharing two stories about kingship:

1.) Chuck Colson related this one in his book, The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008, p.90). In 1990, he was in Russia, preaching at the Moscow Baptist Church, just blocks from the Kremlin, “He told a packed crowd of worshipers that all through human history, as far back as recorded time and doubtless before, kings, princes, tribal chiefs, presidents, and dictators have sent their subjects into battle to die for them. Only once in human history has a king not sent his subjects to die for him, but instead, died for his subjects. This is the King who introduces the Kingdom that cannot be shaken, because this King reigns eternally.”

Colson was, of course, referring to Jesus Christ, comparing Jesus’ selfless reign and rule to that of all other world leaders.

2.) In another story—so old there we do not know to whom to credit it—we have an anecdote concerning the King of England from 1014-1035, who was actually a Danish royal and a Christian, named Canute. “King Canute tired of hearing his retainers flatter him with extravagant praises of his greatness, power and invincibility. He ordered his chair to be set down on the seashore, where he commanded the waves not to come in and wet him. No matter how forcefully he ordered the tide not to come in, however, his order was not obeyed. Soon the waves lapped around his chair. One historian tells us that, therefore, he never wore his crown again, but hung it on a statue of the crucified Christ.” King Canute knew he lacked the power of Christ the King. He probably also realized he would not be willing to die for his subjects, as Jesus did.

Today is the last day of the church calendar, called Christ the King Sunday. Next week we begin our Christmas focus on the Advent or the 1st and 2nd Comings of Jesus. But for today, we close out the Church’s calendar year by focusing on the Kingship of Jesus. Jesus truly is Christ the King.

A. In our OT reading, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, the prophet Samuel records the last words of King David. David credits God with elevating him to the position of king from being a shepherd son of a peasant farmer. He admits the Holy Spirit worked through him—and spoke through him–during his lifetime, probably especially though the music he wrote and played (his psalms), his phenomenal military success, and the fact that he tried to rule righteously.

In verse 5, he alludes to the Covenant agreement David had with God—There would always be a descendant of his to rule Israel, as long as that descendant was obedient to the Lord. Those who did evil would be cast aside; but the Righteous One to be—Jesus—will reign forever and ever.

B. Psalm 132:1-12 was apparently written by King Solomon, King David’s son and immediate heir to his throne. In it, Solomon asks God to remember that David wanted to build an earthly dwelling suitable for the Lord. Solomon has just completed construction of the Temple in Jerusalem and is celebrating having moved the Ark of the Covenant from “the tent of habitation” to the Holy of Holies (a goal of his father’s). This psalm was probably sung at the Temple’s dedication service. Solomon asks God to come and dwell in this Temple—which He does. And then Solomon reminds God of His promises to his father, David:

1.) To always keep a descendant of David upon the throne of Israel, providing that descendant obeys the Lord.

2.) Solomon probably doesn’t realize it, but inspired by the Holy Spirit, he has just prophesied the kingship of Jesus in verse 11–The Lord swore an oath to David, a sure oath that He will not revoke: One of your own descendants I will place on your throne…The last of the Davidic kings was the rebellious Zedekiah (597-586BC). There is, at present, no king of Israel. But Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a kingly figure on Palm Sunday. He admitted to Pilate that He is a king. And He will be enthroned in Jerusalem when He returns to earth a 2nd time.

C. Our Gospel lesson is from John 18:33-37. It records a portion of Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of Judea. It is said that Pilate hated Jerusalem and really disliked the Jews. He spent most of his time at Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast. He made it his habit to visit Jerusalem during the great feasts, like Passover, when Jews from all around the world would crowd into the city to worship God. He hoped to impress his superiors by keeping the peace in a volatile country. Not truly understanding the Jewish religion, he finds himself having to adjudicate Jesus’ case.

Now Pilate was a pragmatist, a Roman military officer, not a philosopher. He probably thought Jesus was a nut-case if He claimed to be Israel’s king. Afterall, Israel was then under the rule of a Roman-appointee, Herod Agrippa, who owed his authority and privileges to Rome. What right would an itinerant rabbi have to call Himself King?

So he enters into the dialogue with Jesus:

PILATE. Are you the King of the Jews?

JESUS. Essentially, what prompted that question?

PILATE—Not me; your own folks say this of you.

JESUS—Yes, I’m a king, but not of this world, or more correctly, out of this world. He will not be a political king, rising out of the political system. He will be a true king, not a political hack. He will be—and is—a theocratic king and will come to earth again as King of King and Lord of Lords (but Jesus doesn’t explain all of this to Pilate).

D. However, this is where our NT lesson from Revelation 1:1-8 picks up. The year is somewhere in the 90’s (near end of 1st century). John is the oldest living apostle (in his late 80’s, early 90’s). Peter has been crucified, upside-down, at his own request! John’s brother James has been put to the sword by King Herod Agrippa. Paul has been beheaded in Rome.

John has outlived them all—some say he is the only apostle to die a natural death.

We find him in today’s narrative, confined to the prison isle, Patmos.

It was a rocky, inhospitable island, about 6 X 10 miles, in the Aegean Sea.

Inmates there were sentenced to hard labor in the mines and quarries, exposed to elements. Our passage tells us (verse 10), On the Lord’s Day, I was in the Spirit. Here he was, in harsh circumstances, isolated from friends, but worshipping God on Sunday, the Lord’s Resurrection Day.

He was praying, in the Spirit, when he has a Holy Spirit assisted vision.

John sees and hears from Jesus.

But I am getting ahead of myself here—Return to verses 1-3:

John tells us God the Father gave this revelation to Jesus Christ. The word, revelation comes from the Greek word, apokalupsis which means an UNVEILING, a REVEALING. In this god-forsaken place, Jesus Himself comes to John. What a comfort that must have been to the apostle:

John, I have not forgotten you! Even though you are elderly and in exile,

I have a job for you to do.

So Jesus is speaking this unveiling, this revealing to John, as the Ascended Lord, the King of the Universe! Jesus is in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father. This means He is installed right next to God the Father, at God’s right hand of power. Jesus conveys the revelation to John thru an angel (messenger). And John obediently writes for us all that he saw and heard.

Whoever reads it, and hears it, and takes it to heart will be blessed.

So who is that? Us! Yes, it’s complicated and uses a lot of figurative language, (Old Testament allusions) but if we persist/puzzle through Revelation, we will be blessed! We will be blessed because it tells us how our great cosmic history turns out! The Good Guy wins! Through Him, we also win! (We are vindicated).

John greets the 7 churches in Asia Minor (Turkey):

These were specific church groups, but also types/representatives of churches. In verses 4-6, he states, Grace and peace to you from.

Him who is and who was and who is to come [the eternal Father], the 7 spirits before His throne [The Holy Spirit; the Complete Holy Spirit given all of His characteristics], and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is then called by several titles:

1.) The faithful witness— Jesus has told us truth and so He continues to tell us truth (I am the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6).

2.) The firstborn from the dead—During His earthly ministry, Jesus resurrected 3 persons: His friend Lazarus; the son of the widow of Nain; and he synagogue ruler’s 12 year old daughter. But they all went on to die, again, later. Jesus is the first One resurrected to eternal life!

3.) The ruler of the kings of the earth—In Phil 2:9-11, we are told…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ultimately, at the end of time, all Caesars/kings, presidents, premiers, despots and dictators everywhere will acknowledge the lordship of King Jesus. Their eyes will be open to the Truth of Who Jesus is.

4.) V. 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Alpha is the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet; Omega, the last. Jesus is saying, I am the A through Z. He is the full revelation of God the Father. He is the beginning and the end, eternal, unchanging. As the writer to the Hebrews puts it (13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever?

The final outcome is ultimately a good one! God has the last word! We serve Christ the King. The resurrected Jesus Christ is alive and on His heavenly throne. The Alpha and the Omega will come again in glory to rule and reign upon the earth. I can hardly wait, can you? Amen! Maranatha! Come King Jesus!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

There’s Something Bigger than Phil

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 14, 2021

Scriptures: 1 Sam 1:1-20; Ps 113; Heb 10:11-25; Mk 13:1-8

Some of us are old enough to remember the comedians, Rob Reiner and Mel Brooks. Some years back, they performed a comedy routine called “The 2,000 Year Old Man.” (Maybe you remember hearing/watching it?) Reiner takes the role of a TV news reporter and Brooks, the 2,000 YO man (As related by Revs. Fearless & Chilton, in their Lectionary Lab Commentary, Year B, p.361):

        Reporter:  Well, did you worship God in your village?

        Old Man: No, at first we worshipped this guy in our village                     named Phil.

        Reporter:  You worshipped a guy named Phil?  Why?  

Old Man: Well, he was bigger than us, and faster than us, and he was mean, and he could hurt you: break your arm or leg right in two; so we worshipped Phil.

        Reporter: I see. Did you have any prayers in this religion?

        Old Man: Yeah, want to hear one?  PLEASE PHIL, NO!                      PLEASE PHIL, NO!

        Reporter:  OK, so when did you stop worshipping Phil?

Old Man: Well, one day we were having a religious festival. Phil was chasing us and we were praying PLEASE PHIL, NO! PLEASE PHIL, NO! And suddenly a thunderstorm came up and a bolt of lightning struck and killed Phil. We gathered around and stared at Phil’s body awhile and then we realized: THERE’S SOMETHING BIGGER THAN PHIL!

    This story reminds me of an indigenous Indian missionary named Andrew Swamidoss.  He came to speak at my seminary and related how the people of India worship many gods.  He told us that a fellow had been run over by a bus at a particular street corner.  The next day, there was a shrine there to appease “the god of the bus-wreck.”  Imagine having to pray to thousands of gods who—like Phil—to keep them from harming us. Thank God there is someone bigger—and kinder—than Phil and the god of the bus wreck!

    Our God is bigger and more powerful—and more loving—and can and does see us though the many bad things that happen in our lives.  We can all probably think of many bad things that have happened to each of us during our lifetimes. We don’t want to ruminate over them because that can lead to depression and despair.  

    Our Scriptures this morning offer two categories of “bad things” for us to ponder.

    A. In 1 Samuel 1:1-20, the dilemma is childlessness or barrenness.  This would be a heart-break for any of us who wanted a child.

Think of the incredible stress and the multitude of disappointments and pain for couples undergoing in-vitro-and other fertilization treatments. Making love can be reduced to a baby-producing procedure; and the clinical interventions like calendar-and-temperature-watching, as well as giving the wife hormone injections begin to take a toll on a marriage. Consider childless couples anxiously awaiting adoptions. We probably all know of someone who cared for—even funded–a young woman throughout her pregnancy, only to have her decide at the birth to keep the baby. Or how about couples who spent thousands upon thousands trying to locate an adoptee in a foreign country.

Hannah knows she is barren, and—to make matters worse—she lives with her husband’s very fertile 2nd wife, Peninnah. We would probably characterize Peninnah as a “mean girl.” She knows Hannah is their husband’s favorite, but she can brag that she has more children. She can and does make Hannah feel less than. She can and does make Hannah feel miserable.

    But Hannah appears to know that our God is bigger and better than Phil, or any other gods.  She worships God in His Holy Temple and she cries out her despair and her heartbreak, asking God to give her a child.  Hannah, whose name means grace or favor, is such a great example to us.  She takes her misery to the Only One who can do something about it.  Notice how David takes all his fears and desires for revenge to God in some of the psalms he wrote.  You see, it’s OK to take our disappointments, anger, and despair to God.  It’s much less effective (and Christian) for us to share those with others. 

But Hannah appears to know from Ps 113 that God is our Creator and our Redeemer. Perhaps she held in her heart the knowledge that our God does not exalt the high and mighty—the bullies and braggarts, like Peninnah—but instead advances the cause of the humble and the lowly—people like herself, perhaps even people like us. Maybe she had memorized and camped on verse 9–He [God] settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. At any rate, she cried out to the Lord in prayer. He heard the desire of her heart. He heard her promise to raise her child to serve the Lord as a priest. And the Lord gifted her with a son, Samuel, soon intended by God be an important prophet.

The story of Hannah speaks to the personal, the micro-level , while our Gospel lesson, Mk 13:1-8, addresses the global or macro-level. Jesus prophesizes the demolition of the Temple (not accomplished until about 35 years after His ascension, in 70AD). A disciple has called His attention to what a magnificent building it is. The folks of that day probably believed the Temple would endure forever, but my son, the structural engineer, tells me that buildings have a life span. Buildings require maintenance, don’t they? Materials rot, decay, or become bug-ridden or brittle, and must be replaced. Even marble can be destroyed. Jesus’ response to the disciple’s comment seems to imply, Don’t put your faith in buildings, no matter how spectacular. .

    Later, Peter, James, John, and Andrew draw Him aside and ask     what other events foretell the end-times.  Jesus cites the appearance of false messiahs; political turmoil, wars and rumors of wars, nations turning against nations; and physical calamities like earthquakes and famines.  Then, sadly, (verse 9) He predicts that Christ-followers will be persecuted by religious and political leaders. 

This passage is a “heads up” warning for us: Trouble is coming—some may say trouble is already here. Many of us cannot bear to watch the evening news anymore. We are sick and tired of multiple examples of lying, greed, power-grabbing, sexual abuse, drug abuse, murders, etc. Interestingly, Stephen King, the current master of the horror genre in fiction books, has said, Horror has not fared particularly well on TV, if you except something like the six o’clock news….It is very difficult to write a successful horror story in a world which is so full of real horror.” And I think many of us are also fed up with leaders who cannot or who will not take action to turn things around.

    The Good News is that there is something bigger than Phil. There is something greater than the bad stuff that occurs in our lives or in our communities.  That something is a Some One, Jesus who loves us.  That something is our faith that His reign over tomorrow will overcome whatever is going on in our todays and has gone on in our yesterdays.  Our God is bigger than our pain.  Our God is bigger than our sorrow.  Our God is bigger than our suffering.  Our God is bigger than our disappointments, betrayals, or abandonments.  Our God is bigger than whatever frightens us or holds us captive.  Our God’s promises are true.  Our God’s love never fails us.

We recently (at our Saturday “soup and cinema event) showed a movie about a high school football coach whose teams won 151 games in a row. That’s a true story. There is also a winning high school basketball coach, named Morgan Wooten, whose teams won 1274 games, losing only192 times (15%) during his career. His little 1st grade grandson, however, was not impressed. He told his teacher his grandpa didn’t know anything about basketball. The teacher was shocked and told the kid lots of folks think his granddad is a basketball genius. “Oh no,” the child explained, “He doesn’t know anything about basketball. I go to all his games and he never gets to play!”

    Sometimes we tend to believe God is like that…always watching, never getting into the game.   But our lessons today assure us that God knows (and foreknows) whatever we are dealing with or will deal with, the micro and the macro concerns of life.  He’s neither asleep at the wheel nor far away.  Remember that Baptist pastor who said, There is no situation that I can get into that God cannot get me out of.  If we trust God, we will be all right.

We serve someone bigger than Phil, or Joe Biden, or our Bishop, Mayor, the Pope, or whomever. We serve a mighty God! We worship a powerful Jesus! We can trust Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to manage whatever troubles us—if we call upon them. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia! Alleluia!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

PASSING MARKS

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 10, 2021

Scriptures: Job 23:1-17; Ps 22:1-15; Heb 4:12-18; Mk 10:17-31

The story is told of an Ohio State University student who was academically competent but tended to need time to complete assignments (smart but not speedy).  You may know the type.  They do know the material, but think things through carefully until they have the right answer.  Others may come to the answer more rapidly but few are as careful as this.

The student was troubled by a Calculus class he needed to pass—and wasn’t—with a demanding, annoying professor.  The guy seemed to delight in frustrating his already discouraged students.  During exams, he would walk around, watching them like a hawk, expecting to discover someone cheating.  He would frequently announce the amount of time left—30 minutes, 20 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.- just to interrupt their trains of thought and to agitate everyone.  In a class of 1,000 students, the slow-but-steady young man was the only one not to turn in his exam when time was called.

The prof waited impatiently and then, an hour later, when the young man finally finished his test, the prof asked him what he thought he was doing.  The kid answered, “Turning in my exam.”  The prof replied, “Your exam is an hour late. Congratulations!  You’ve failed it.  So, I will see you next term when you repeat my class.”  The student smiled and asked, “Do you know my name?”  The prof replied gruffly and incredulously, “What?” The student rephrased his question, “Do you know what my name is?” With irritation, the prof replied, “There are 1,000 students in this class.  What makes you think I would know your name?”  The student then smiled, and, lifting up a tall stack of test booklets, placed his completed test in the middle of the pile and casually exited the huge lecture hall.

Life sometimes presents us with tests–and authority figures– like that one.  We may think our prospects are slim and we don’t have much of a chance of succeeding. But the truth is that if we have a relationship with the Lord, we can make it through any trial that might come.  Let’s see what our passages today have to add to this issue:

A.  Our OT lesson comes from Job 23:1-17.  You may recall that the Lord is so confident of Job’s righteousness that He allows Satan to strip him of his family, his wealth, and his health.  Satan is sure Job will turn against God if his blessings are all removed.  But Job is such a faithful believer that he does not, even though his wife advises (Job 2:9), Curse God and die (Great advice, right? Horrible!).

Instead, Job spends much of the book trying to figure out how he has offended God.  He believes he is being punished, but stops short of blaming God (This is such a good lesson for us!).  In today’s chapter, he begins to believe his faith is being put to the test.  So he wants an opportunity to speak to God face to face.  In verse 3 he admits he doesn’t know where to find Him; in verses 4-7, he is sure that if he could locate God, and confront Him, God wouldn’t find any problems with him.

YIKES!  Don’t you just want to tell Job 3 things:

    #1, None of us is without sin—as Paul says, except for Jesus, No, not one!  As J. Vernon McGee says, No one can go into the presence of God to defend himself.  We must all go before God to plead guilty before him.  Every one of us is guilty (commentary on Job, p.125).  We are only made righteous—we only have passing marks– because we have been cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

    #2, So, if we think we can defend ourselves before God, we need to remember to approach Him with humility.  He is God; we are not! 

    #3, Finally, anyone who seriously wants to find God will do so.  Our God is not hiding from us.  In fact, He calls us to Himself.  If we really want to meet up with Him, He will make Himself known to us—through Scripture, dreams, billboards, overheard conversations, song lyrics, and life events (to name a few means at His disposal).  And unlike the calculus professor at Ohio State, God is for us, not against us.

But praise God!  By the time Job arrives at verse 10, he realizes he is being tested for some purpose.  Like us, he doesn’t yet know what the purpose is.  Like us, he doesn’t understand why he needs testing.  But—hopefully also like us—he does believe that God is using this testing to somehow bring about His good purposes in Job’s life.  If we let it, trouble strengthens our faith.  If we let it, trouble improves our moral character.

If we let Him, God will comfort us and equip us as we move through our difficulties.  Some unnamed wise person once said, You know that God has never promised that we would miss the storm, but He has promised that we would make the harbor.

B.  Psalm 22 is known as “the Psalm of the Cross.”  Written by King David (around 1,000BC) before the Romans invented crucifixion, it provides us a clear window into Jesus’ thoughts as He hung on the Cross.  Some scholars believe Jesus recited this psalm from memory while nailed to the Cross.  In verses 1-2, Jesus essentially cries out to His Father, My God, where are you?  He is feeling deserted and abandoned.  In verses 3-5, He reminds Himself that His Father is the Holy One in whom the patriarchs of Israel put their trust…they trusted and You delivered them…in You they trusted and were not disappointed.

Unlike Job or us, Jesus was entirely without sin.  He had personally done nothing to merit death.  In verses 6-8, He states that He knows He has not provoked the attacks of vicious and vindictive men; and that, thus far, God has not delivered Him from their cruelty.  He reminds His Father that He has trusted in Him from birth.  Finally, verses 12-15 describe His deep physical and emotional distress.  Here is indeed a portrait of unjust suffering.  By the end of the psalm, however–as by the end of the book of Job–we find that the truly righteous, despite their suffering, still maintain their faith in the Lord.

C. Our Gospel lesson (Mark 10:17-31) relates Jesus’ encounter with a rich young man.  The fellow mistakenly believes in his own righteousness.  He says he has kept the last 6 commandments all of his life, the ones that have to do with how we relate to others.  We are told that Jesus loved him, even though He realized the man has probably not kept the first 4.  How did Jesus know?  He recognized the man’s wealth was an impediment to his relationship with God.  Jesus asks him to give it up.  The young man walks away from Christ because he cannot (his wealth was his idol); and both he and Jesus are saddened by his decision.

The message is to give up whatever keeps us from remaining close to Jesus.  At one time with me, it was my children.  I didn’t trust God to care for them.  I had to give that up and then noted how much better they did than when I tried to control them.  Later, I learned that God was not selling my house because I was not willing to pastor a church.  I thought I had been called to ordained ministry, as a psychologist, to do therapy with the clergy.  But the Lord made it clear I had to give that goal up too.  The day that I agreed to do whatever God asked of me, my house sold.  My realtor brought a couple by to see it at 5:00pm and I had a signed contract by 8:00pm.  Jesus promises us we will receive blessings 100 times greater than whatever we have to give up for His sake.  He promises us eternal life, despite any and all persecution.

D.  The writer to the Hebrews (4:12-18) wants us never to forget that God’s Word activates us/energizes us to hold firm to our faith.  Scripture is more than words on a page.  It comes with power to help us achieve what God has for us.  Secondly, it exposes us to God’s sight.  If we compare ourselves to the biblical standard, we see where we fall short.  We can’t really get away with slipping our exam booklet into the middle of the pile.  God knows all about us.  Thirdly, Jesus’ example, and His once and for all perfect sacrifice for our sins, allows us now to approach God’s throne of grace not with fear of condemnation, but with confidence in God’s loving grace and mercy.

None of us wants to suffer, do we? Nevertheless, we have to realize that following Christ does not give us a pass to avoid problems.

Rather it is a guarantee—as we see in the outcomes of Jesus and of Job—of blessings and God’s favor following our faithfulness through trials.  Because of God’s grace and mercy, we are all like calculus students who have gotten away with not finishing on time by putting our test booklets in the middle of the pile.  Chuck Swindoll has written (in One Step Forward, Two Steps Back, p.35), “Every problem is an opportunity to prove God’s power.  Every day we encounter countless golden opportunities, brilliantly disguised as insurmountable problems.”

Let us pray:  Lord, we know we make better than passing marks when we remember that You do not promise to save us from trials, but You do promise to be present with us as we endure them.  We ask Jesus to tattoo on our hearts the reminder that He suffered untold agonies to atone, in advance, for our sins.  Help us to recognize that there is nothing we can do to achieve or earn our salvation.  Our money will not get us to Heaven, just as our good behavior or our generosity toward others will not.  It is only by loving You and Jesus, and accepting our grace-filled redemption at Your hands, that we are saved.  Assist us to let go of all and any impediments or roadblocks to having a satisfying, deeply faithful, intimate relationship with You.  Amen! 

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Knowing What’s What

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 19, 2021

Scriptures: Psalms 1; Proverbs 31:10-31; James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37

Last week, we looked at the choice between wisdom or foolishness, and the cost of living foolishly. Our lessons this week, once again, center on wisdom. In his book, Knowing God, Rev. Dr. J. I. Packer—a brilliant theologian and a dedicated Bible scholar—defines wisdom as, “…the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.” Someone once said (perhaps Yogi Berra), “You don’t have to be listed in Who’s Who to know what’s what.” Someone else has declared, “A wise man [or woman] learns by the experience of others. An ordinary man [or woman] learns by his own experience. A fool learns by nobody’s experience.” Isn’t that the truth!

As often as the topic is addressed in Scripture—and it does get a lot of print-space–it seems that our acquisition of wisdom is important to God. Let’s examine today’s passages to see what the Lord is trying to tell us about our need for wisdom.

A. Psalm 1 points out to us this same dichotomy we have been presented with for the past several weeks now: We can choose the way of sinners/the ungodly (remember Psalm 19 calls this way “foolishness”); or we can choose the way of righteousness/the godly person. It’s either one or the other, no in between. Inspired by God, the author of Psalm 1 wants us to choose to live a life focused on God—a life of righteousness. The wise person, man or woman, chooses to align his/her life with God’s teaching, not the culture’s. The wise person is a servant of (surrendered to) Christ. The foolish person, on the other hand, is captured by wickedness/sin. The righteous ultimately prosper, but the lives of the foolish are ultimately—in the words of Peter, Paul, & Mary (or even Bob Dylan)–“blowing in the wind.”

B. Verses 10-31 in Proverbs 31 are addressed to King Lemuel.

Scholars believe the description of the wise woman was told to Solomon by his mother, Queen Bathsheba. They think “King Lemuel” may have been her pet name for him. They think this first because there was never a king of Israel by this name. Secondly, they believe this because many of us give our kids nick-names. I called my son, David Morgan, “Rooney” when he was a little guy; and my daughter, Meredith Claire, “Merry Sunshine.” There is no rhyme or reason to these sorts of names. We just make them up and then use them, privately, out of affection and love. I imagine this name was may have been a private joke between them.

Whatever the case, Mamma Bathsheba is trying to convey to her son what he needs to live a good life. God bless her! By the time he died, he had 700 wives & 300 concubines! Surely, as she observed him acquiring all these women, she must have wanted him to realize he only needed one good woman. He didn’t need a beautiful wife or a woman who would bring with her grand political alliances. He certainly didn’t need a woman who would introduce him to foreign gods (as many of them did). Instead, he would have been so much better off with a virtuous wife, a woman of character, strength, & real ability; someone faithful; a helpful partner to her husband; energetic, not lazy; someone who would spend the family money wisely; someone who would manage the household (including raising children) wisely; someone kind and generous; someone wise in the ways Solomon was not. Sadly, as history bears out, Solomon did not listen to his mother. More’s the pity!

C. James 3:13-4:8a—James is in total agreement with our Psalmist. He, too, asserts there are two kinds of wisdom in this world: heavenly, or Godly wisdom and earthly, unspiritual wisdom. James says this latter kind is characterized by disorder and every evil practice. It is more than us just being what one of my doctoral professors termed “our bad old selves.” Rev. Dr.J. Vernon McGee writes, “the wickedness of the world is not merely human, but human plus something” [the devil]. In verse15, James says (people who are bitter, envious, or selfishly ambitious have chosen a ‘wisdom’ that)…does not come from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. According to James, we have a choice as to which kind of wisdom we pursue.

Furthermore, he asserts that people will discern which we have chosen by the way we live our lives. Sometimes our choice of evil living shows in our faces. I once counseled a young woman who had been incested by her father for a period of years. He had impregnated her when she was only eleven. She miscarried that baby and finally escaped him by going to live with her aunt. When I met her, she was engaged to marry a really dear young man. Her father told her he would pay for a big wedding if she would allow him to walk her down the aisle. In my spirit, I thought, “No way! It’s not worth it!” But the decision was hers to make. She asked me to attend her wedding and when I did, I saw her father for the first time as he escorted her to her groom. Even if I hadn’t known what he had done, I would have sensed that something was off about him. He looked utterly debauched. It was as though his sin was written on his face.

Those of us who instead seek Godly wisdom will live lives that are (v.17) pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive [surrendered to God], full of mercy & good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Like Paul demonstrates in his sin lists, James is concerned that we make wise choices in the way we live our lives. James is essentially saying we should live out the traditional Boy/Girl Scout virtues (e.g., kind, courteous, trustworthy, etc.).

Finally, James (vv.7-8) urges us to (1) submit our lives to God and (2) resist the devil. We must always be aware that he niggles about in our ears, trying to tell us stuff designed to lead us astray. We need to recognize that these sinful or destructive thoughts come from him—human plus something! And (3) then we need to tell him to beat it! “Get out of here, Satan, in the name of Jesus!” Again, tuck in with God–right under His arm—and He will embrace you.

D. Mark 9:30-37–Jesus has just finished telling them He is a Messiah who must suffer and die (in order to rescue us from our sins).

They park on His identity rather than His mission. They focus on His role, His title, and overlook the fact that He was sent to earth to die for our sins and rise again. They then begin to argue over who will have which position in what they envision will be His upcoming regime: No doubt, Judas wanted to be Secretary of the Treasury; Peter, Secretary of Defense, or of Homeland Security; Doubting Thomas, the “show me” Apostle, for Attorney General; the loving, charitable John, Secretary of Health and Human Services; etc.

In response, Jesus gives them the first “children’s sermon” If you want to be greatest, be like a child, the servant of all. If you want to be first, make sure everyone is served before you. In other words, be humble, loving, and not hung up on yourself. True wisdom comes from dying to self, from controlling “the sinful man,” or “our bad ole selves.” We need to focus on obeying God–just as Jesus did–and on loving others—just as Jesus did.

How wonderful that we are not left clueless about pursuing wisdom! This morning, God has used 4 different voices to teach us how to develop wisdom. It turns out that wisdom is within our grasp. Wisdom is possible for us to attain. It’s involved in all the choices we make, on a daily, hourly, sometimes minute-to-minute basis. Our God wants us to be wise and He is rooting for us!

I want to close with this story about the car manufacturer, Henry Ford (as reported in Today in the Word, 4/1990, p.27):

Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn’t find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life—but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high. Steinmetz’s reply: for tinkering with the generators, $10.00. For knowing where to tinker, $9,900. Ford paid the bill.

Please note that Steinmetz was more shrewd than wise. But Ford, knowing his assembly line was sitting idle and his plant output reduced to zero without functioning generators—and recognizing Steinmetz’ ability to correct that—was wise to pay it. This week, and always, let’s focus on making wise, godly decisions. Amen! May it be so!

©️2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams