Posted on by Cheryl Norman

True Wisdom

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 18, 2024

Scriptures : 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Ps 111; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:60-71

The story is told of…a Dean at a college Faculty Meeting who encounters an angel.  The angel informs him that the Lord has noticed his “exemplary and unselfish behavior” and wants to reward him. He is given the choices of … “infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty.”  Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite wisdom.

“Done!” says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning. Now, all heads turn toward the dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. At length, one of his colleagues whispers, “Say something.”

The dean looks at them and says, “I should have taken the money.” 

(Betsy Devine and Joel E. Cohen, Absolute Zero Gravity, Simon & Schuster, 1992, p.29.)

Compare that story with the following examples of the wisdom of children:  

Patrick, age 10, said, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

Michael, 14, said, “When your dad is mad and asks you, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer him.”

 Michael, wise man that he was also said, “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.”

Randy, 9 years of age said, “Stay away from prunes.”  One wonders how he discovered that bit of wisdom.

Kyoyo, age 9, said, “Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.”

(Rick Stacy, 6/16/02, as reported at www.sermoncentral.com, 8/22/24.)

These takes on wisdom make us chuckle, don’t they?  But they beg the question, “What is true wisdom?” J.I. Packer (the brilliant Anglican Bible teacher and theology professor who lived from 1926-2000) once defined wisdom as “the power to see and the inclination to choose the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it. “ To see and to choose the best, the highest, and—realizing that with God the ends don’t justify the means—deciding to pursue the best in the best way.

(J.I. Packer, Knowing God, IVP, 1973, p. 80.)

Our Scripture passages today all comment on true wisdom:

A.  Let’s begin with our Old Testament reading, 1 Kings2:10-12, 3:3-14.  The context is Solomon’s ascension to the throne of his dying father, King David.  Solomon, the 10th of David’s 19 sons, has outlived Amnon (the rapist) and Absolom (the embittered rebel).  Though he was God’s choice to be the next king, and David’s choice to succeed him, he had to have David’s 4th son, Adonijah—a usurper– killed to secure his right to reign.  He also ordered Benaiah, his army general to kill Joab, David’s 2nd cousin—the guy who killed Absolom against the king’s orders–and Shemai, who had mocked, insulted, and even cursed David on his retreat from Jerusalem.  David would not allow his soldiers at the time to kill Shemai because he believed God might be saying something true through the vocal traitor.

So, interestingly, Solomon initiated his reign by assassinating his father’s enemies—loyalty to his earthly father–but he was not as loyal to his Heavenly Father.  Scripture does not report that he consulted the Lord about these political killings.  Additionally, he worshipped at “high places” which in those days were typically shrines to pagan gods.  It appears that Solomon “covered all his bases” by believing in the One True God, but also offering sacrifices to pagan gods, just in case.

Furthermore, Solomon was not a warrior or a man’s man, as his father had been. He had been raised among the women of David’s household. He seemed to understand women and to enjoy them.  And, since he went on as king to acquire 700 wives and 300 concubines, we can say from this side of the Cross that he most likely had a sexual addiction.

Nevertheless, he started out fairly well with the Lord when he admitted he lacked the experience to rule, and then requested the gift of wisdom.  The wisdom he had in mind was “political wisdom” or the kind of discernment that resulted in making wise decisions in matters of state.  Over time, however, it became evident that he lacked spiritual wisdom.  He practiced idolatry; he began his reign with several murders; and he broke covenant with the Lord. 

However, because the Lord had promised King David that Messiah would come from his lineage, God was willing to offer Solomon grace, and blessed him with secular wisdom, wealth, and honor among men. He is not, though, a sterling example to us of a truly wise man.

B.  Psalm 111 is a hymn of praise to God for His works of creation and redemption.  His works reveal His character:  He is righteous, compassionate, gracious, faithful, just, trustworthy, long suffering, upright, holy, and awe-inspiring.  And He wants us, His followers, to be people who mirror His character.  Verse 10, the final line of the psalm, makes the point that—>Fear [awe, reverence] of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.  All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.  Solomon actually reiterated this thought in Proverbs 9:10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.  Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.  We might assume that he had learned by old age that dismissing God, or simply including Him among other gods, is a big, unwise mistake.

C.  Paul, in Ephesians 5:15-20, exhorts us to (v.15)So be careful how you live.  Don’t live like fools but like those who are wise.  Paul assumes we have choices in the ways in which we live.  We can choose to get drunk and to act foolishly; or we can refrain from this kind of behavior and instead remain within the will of God by…

1.) making the most of every opportunity;

2.) understanding what God would want us to do;

3.) being fillied with the Holy Spirit;

4.) making music in our hearts to the Lord;

5.) and giving thanks to God for everything.

This really sounds like the Doxology, doesn’t it?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

D.  By the end of this lengthy teaching of Jesus in which He calls Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:60-71), many of Christ’s crowds of disciples foolishly decide they cannot continue to follow Him.  They mistakenly thought He was encouraging cannibalism—eating His flesh and drinking His blood—and were disgusted.  Since “flesh and blood” is a euphemism meaning the whole person, He was intimating His bodily death to come on the Cross.  He was also referring to His later institution of Holy Communion, where bread and wine become a life sustaining means of intimacy with our Lord. They missed that He meant that He, not physical food, satisfies our spiritual hunger.  So, as He watches the crowds melt away, He asks the Twelve Are you also going to leave?  Peter answers for them all (except Judas who does not fully believe). Peter wisely recognizes that Jesus is God. There is no one else who can lead them into eternal life.

So how do we attain true wisdom?  Solomon had wisdom of a sort, but by not being as dedicated to the Lord as his father David had been, he missed the mark. Because of His promises to David that the Messianic King would be a descendant of David’s, God was willing to offer grace to Solomon. But true wisdom comes from worshipping God and Him only.

Similarly, our psalmist asserts that wisdom derives from trusting in the Lord, and committing ourselves to follow Him (trust and obey).  James reminds us in James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our gracious Lord and He will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you for asking.  Just like Solomon, we too can ask for wisdom.

Paul believes we are wise when we live our lives in an “Attitude of Gratitude” to God for all He has done for us, despite how frustrating our current circumstances may be.

And Peter demonstrates wisdom when he says (John 6:58) Lord, to Whom would we go?  You have the words that give eternal life.  We believe, and we know that You are the Holy One of God.  This is true wisdom.  May we each desire it and achieve it!  Amen! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

SMART SHEEP

Pastor Sherry’s message for April 21, 2024

Scriptures  Acts 4 5-20; Ps 23; 1 Jn 3 16-24; Jn 10 1-18 

The story is told about a woman calling for help from a small plane. She and her husband were flying a small plane to dine with friends, perhaps from Live Oak to Cedar Key.   Once airborne, the husband got sick and fainted.  Scared witless, she radioed for help, saying she didn’t know how to fly. Lots of people provided lots of advice as to her location, her altitude, how to find out how much fuel remained, and how to turn on her landing lights. A flight instructor out at a nearby airport heard the radio chatter. He jumped into his plane and took off. He wisely waited for a lull in radio traffic, then told others who he was and to stop transmitting. He introduced himself to her and told her he would try to coach her down safely. When he saw her plane, he told her to turn her landing lights off. Then he came alongside her and taught her the basics of flying. He also called ahead for an ambulance for her husband and then helped her to land safely. The woman and her husband were saved because she obeyed the voice of the flight instructor.

Our Psalm and Gospel readings both reference us as sheep, and the Lord as our Shepherd. At first blush, referring to us as sheep is not very flattering  they are notoriously helpless, often grazing their way lost; they are skittish, fleeing when frightened; they are prone to over-eating (along with goats, they will even eat kudzu); and, if they fall into running water, their heavy coats will become waterlogged and they will drown.   However, they do recognize the voice of their particular shepherd.

Do you know there are over 700 references to sheep and shepherds in Scripture?   In the Old Testament, the Good Shepherd was God, the Father 

1.) 23rd Psalm The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want (Peterson expresses it this way in The Message  I don’t need a thing!).

2.) Psalm 100  …we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

3.) Isa: 40

:11  [God] tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.

4.)   In Ezekiel: 34, God the Father lambasts the kings, prophets, and priests of Israel, calling them bad shepherds. He accuses them of abusing, neglecting, and even preying upon His sheep. He promises to save His flock.   In verse 23, He declares  I will place over them one shepherd, My servant David, and He will tend them and be their shepherd.   Now Ezekiel lived about 400 years after King David, so he wasn’t talking about David per se.   Instead, he was prophesying about Jesus (who, like David and out of his lineage) is a Shepherd-King.

In the New Testament, the Good Shepherd is Jesus, God the Son   Our Gospel today is from John 10 1-18.   Scholars say this is the climax of John’s Gospel because Jesus identifies Himself as “The Good Shepherd” (v.11), thus calling Himself one with God the Father. In verse 14, Jesus says  I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. God the Father called Himself “I am that I am.”  Every time in John, when Jesus makes an “I am” statement, He is admitting that He is God.

We find Him in today’s passage teaching in the Temple during the season of Hanukkah.   He identifies for His audience the bad shepherds  They victimize God’s sheep; they are thieves and murderers; and they are not willing to die to protect their sheep. Then He describes what a Good Shepherd does. Back in Jesus’ day, sheep from several flocks were gathered into a sheepfold at night (a kind of roofless barn bordered by a rock fence). The shepherd would lay across the opening to this structure to make sure the sheep stayed within and that predators would remain outside. So He is saying that He is willing to lay down His life for the benefit of His flock [us].   Unlike a hired hand, he does not flee when confronted with danger.   He is invested in the welfare of His sheep [gain, us].

How do we know we are the sheep of the Good Shepherd?

First, we are baptized into His flock (we become children of God).

Second, we learn to hear His voice  our God communicates with us through our spiritual ears, a kind of knowing that just comes into our heads. He also speaks to us through His written Word; by His Holy Spirit (the still small voice); in our dreams–We know many Moslems have come to Jesus in recent years because He has appeared to them in their dreams– through song lyrics, bumper stickers, billboards; sometimes through other people, even including overheard conversations; and often through our particular circumstances. He speaks to us and He wants us to communicate with Him in return. We talk with Him by praying—it’s just having a conversation with Him. We also talk with Him through our worship and praise. 

Third, we come to realize we are each known by Him. He has known us from before we were born. Psalm 139 says  O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.   You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.   Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord…for You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb…When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.  Jesus adds, in Luke 12 7  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are numbered!  God knows us intimately, better than we know ourselves  He knows our every action; our every plan; our thoughts, even before they are fully formed; our words, even before we utter them. This is such a paradox    all of us are members of His flock, but He views us individually as well (I once saw a humorous bumper sticker that read, “Jesus loves you, but I’m His favorite!”).  

Fourth, if we are smart sheep, we follow Him. Shepherds in Jesus’ day led their flocks, from the front. They did not push from behind. They whistled and called the sheep by name. The shepherd’s job, as Psalm 23 says, was to lead them to green pastures (healthy, plentiful food), beside calm, clean waters, to calm them down and settle their fears, and to protect them from predators.  When we follow Him, we go where He wants us to go, we do what He wants us to do.   Because He is the Good Shepherd, we can trust in His intentions for us.  He wants only the best for us, as Jeremiah 29 11 says  ”For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.   “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.”

When we follow Him… we are to be obedient. Most of us are not too keen on obedience; we prefer to do things our own way (We have all heard toddlers say, “Me do it!”).   This kind of independence starts young.   Beth Moore shared that her 3 year old daughter once stood on the third step of the staircase, with her hands on her hips, and defiantly declared, “I am the boss of me!” But Jesus is clear, saying in John 14 23-24  If anyone loves Me, He will obey my teaching.   My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.   He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

We obey His teaching by putting our love into action! Christian love cannot be just a sentiment, a feeling. Christian love must be a Love Relationship–with the members of this body; with the people of this community; with those who do not yet know Jesus. Jesus blesses us when we obey His commands and love one another.

Fifth, smart sheep know Jesus is Lord!   Our Acts passage demonstrates, once again, that Peter and John were so emboldened by the Holy Spirit, that they were brave enough to confront the Jewish religious leaders (the Sadducees), despite their power to jail them. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection and did not want them teaching the Jesus had been resurrected.   His resurrection did not fit their narrative, so they denied it. After discussion these leaders let them go, but warned them not to continue to teach anyone about Jesus.   Peter replies, (vv.19-20)  Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.   For we [Peter and John] cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.   In so many words, what Peter means is, “I know Jesus is Lord so I will obey Him in spite of your threats or intimidation.” 

John writes in his epistle (1 John 3 16-24), Christian love means being willing to give your life for the welfare of another (verse 16). Christian love is not just words, but actions (verse 18)!   Smart Sheep demonstrate this by the way we go about loving others.

Just as the lady in the plane lived to tell the story because she listened to and trusted in the flight instructor, we too are best off when we do what our Lord asks of us.  Like the flight instructor, He keeps us on course and guides us to safe landings.  But better than that flight instructor, He knows us intimately and loves us.   This week, let’s remind ourselves that we have a shepherd Who knows and loves us, intimately; Who cares for us generously and graciously; and Who desires that we serve and bless those around us.   For His love’s sake, we want to be smart sheep!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Smart Sheep Hear the Shepherd’s Voice
Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Changed for Good

Pastor Sherry’s message for April 14, 2024

Scriptures: Acts 3:12-19; Ps 4; 1 Jn 3:1-7; Lk 24:36-48

The story is told of Mahatma Ghandi that…”As a young man, [he] studied in London. After learning about Christianity, and after reading the Sermon on the Mount, he decided that Christianity was the most complete religion in the world. It was only later, when he lived with a Christian family in East India, that he changed his mind. In that household he discovered that the word rarely became flesh — that the teaching of Jesus rarely became the reality of Jesus.”

(Susan R. Andrews, “Holy Heartburn,” article in The Christian Century, April 7, l999; p. 385.)

What a shame!  This is the guy who forced Great Britain– through peaceful means–to give India its independence.  He had been baptized.

He had read the Bible, and was particularly inpressed by the “sermon on the mount,” but he rejected Christianity because he did not see people who called themselves Christians living according to the precepts of Jesus.  It was as though these were great ideas, but none could live them out in reality.  Imagine the impact he may have had on India if he had encountered Holy-Spirit-filled Christians like Pastor Terri preached about last Sunday! 

Our faith in Jesus ought to be demonstrated in the way we live our lives, day to day—not just how we behave in Church on Sunday. Let’s see what our Scriptures today tell us about living a life that shows others we have been changed for good: 

A. First we see Peter in Acts 3:12-19.  Peter and John are going to the Temple at 3:00p.m. to pray.  This was the hour of the evening sacrifice when Jesus had died on the Cross.  Remember, the new Christian Church was composed only of Jewish believers at this point, and many continued their Jewish religious observances. 

A crippled panhandler asks them for money, much in the way we see homeless with their signs at the corners of our city streets, or at the on/off ramps of our interstates.  Peter replies, famously, (v.6) Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  What a terrific gift!  Peter and John lift the guy to his feet, and his feet and ankles realign as they are made strong.  The beggar has asked for money, but he receives a healing.  He’s asked for money–provision for a day or two–but Peter and John give him the ability to support himself for the rest of his life.  This is the first recorded miracle of the infant Church.

This incident also prompts Peter’s 2nd sermon.  Once again, he emphasizes the facts that Jesus was real—He lived, died, and truly rose from the dead.  Once again, he asserts the need for repentance for sin and faith in Christ.   Dr. Luke, the physician and author of Acts, tells us 5,000 men (not to mention women and children) at the Temple that day came to faith in Jesus.  (Remember Peter’s sermon on Pentecost resulted in 3,000 conversions).   He’s now preached 8,000 souls into the Kingdom.

Metaphorically speaking, Peter’s hair is on fire!  He knows that Jesus lives and has empowered him to take the Gospel to whoever will hear it.

He is no longer fearful, shaking in his boots!  Peter’s behavior change demonstrates that conviction/faith plus a relationship with Christ (being born again) changed his life for good.

B. Psalm 4 This psalm of David constitutes a prayer for relief.

In it, the King first cries to God for help (perhaps for end of a drought or a victory over an enemy).  In verses 2-3, he inquires of his people why they seek help from fake gods rather than the One True God.  As J. Vernon McGee says, “The refuge of the people of God in the time of trouble is prayer.”  (Through the Bible Commentary on the Psalms, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.42).  We cry out to God with and in our prayers.

King David knows the pressure of life is often very great, so, 

in verses 4-5, he offers his people a correction:  Do not give in to exasperation, anger, or anxiety; instead, put your trust in the Lord.

This is how we live a life centered on God.

Finally, in verses 6-8, David reminds us all that God is good to us and that He offers provision and peace.  Our God is neither asleep at the wheel, nor careless, nor incompetent.  We can place the fate of ourselves and of our loved ones in His hands when we/they are ill or distressed.  We can trust in the power of prayer.  Furthermore, we don’t have to feel totally alone, up against hostile or evil forces, because we are loved and cared for by our God.  A “true believer,” changed for good, lives life with confidence!

In 1st John 3:1-7, the Apostle John urges us to live like we know Jesus.  He is saying that our lives ought to demonstrate the fact that we are, as Paul says, “in Christ.”  Knowing Jesus should make a positive difference in the way we relate to God and to others:  We don’t just talk the talk, spinning the impression that we love Jesus; instead, we actively walk it out.  We try to keep short sin accounts with God, asking for His forgiveness daily.  We cooperate with the Holy Spirit who assists us to behave like Jesus.  We are kind, loving, and forgiving of others.  Our lives truly reflect the difference loving Jesus has made in us.

  John wants us to know that knowing Jesus intimately is going to change us in ways we couldn’t even predict.  If anyone had told me—even 15 years ago—that I would one day pastor a Methodist Church, I would have written them off as delusional.  Think of the behaviors you have changed since coming to know Jesus:  Maybe you’ve stopped cussing; or stopped being so self-centered; perhaps you have curbed being so critical of others; or stopped gossiping or worrying so much.  Have you added some good behaviors, become more generous?  Are you more peace-filled, more compassionate, more forgiving? 

Some time ago, I shared with you what happened to the sailors from the mutiny on the HMS Bounty (which took place on April 28, 1789):  Led by Lt. Fletcher Christian, they mutinied because their Capt., Lt. William Bligh, was so cruel.  But they also rebelled because they had all become attached to Tahitian women (probably topless) when they spent time in Tahiti for repairs.  Apparently they put Bligh and 18 officers in a lifeboat and then sailed the ship back to Tahiti to pick up their girlfriends.  They then located Pitcairn Island—what someone has said is “1,000 miles from nowhere”–put ashore and burned the ship, fearing capture and death (Mutineers were summarily executed in the British Navy in those days).

Most then proceeded to drink themselves to death within 10 years.

The women and their children became afraid of them and avoided them.  The last two men standing, an old guy and a young fellow, then discovered a mildewed Bible at the bottom of a trunk.  They began to read it and doing so changed their lives.  The children were the first to notice a change in them.  Soon they encouraged the women to come see.  The young guy, Alexander Smith, wrote, “I had been working like a mole for years…and suddenly it was as if the doors flew wide open, and I saw the light, and I met God in Jesus Christ, and the burden of my sin rolled away, and I found new life in Christ.”

Eighteen years following the mutiny on the Bounty, a Boston whaler came across Pitcairn Island.  The Captain went ashore, where he found a community of godly people, filled with love and peace.  When he got back to the United States, he reported that he had never before met a people who were so good, gracious, or loving—all due to reading and absorbing the Bible…these folks had been changed for good because they believed in Jesus Christ and followed His precepts for living.

D. Rather than chastise the Apostles for having abandoned Him during His trials and His crucifixion, in this Post-Resurrection Gospel passage, Luke 24:36-48, Jesus greets them with good will.  He offers to dine with them (demonstrating He was not a ghost, as spirits do not eat).  He then opens up for them the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.  What a fabulous Bible Study that must have been!  Messiah Himself teaches them how the Old Testament predicted and described Him, as well as how He fulfilled every “jot and tittle.”  

What grace!  What mercy!  With the possible exception of John (who stood with the women at the foot of the Cross), they had all let Him down.  

He doesn’t retaliate or abandon them.  Instead, He reinstates, reassures, equips, and encourages them.  Additionally, He also goes on to entrust them with a great mission:  take what He has taught them into the world….He overlooks (or simply accepts) their human frailties.   And realizing their potential, He gives them a new purpose for living. 

This is the God we serve; this is the Jesus we believe in.

As Pastor Terri said last week, if we are born again, we have Holy Spirit power.  If we are born again, we will live lives that conform to that of Jesus.

Let us pray:  Lord, help us to live in ways that prove to a new believer—perhaps someone like Mahatma Ghandi—or even to an unbeliever, that loving Jesus really can change us all for the good.  Amen!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Crown Without the Cross

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 18, 2024

Scriptures: Gen 9:8-17; Ps 25:1-10; 1 Pet 3:18-22; Mk 1:9-15

I read a funny story the other day that I want to share with you:  

“The local sheriff was looking for a deputy, and one of the applicants – who was not known to be the brightest academically, was called in for an interview.  “Okay,” began the sheriff, “What is 1 and 1?” “Eleven,” came the reply. The sheriff thought to himself, “That’s not what I meant, but he’s right.”

“Then the sheriff asked, “What two days of the week start with the letter ‘T’?” “Today & tomorrow.” Replied the applicant. The sheriff was again surprised over the answer, one that he had never thought of himself.

“Now, listen carefully, who killed Abraham Lincoln?”, asked the sheriff. The job seeker seemed a little surprised, then thought really hard for a minute and finally admitted, “I don’t know.” The sheriff replied, “Well, why don’t you go home and work on that one for a while?” The applicant left and wandered over to his pals who were waiting to hear the results of the interview. He greeted them with a cheery smile, “The job is mine! The interview went great! First day on the job and I’m already working on a murder case!”

(Borrowed from www.sermoncentral.com, 2/16/2024.)

Our Gospel this morning comes from Mark 1:9-15.  You may recall that we have jumped about some in Mark since Epiphany.  We have focused on Jesus’ choice of His disciples.  We have looked at His demonstrations of His power over the supernatural realm and over physical illness.  Last Sunday, we encountered His revelation of Himself, to Peter, James, and John in all His heavenly glory, on the Mount of Transfiguration.  This included God the Father’s order to the disciples to listen to Jesus.  They were reminded that Jesus goes where the Father directs Him, not where they might think He should go.

How odd, then, that we backtrack to the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry today:  He is baptized and blessed by the Father.  This is so very important because psychological research has revealed that fathers convey self-esteem on their children.  God the Father blesses Jesus before He launches on His ministry.  Then, the Holy Spirit leads Him into the wilderness to be tempted.  We could say it is Jesus’ 1st day of His public ministry—His 1st day of walking in His calling.  There is a lesson here for us:

Before He even really begins, He is confronted with three grave temptations.  Satan is trying to get Him to take a short cut or to “do things the easy way.” God the Father and the Holy Spirit are no doubt watching and rooting for Him to resist the possibilities of accepting His crown while avoiding the Cross.

Whoever it is that creates the lectionary arrangement of the readings (I think it’s a committee) wants us to realize—before we get too far into remembering Jesus’ ministry—that Satan will always try to pull us away from, or divert us from what God wants to accomplish through us. 

Will we take the short cut the evil one offers?  Or will we persevere through the tough times, remaining obedient to God as Jesus was?

Let’s look at these 3 temptations Satan presented to Jesus in more detail:

A.  There is the temptation to feed Himself:  Turn stones into bread.  After 40 days without food, He clearly must have been hungry.  We can only go three days without water, but people can live longer without food.  We grow weaker and lose a lot of weight, but we can still hang on to life.  The greater issue behind feeding Himself was would He be willing to use His power to satisfy Himself?  In terms of His ministry to redeem the world, this would have been a short-sighted choice.  It would have also indicated a lack of faith in His Father—He surely trusted that His Father would not have allowed Him to die before He even got started.  I remember telling you all once that I was flying back to Pittsburgh, PA, from Jackson, MS, when our plane was stranded on the tarmac during a terrible rain storm.  Once the lightening relented, we took off into the air, but proceeded to bump around a lot, losing altitude quickly in those sickening drops.  The lady seated next to me was a seasoned traveler who flew weekly for business.  She got out the “barf bag” because it she said it was the bumpiest she had ever experienced.  She wondered aloud if we were going to crash.  I told her no—with total confidence—because I was still in Seminary and I know the Lord was not finished with me yet.  God was not yet finished with Jesus, either.

The temptation to feed yourself is a little like the college quarterback who recently spent his $300,000 signing bonus (not to sign on but to return for another season) on a Lamborghini for himself, instead of offering watches, like Tom Brady did, to the lineman who protected him; or even cash for school tuition for those teammates who lacked athletic scholarships.

Jesus said “No” to this temptation to take care of Himself first.  Can this be said of each of us?

If we are as God-focused as Jesus, our tithe would come off the top of our pay.  It should be the first check we write after receiving our pay.  Please understand I am not urging you to give Wellborn Methodist Church all 10% of your resources.  We need enough money to keep the lights on…but you are free to offer a portion of your tithe to other worthwhile charities/causes as well.  The point is that rather than paying down our responsibilities and giving God the little that is left over, we gift God first.

Truly, the issue is, “Do we trust God to take care of us?”  Since I have lived on my own, I have found that the Lord always provides for me.  I might get down to my last dime to my name, but the Lord will come through with additional cash in the nick of time and usually in ways I would never have expected.  Even in the extreme situation of having no food for 40 days, Jesus trusted in His Father.

What about Jumping to your death on the rocks below?  If I were starving, the turning stones to bread would have truly tempted me.

This one, not so much…even if I knew I had the power to save myself.

I’m wary of heights.  I can recall visiting the Grand Canyon, which is a mile deep, and creeping cautiously to the edge to look down—there are no guard rails so you do have to be careful.  And I hate that feeling you get in roller coasters—and even in elevators or planes—of the bottom falling out.  My kids will tell you I scream all the way on roller coaster rides.  Nothing about dropping into thin air tempts me.

But again, Satan has offered Jesus a selfish way to attract attention and gain fame.  This is another cheap way out.  I’ll bet Jesus was tempted by the bread, but this one probably left Him cold.  Recall how often He asks people He’s healed not to tell anyone about it?  Last week He urged Peter, John, and James not even to tell the other disciples what they had witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Jesus wisely understood that some flashy, dynamic miracle witnessed by thousands would have gained Him too much attention from His enemies.  They would have come for Him before He had completed the work the Father gave Him.  As it was, He knew 3 years was hardly enough time to redeem as many hearts as He hoped to.  By rejecting Satan’s dare, He demonstrated for us that it is better to avoid the easy, splashy alternative, and just do the work set before us.

The third and last temptation was a doozy!  Serve Satan, instead of God the Father?  Are you kidding me?  Satan was tempting Jesus, who is God, to worship himself, a counterfeit god. This was a challenge to Christ to practice idolatry.  How absurd!  No wonder Jesus directs Satan to be gone from Him.  For us, however, the temptation may be more enticing.

Think of the siren allure of addictions. This substance or behavior will soothe you; it will help you feel nurtured or cared for.  Power and influence can have the same impact.  Watching the Fulton Country (Atlanta, GA) DA is a perfect example of how power and influence can corrupt.   She promised, on videotape, never to sleep with a subordinate.  Not only has she slept with someone she employed, but she paid for lavish trips for the two of them with public funds.  Corruption appears to abound in our federal government and also in state and even local governments.  How many have pilfered tax payer dollars? How many have sold their integrity for generous amounts of cash?  How many are compromised by elicit behaviors that have been videoed, then used to blackmail officials?  We want to remember that whatever we value more than God becomes our false God.

Jesus Christ has shown us the way:  Just say “No” to putting comfort before duty, fame before love of others, and anything before love of God.  Someone has put it this way:

A seeker after truth came to a saint for guidance.

“Tell me, wise one, how did you become holy?”

“Two words.”

“And what are they, please?”

“Right choices.”

The seeker was fascinated. “How does one learn to choose rightly?”

“One word.”

“One word! May I have it, please?” the seeker asked.

“Growth.”

The seeker was thrilled. “How does one grow?”

“Two words.”

“What are they, pray tell?”

“Wrong choices.”

I could be wrong, but I believe God allows us to endure times of testing to strengthen our faith in Him, and to develop our ability to resist the easy shortcuts with which Satan tempts us.

(Borrowed from Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes, published on http://www.sermoncentral.com 2/16,2024.)

Let us keep our eyes on the example of Jesus, choosing to please God and frustrate the devil.  Amen, may it be so!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Saying “Yes” but Living “No”

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 1, 2023

Scriptures: Ex 17:1-7; Ps 78:1-4, 12-20; Phil 2:1-13; Matt 21:23-32

Isn’t it true that we see lots of examples today of folks who have said “Yes” to something or someone, then proceeded to live like they’d said “No”? Some current day examples include the following:

1. A college football player who signs on for a scholarship—including room, board, books, tuition, fitness training, tutoring, and other benefits—then refuses to go to class, to comply with his training regimen, to attend team meetings, or respect his coach.

2. Federal judges who take a vow to uphold the constitution, then bring in verdicts based on their political loyalties.

3. A husband or wife who promises to be faithful to their spouse in their marriage ceremony, then has affairs with others, often including other peoples’ spouses.

4. A money manager/investment specialist who promises to care for your retirement assets, then either invests them unwisely so that they are lost, or steals them to support their own greed.

5. Teachers who train to ethically convey a body of knowledge to our kids, who then try to indoctrinate them into their gender politics or political beliefs.

6. A “Border Czar” who says our Southern Border is secure while letting in millions of illegal immigrants.

7. Doctors who withhold critical information prior to surgery—like “You’ll be on meds the rest of your life,” or “This artificial joint will need to be replaced in 10-20 years”–or who perform surgeries/prescribe treatments that harm rather than heal (e.g., gender reassignment surgery in children).

You can no doubt think of other examples.

Nevertheless, this kind of behavior is abhorrent to our God. He really hates lying, fraud, cheating, willfully misrepresenting, and so many disreputable behaviors we see all too often today. He has shown us in Scripture how He wants us to behave.

Our Scripture passages today each point out in some way the very different standards by which our God urges us to act:

A. Jesus addresses, in today’s Gospel (Matthew 21:23-32), a specific kind of integrity that He and our Heavenly Father want us to practice: Neither is kindly disposed toward those who say “Yes” to God but then live like they have said “No.” He takes the chief priests and the elders—the religious establishment—to school in this passage. He knows that they have become more and more threatened by His popularity, His healings and His miracles, and the content of His teaching. They jump on this opportunity to confront Him publically regarding the source of His authority. They are saying essentially, “What gives you the right to challenge our teachings and the way we tell folks how they should live?”

We might restate what they are saying as “Who died and put You in charge?” Or, “Who do You think You are?”

He wisely side-steps their challenge (He doesn’t dance their dance-steps or play their game). If He had said He is God or that His authority comes from God, they would have charged Him with blasphemy. As in tennis, then, He sends the ball back into their court saying, ”I’ll answer you if you answer a question for me.” Verse 25John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men? If they agreed John the Baptist’s authority came from God, then they would have had to have admitted they were disobedient to God because they dismissed the prophet (Jesus said John was the greatest of all the prophets) as a wild-eyed religious nut and discredited his ministry. But they were afraid to put down John the Baptist in front of the Jewish crowd because he had been very popular with the people. Jesus thus puts them on the proverbial horns of a dilemma; His question positioned them between a rock and a hard place. Realizing this, they refused to answer Him and so He traps them and essentially says, “back at you, Friends!”

The real lesson from Jesus is contained in the parable He goes on to relate. One son says “No” then lives out “Yes,” while the other says “Yes” but lives out “No.” In verse 31, Jesus asks His religious adversaries the indicting question🡪Which of the two did what His father wanted?

They correctly answered that it was the one who said “no” first, then behaved obediently/walked out “yes.” He then points out to them that they have missed the proverbial boat. They have said “yes” they would serve God, but their behavior consistently demonstrates that they do not listen to or obey Him. They have followed their own wills, not the will of the Father. They have become religious judges and critics rather than servants of God who demonstrate the Lord’s love and grace. Their pride and their hardened hearts have led them to say “No” to God. But tax collectors and prostitutes—folks they despise (those who may have originally blown God off, only to accept Him when they realized they couldn’t manage life without Him)–are way ahead of them in their faith journeys. The chief priests and the elders have their credentials; but their lives lack faith in and understanding of the God they claim they serve.

B. Paul, in today’s epistle (Philippians 2:1-13), directs us specifically to live out a lifestyle of humility, caring for others as well as self, and having “the mind of Christ;” i.e., to say “Yes” and then live “Yes.” We say “Yes” to God and live out our “Yes” by having what Paul calls the mind of Christ. This is not just an imitation of Jesus. Instead it is a real life change, a real heart change, a consistent behavior change accomplished in us by the Holy Spirit.

Eugene Peterson paraphrases verses 1-2 in The Message (p.2138) this way: If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think back to our recent experience with Hurricane Idalia. One unexpected result of the loss of electricity was that traffic lights did not work. Without the lights, we should have treated each intersection as a 4-way stop, all drivers taking turns so that each could proceed through safely. Instead, many only thought of themselves and barreled on through. Until the lights were restored through generator power, we took our lives in our hands whenever we approached an intersection. Many people today are unwilling to consider…helping others get ahead. All too often they are …obsessed the getting [their] own advantage. Having the mind of Christ also means being as humble and as obedient as Jesus was and is. It means saying “Yes” to God and living out that “yes.”

C. Our OT lesson (Exodus 17:1-7) provides yet another example of how believers can and do say “Yes” but live out “No.”

How patient God is! How frustrated Moses became! Prior to today’s passage, God has rescued the people from Egypt, opened the Red Sea, wiped out the pursuing Egyptian army, fed them manna and quail, and provided them with water, several times over. Yet they still complain and whine and quarrel. They accuse God of bringing them into the desert to die. They remember their recent history as slaves with fondness—What? It defies logic! But isn’t it just like us? We forget what God has done for us in the face of our most recent pressing need. They should have prayed and trusted that God—who has provided for them many times over—would continue to do so. Instead they fail God’s test of them (Massah or testing) and quarrel (Meribah or quarreling) and the geographic place is named accordingly to memorialize this rebellion.

The same principle remains true for you and me. We need to trust in our God. We need to say “Yes” to Him, and live out our “Yes” to Him because He has proven Himself and His good intentions for us over and over.

D. This is the prevailing message of our psalm today (Psalm 78:1-4, 12-20). Credited to Asaph, it records the historical record of how God’s people, from Abraham to Moses, repeatedly demonstrated “practical atheism.” Dr. J. Vernon McGee says we demonstrate practical atheism when we say we believe in God, and we believe God’s promises, but then act as though we cannot trust Him. The psalm reports the marvelous things God did for His people, as well as how quickly they forgot their past experiences with Him when faced with a new dilemma. They were believers who said “Yes,” but—when encountering a tough patch—acted out “No.”

Let’s agree today not to do this to God. We don’t want to be “practical atheists.” We don’t want to be hypocrites, saying we believe, then living like we don’t. We want to live like we believe God is who He says He is and that He does what He promises He will do. We also want to cooperate with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to have the mind of Christ. Let’s put our new intentions to work immediately by praying that the Holy Spirit would give us each the mind of Christ. Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia, Alleluia!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Rebellious Tenants

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 8, 2023

Scriptures: Ex 20:1-21; Ps 19; Phil 3:4b-14; Matt 21:33-46

The story is told of Josef Stalin (the horrendous dictator from 1924-1953 of Soviet Russia, who killed between 6-9 million of his own countrymen) that “…at one time [he] had been a seminary student, preparing for the ministry. At a later time it seems that he made a decisive change from his belief in God. This dramatic and complete reversal of conviction that resulted in his hatred for all religion is why Lenin chose Stalin and positioned him in authority–a choice Lenin too late regretted. (The name Stalin, which means “steel,” was not his real name, but was given to him by his contemporaries who fell under the steel-like determination of his will.) And as Stalin lay dying, his one last gesture was a clenched fist toward God, his heart as cold and hard as steel. (Ravi Zacharias, Can Man Live Without God, Word Publishing, 1994, p. 26).

How amazing to think Stalin had started out as a Christ-follower, only to defect to atheistic communism. He came to believe that the Christian Church had helped oppress the Russian people. He also decided that the Russian Orthodox Church held too much power—power that could be turned against the communists. So he killed and imprisoned many, many religious leaders and many Christians. In an incredible example of human pride, it would seem that he grew tired of waiting on God to change human behavior and to irradiate human injustice, and took the job into his own hands—only to become a perpetrator or human injustice.

That the Church still survives in Russia, despite decades of persecution, is a testimony to the fact that dictators can control our behaviors but not our beliefs. Furthermore, look at the oppressive tactics communist dictators use to coerce compliance: In the last century and into this one, both Russian and Chinese communists are responsible for an estimated 100 million deaths. They build walls to keep people in, rather than out (for example, the Berlin Wall and the border between North and South Korea). They shoot people who try to escape their borders. They use imprisonment, slave labor camps, executions, brain-washing, and even starvation to crush the will of anyone they consider an enemy of their regime.

Contrast this with our God Who wants us to live by a moral code, but never forces our compliance:

A. Psalm 19, written by King David, reminds us of how God’s glory is on display in His creation->v.1->The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies declare the work of His hands. His masterpieces are all available for everyone to see. This is what theologians call “general revelation,” and helps explain how anyone who thinks about such things can know God exists. Scripture and the person of Jesus are considered “specific revelation,” because you have to be curious and willing to read the Bible and to learn about Jesus.

Beginning in verse 7, David extolls or celebrates God’s specific revelation of Himself in His Law->The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving [restoring] the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. From this side of the Cross, we know adhering to the Law cannot save us. It is like a mirror we hold up to our faces which proves to us that we are not perfect. It makes clear to us that we need a savior, a rescuer, a redeemer. But even so, God does not force us to believe or to comply.

Additionally, that famous verse 14 foreshadows Christ->May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Jesus is our Redeemer. Jesus is both the Rock of Ages and the Solid Rock on which we stand.

B. Our Genesis lesson (20:1-21) lays out the 10 Commandments. These 10 laws are the foundation of human moral behavior. The first 4 tell how we are to behave toward God; the last 6 specify how we are to behave toward other people. The Chinese communist leader, Xi Jinping, has recently altered each of the 10 commandments to fit communist rhetoric—Woe be unto Him! He either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that we are not to add to nor take away from the words of Scripture. Lord, please frustrate the ways of the wicked! (Psalm 146:9).

The 10 Commandments of the Bible are not meant to cramp our style, but rather to ensure we live morally and peaceably with our neighbors, and to provide a sense of security and safety for all of us. Consider how many of the commandments are broken daily in the United States, and observe the results: (I apologize in advance if anyone is offended that I take on political issues. Some believe pastors should never comment on political issues as they can be so divisive. However, my undergraduate degree was in Sociology and so I have been trained to observe societal trends. Like you, perhaps, I find many political trends today very alarming, and anti-Christian, and feel compelled to denounce them in the name of Christ.)

1.) Gangs of looters steal store goods without consequences in major cities (Commandment #8). I saw an article this week in which it was reported that 97% of restaurants in San Francisco have been vandalized, in the past year, in one form or another. It is true that if District Attorneys don’t prosecute and our courts do not punish those who are guilty, lawlessness abounds and prices go up—so that we all pay—and stores and restaurants go out of business. Conversely, when we can be pretty sure that no one will steal or damage our stuff, businesses can exist and we can feel safe, secure, and protected.

2.) Lying (Commandment #9) is so commonplace in Washington D.C. that we no longer have confidence in most of our governmental officials, governmental agencies, or most news media. Whatever happened to “Your word is your bond?” Truth-telling is essential in a democratic republic. We must be able to trust that politicians do what they claimed they would do in order to get elected, and that governmental agencies exist to ensure the rights of our citizens are maintained, not violated.

3.) Don’t even get me started on Commandment #6, Don’t murder, or #7, Don’t commit adultery. If you know someone whose family member has been murdered, or whose parents, spouse, or sibling suffered through adultery, you know the impacts of both sins are long-lasting and incredibly painful.

These are not kill-joy commandments, but rather the guardrails on the mountain-pass-highway-of-life. God has made us like Ferraris or Rolls Royces. We are not meant for driving off into the rough or down the cliff on the side of the road. When we disregard any of the commandments, we run the risk of tearing ourselves up, spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically. Someone has said, “Grace is what God is, while Law captures God’s thinking with regard to what people ought to be” (as shared by Rev. Dr. J. Vernon McGee, Commentary on Exodus, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.23). Again, our God does not coerce us.

C. We might say that Paul is on a roll in our epistle lesson today, Philippians 3:4b-14. He cites all his credentials: He came from godly parents; he was born into the tribe of Benjamin, Jacob’s favorite son in his old age and thus a favored tribe; he is a leader of the Hebrews and a Pharisee, a teacher and protector of the law; he was zealous in persecuting the infant Christian Church, believing they were heretics; and he kept God’s Law righteously, always offering the designated sacrifices for his sins—not perfect, but perfectly compliant.

However, despite all these glowing accomplishments, he—since coming to know Jesus—has discerned that they are as useless as scubala, human or animal waste products. None of our human successes earns us heaven. Neither our lineage nor our achievements can save us. So he implores us to realize this in our own lives and seek out Jesus. Like a runner in an Olympic relay race, we want to (v.12)->…press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Additionally, he urges us (v.14)->Forgetting what is behind [our past] and straining toward what is ahead, … [we] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus. He wants us to recognize that nothing earthly is more important than our relationship with God. He wants us to choose to put God first in our lives.

D. Finally, in our Matthew 21:33-46 passage, Jesus gives us a front row seat to a major confrontation He has with the Jewish religious leaders. Remember, from last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus had made them aware that they continuously sinned against God by saying “yes” to His service, but “no” to following His will. He immediately follows this up by telling them the Parable of the Tenants. In this story, the vineyard owner is God; the rebellious tenants are the Jewish religious leadership; the servants thrown out or killed were the prophets; and the son is of course Jesus. He asks the leaders what the owner of the vineyard will do to those rebellious tenants when he returns. They answer correctly (v.41)->He [God the Father] will bring those wretches to a wretched end…and He will rent the vineyard to other tenants who will give Him His share of the crop at harvest time. Though they have studied Scripture, they have missed recognizing God’s Son, Jesus the Messiah. (Notice, embedded in the parable, Jesus predicts His death at their hands.) So He declares (v.43)->Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

The leadership of God’s mission to save humankind will be transferred from them to the emerging Christian Church. This, of course, enrages them and 5 chapters later, they arrest and execute Him. Some have used this passage as a justification to persecute the Jews, but they have no excuse if they have read the later chapters of Romans and of Revelation. Both books make the case that God still considers the Jews—as well as the addition of the Church–to be His Chosen people

Though not believers, the dictators Josef Stalin and Xi Jinping are rebellious tenants. The Jewish religious leadership of Jesus’ day were also rebellious tenants. Jesus strips them of their leadership over God’s earthly kingdom. That was their punishment. Imagine what punishments await the communist leaders of this and the past century!

We don’t want to be rebellious tenants. Our God has revealed Himself—and His heart–through His creation and His Law. His laws are meant for our good—to keep us from crashing and burning. Neither they nor our own excellent achievements can save us. But in His mercy, our God has sent us His Son, Jesus to save and to redeem us. Let us thank Him, praise Him, and obey Him. Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Wise Up!

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 12, 2023

Scriptures: Amos 5:18-24; Ps 78:1-7; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Matt 25:1-13

Someone on the Internet has come up with a list of 263 ways to say a person is not too bright. We probably all know, “The light’s on but no one’s home,” or “dumb as a box of rocks,” but have you heard the following:

1. A few screws short of a hardware store.

2. A few fries short of a Happy Meal.

3. The gates are down and the lights are flashing, but the train isn’t coming.

4. The elevator goes all the way to the top floor, but the doors don’t open.

5. Would lose a debate with a doorknob.

6. If this person had another brain, it would be lonely.

7. If you gave them a penny for their thoughts, you’d get change.

8. Has a mind like a steel trap: rusty and illegal in 37 states.

9. If their nose was on upside down they’d drown in the rain.

10. Their dog teaches them new tricks.

(Borrowed from https://dan.hersam.com/lists/not_bright.html)

My adult son offered a new one as we watched our favorite football team compete yesterday. They were playing at their opponents’ stadium and we noticed a big “3” painted on their field. The TV announcers never explained what the number three meant. My son suggested it stood for the number of their football players whose IQ was greater than that of Forrest Gump’s.

Both the list and my son’s comment may all be pretty funny, but none is kind. I don’t advise applying them to someone—remember, Jesus said not to call anyone “an idiot” (Matthew 5:22). However, in today’s Gospel, He does encourage us all to be wise instead of foolish.

I’ve titled today’s sermon, “Wise Up!” because our scripture readings point to the difference between wise and foolish behavior; i.e., we don’t want to be “eating soup with a fork.”

A. In Amos 5:18-24, our Old Testament reading, the prophet Amos is certainly telling the folks in the Northern Kingdom of Israel to wise up! We might say they go through the motions of attending church—they act like they love God—but their behaviors the rest of the week reveal their hypocrisy. Even worse, they actually worship idols, false gods. They have turned their backs on our One True Lord. They have broken the 10 Commandments; they are behaving immorally; they have corrupted justice; they have trampled on the poor; they have oppressed the righteous; they have taken bribes. Doesn’t this sound a lot like our culture today?

And the Lord has about had it with them. God cannot be fooled. We might try to hide things from Him, but He knows everything! He knows they have betrayed and abandoned their faith in Him (and for our nation, our faith in Christ Jesus). God, through Amos, gives them one last chance to repent, to change their ways. He warns them that terrible punishment is coming to them. Amos calls it the Day of the Lord and it will indeed be horrifying for those who have rejected God. He uses two arresting metaphors: (1) They might run to escape a lion or cougar, but will then encounter a bear. (2) They might think they have reached the safety of their home, only to be bitten there by a poisonous snake. In other words, there will be no escape for evil-doers, no matter how fast or how far they run.

In God’s mercy, they could have averted this terrible punishment if they had (v.24)—> …let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! But, they were unwilling to change, so their end came shortly after Amos’ prophesies. In 722BC, God used the dreaded, blood-thirsty, Hamas-like Assyrians to overrun them, defeat them, and carry any survivors off to Ninevah (Iraq) as slaves. They were stubborn. They didn’t wise up. God, after dozens and dozens of warnings, finally let them have it.

This is why we pray for our nation weekly. America is now a post-Christian nation. We were founded as a Christian society and meant to be an example for the world. Now, we too have rejected and rebelled against God. We too have had dozens of chances. We hope that the Lord will help our nation return to Him, rather than bring on an Assyrian-like punishment.

B. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul is warning Christians there (and us now) to be prepared for the end of time. He states in v.2 that—> …you know very well that the day of the Lord [same expression used by Amos] will come like a thief in the night. “The day of the Lord” is a synonym for God’s judgment. It will come when folks least expect it. Nevertheless, true believers need not be afraid of it. Paul equates nonbelievers with those living in nighttime darkness. But we who believe in Jesus Christ are all…sons [and daughters] of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep but let us be alert and self-controlled (vv.5-6). We who love Jesus have nothing to fear because we will have been raptured up to heaven before the Great Tribulation takes place. God’s judgment will fall on nonbelievers and evil-doers. Meanwhile, the dead who waited on Christ, or who believed in Christ, will rise first. Then those of us believers who are still living will be lifted up/beamed up (raptured) to meet Christ in the air.

Now I used to wonder if the rapture came before, during, or after the Great Tribulation. However, Paul makes it clear in verse 9—> For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is pretty clear, isn’t it? The Church of true believers will not suffer on the day of the Lord. We will be removed from the earth before the time of terrible trial begins.

While we wait on this time of judgment or the rapture, however, Paul urges us to…(v.8)—> be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. He wants us to demonstrate faith, love, and hope to others and especially as a witness to unbelievers. He also wants us to encourage and build one another up (v.11).

C. Finally, we have Jesus’ parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The bride (who is not mentioned) is the Church; the bridegroom is Jesus. But who are the 10 wise and foolish bridesmaids?

Interestingly, all ten fall asleep while waiting on the bridegroom whose arrival is delayed. The story then asks us to consider which we would rather be, prepared or unprepared, for when Jesus returns. The prepared ones go in with and enjoy the wedding supper of Jesus, the Messiah. Those unprepared ones, however, miss out. We might say they…”Couldn’t hit the floor if they fell on it,” or that “Wisdom is chasing them but they’re always faster.” They are Christ-followers who are not ready to meet Jesus. In fact, Jesus says to these unprepared ones (at His 2nd Coming), I tell you the truth, I don’t know you. How are they unprepared? They have never cultivated a personal relationship with Jesus.

His final advice to us all is to Be Wise! Be ready! When we Floridians know a hurricane is coming we stock up, don’t we? We make sure we have stock-piled clean water in jugs. We have candles and matches, as well as a battery operated radio, in case we lose electricity. We gather food we can eat without cooking, etc. What would we need to have on hand if we are to be wise about Jesus’ return?

(1) We should intensify our relationship with the Lord;

(2) We might read and meditate more on Scripture;

(3) We could ask for forgiveness of our sins, keeping short accounts with the Lord. Back when I provided mental health in nursing homes (prior to going to seminary in the mid-1990’s), I noticed folks in the final stage of Alzheimers, comatose and vegetative, being fed with a tube in their stomach and hydrated through an IV. Sometimes their relatives asked me why the Lord was keeping their loved one alive in this helpless state. I told them I didn’t really know but I advised them to pray for this person—to pray specifically that God would forgive them for any unconfessed sin.

One family told me they were sure their dear mother had no unconfessed sins. I then told them I was sure their mother was a lovely person, but I wondered how any of us could ever be sure she didn’t have some hidden, long ago sin. I recalled that both of my dying, comatose parents each slipped away about a half hour after I prayed that Jesus would forgive them their sins. This family later reported to me that their mother died during the night after they had prayed this way for her.

(4) Obviously, it is wise to be prayed up, in frequent communication with the Lord. You might ask, “How do I know I am hearing from the Lord?” I recommend you ask the Holy Spirit to guard your prayers from any interference from Satan or his minions, and then pay attention to the thoughts that drop immediately into your head. If they do not contradict the Bible, you can be assured you are hearing from the Lord. Often I find the Lord does not speak to me as I am used to hearing others speak. He uses vocabulary or expressions that differ a bit from what I am used to hearing or saying. This helps me recognize His “voice.”

I believe our lessons today are telling us to pray for our nation to wise up! According to news sources, 76% of Americans today believe our country is clearly moving in the wrong/the unwise direction.

I believe we should also pray that each of us will have the faith to trust that God will protect us as things worsen toward the end. We cannot trust in our own goodness or our intelligence to save us. Those who do will be left behind to suffer God’s wrath. We must, instead, live out a life that tells others we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Finally, I believe we must pray that we will each be prepared– like the 5 wise bridesmaids–at any moment to meet the Lord. None of us knows how long he or she has to live. And none of us knows when the day of the Lord will occur. Let’s all wise up and be ready!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Love in Action

Pastor Sherry’s message for September 10, 2023

Scriptures: Ex 12:1-14; Ps 149; Ro 13:8-14; Matt 18:15-20

A group of 4-8 year olds was asked, “What does love mean?” Here are some of their answers:

Rebecca — age 8—>“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore so my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.”

Karl — age 5—>“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.”

Chrissy — age 6—>“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.”

Danny — age 7—>“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay.”

Bobby — age 7—>“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.”

Noelle — age 7—>“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.”

Cindy — age 8—>“During my piano recital I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.”

Chris — age 7 —>“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt.”

Lauren — age 5—>“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.”

Jessica — age 8—>“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”

(Borrowed from PASTOR LARRY PRESNELL’S BLOG, 2/14/11.)

These kids have the right idea, don’t they? Love is a positive, generous feeling. But it is a feeling expressed in an action. Kids recognize love when they observe a loving action.

Our God tends to express his love in action and wants us to do likewise.

A. Psalm 149 is a psalm of praise to God because He is both our Creator and our Redeemer. He redeemed the Israelites from Egypt by the blood of the Passover Lamb and through His powerful judgment of Egypt. Just as the Israelites (v.3) Praise[d] His name with dancing and ma[d]e music to Him with tambourine and harp following their escape through the Red Sea, we too can and should praise Him for His powerful, redemptive acts on our behalf. Scripture tells us that God is love. If we have eyes to see, we can confirm that He clearly loves us. As we acknowledge each Sunday in our “Joys” of Our “Joys and Concerns Prayers,” we can and do see clear evidence of His love in action in our lives.

B. Paul exhorts us to make sure our actions are loving in Romans 13:8-14. He insists that those who abide by the 10 Commandments are living a life-style characterized by love, as (v.10)—>Love does no harm to its neighbor. Again, as I have mentioned before, the vertical of the Cross represents our love for God (commandments 1-4), while the horizontal, our love for others (5-10). People who love well do not break these laws.

C. Jesus describes a loving way to address conflict between Christians in Matthew 18:15-20. We are not to sweep conflict under the rug and ignore it. And, rather than talk ugly about a person who has offended us—which many choose to do–we are to go to that individual and try to work it through. I recommend you pray before trying to do this. Ask God to give you the words, the wisdom, and the right heart attitude, and also to be working on the other person before you meet. He often, I find, solves the problem before we even begin the needed conversation.

D. Our Old Testament Lesson (Exodus 12:1-14) provides a perfect and memorable example of God’s love expressed in His actions. You may recall that back in Ex 3:7+, God had told Moses:

I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. That was God’s promise: He would create a situation that would compel stubborn Pharaoh to let His people go. The Hebrews had been in Egypt about 400 years—long enough for the Canaanites to have time to come to love the true God–which they never did. So the Lord was ready to rescue the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and give them the land occupied by various pagan Canaanite tribes. His method was to judge Egypt with 10 plagues. Each plague was actually a put down of some Egyptian god. Yahweh had declared war on the gods of Egypt:

1st, He turned the Nile to blood—the fish died and no one could drink the water. They had to dig wells. The Egyptians so depended on the river for their water supply and commerce that they equated it with life. By polluting the Nile, God was saying to them, “I, not your river god, am the source of all life.”

2nd, He sent down upon them a superabundance of frogs. Egyptians of that day equated frogs with evil spirits. God is saying, “I can produce animal pests which your numerous gods of nature cannot prevent.”

Similarly, out of dust Moses tosses into the air, God produces 3rd, a plague of lice and 4th, of biting flies. God is saying, “Why aren’t your gods able to counter and destroy these pests?”

5th, God sends disease on their cattle, rams, sheep, and goats–many of which die. The Egyptians had gods for each of these animals. But our God is saying, “I have complete control over animal life, not Osirus, the bull god or Apis the ram god.”

6th, He afflicted the animals that remained—as well as the people—with boils. Even Pharaoh’s magicians couldn’t prevent these painful boils from manifesting. God is saying, “Only I have power over physical health.”

7th, He sends hail, actually fiery ice clumps. Egypt normally gets very little rain. God is saying, “I—not Hephaistos, your god of fire or Porphry, your god of rain—have complete authority over forces of nature.”

8th, God sends locusts to eat up any vegetation left over, then sends them to drown in the Red Sea. Egypt’s gods of nature are obviously helpless to combat any act of the One, True God. Our God is saying, “I can raise up hordes of any destructive creature, deploy them, and then I can put an end to them.”

By now, the Egyptian economy is in ruins, but still Pharaoh will not let his slave labor go free. God then sends the 9th plague, 3 days of complete darkness over all of Egypt–except over the Nile delta where the Israelites live. God is saying, “Your sun god, Re, is powerless before Me.”

Finally, God sends the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn person and animal. Egyptians believed their god, Horus, was the god of life.

They also believed they owed their lives to their Pharaoh, who they believed was divine. But God is saying, “Not so fast, My friends! I am the giver of life and I can take it away when it is in rebellion against Me…even to and including the first born of Pharaoh.

This brings us to chapter 12 and the institution of the Passover: God intended to take the life of every 1st born in Egypt. Those who loved Him, however, were to be spared. Through Moses, He told the Hebrew slaves to select a perfect 1 year old male lamb. They were then to slaughter it on the evening of Abib 14th (meaning young head of grain for the Spring harvest), or the 14th of Nisan (the later Babylonian name). God directed them to re-order their calendar so that Nisan became the first month of their year. Additionally, they were to paint their door frames with the lamb’s blood. The blood of the lamb would signal to the angel or death that they were true believers and their lives will be spared. They were to remain inside their homes, but dressed for travel, as they would be leaving Egypt directly.

Next, they were to eat the roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. Roasting, rather than baking or boiling, was meant to recall the fire of God’s judgment on Egypt. The bitter herbs were to remind them of their tribulations under slavery. Leaven was a metaphor for sin, so the purpose of unleavened bread (like a pita) was to prompt them to remember that something else—the lamb-had paid the price for their sin. They were protected from the angel of death by the blood of the Passover Lamb. The first born of all of those with no blood over their doors died that night. By the next day, all of Egypt wanted the Israelites to be gone!

This is love in action! God protected the Israelite people from the angel of death by the blood of the Passover Lamb with which they had earlier anointed their door frames. The Historic Jewish Passover finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ—it foreshadows or predicts Jesus’ blood shed for us on the Cross. He too was a perfect male lamb—>John the Baptist calls Him, in John 1:29—>…the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. He was completely without sin. He was God, the only Son of God, so His blood was the blood of God. No imperfect person would have been capable of atoning for our sins. But the writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus is the once and for all perfect sacrifice for our sins. Peter, on trial before the Sanhedrin, testifies in Acts 4:12 that—>Salvation is found in no one else [meaning Jesus] for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. John tells us in 1 John 3—>This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. What perfect love!

We know that God is love. We also know He daily demonstrates His love for us in action. We must have spiritual eyes to begin to recognize His loving actions toward us. The 10 plagues and the Passover constituted God’s strategy for motivating a despot, a tyrant, to let go of a free labor force of 1-2 million people. The plagues and the Passover demonstrate how far God will go to redeem those He loves. Jesus’ death on the cross proves the same truth again: Our God has died an undeserved but agonizing penalty to obtain our freedom from slavery to sin and death. Like His Father before Him, He has gone to extreme lengths to redeem us.

As the apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:10—>This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia, alleluia!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Pastor Sherry’s messages will return in October following her vacation.

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

After Suffering Comes…

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 13, 2023

Scriptures: Gen 37:1-28; Ps 105:1-22, 45b; Ro 10:1-15; Matt 14:22-36

In a new twist on an old story, a young woman texts her parents from college:

Dear Mom and Dad,

Just thought I’d share with you my new plans: I’ve fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He quit high school in the 11th grade to get married. About a year ago, he got divorced. We’ve been dating for about 2 months and just decided to get married. I will be moving in with him shortly as we believe I’m pregnant. Don’t worry, though. I dropped out of all my classes last week, but I do plan to finish school at some point in the future. Unfortunately, I’ve been smoking a lot of pot, but intend to quit if it turns out I am expecting.

About 10 minutes later comes a second text:

Mom and Dad,

I just want you to know that everything I’ve texted you so far today is false. NONE of it is true! But, it is true that I made a C- in French and failed my Math class. And it’s also true that I will soon need a lot more money for tuition. Love you! Your Daughter.

(Chuck Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, p.445.)

I hope you’ve never been this frightened, or this manipulated, by someone you love. This devious, scheming young woman shocked then reassured her parents! It’s a sales technique: 1st ask an impossible “big,” then 2nd follow that up with a smaller, more reasonable request (people then tend to acquiesce to the smaller “ask”). Probably without meaning to, she was also illustrating how often, in the Christian walk, we have to endure suffering before we either come into an understanding of why God allowed difficulties to come our way, or enter into a time of blessing.

This truly is the focus of our Scripture lessons today.

A. Our Genesis passage (37:1-12) begins the Joseph narrative.

More chapters of Genesis are devoted to Joseph than to Abraham, his great grandfather; to Isaac, his grandfather; or to Jacob/Israel, his father. One reason is that he represents the nation of Israel. Remember, the name Israel means he who struggles or wrestles with God and with men and who comes through or prevails (though, as I pointed out last week, who can prevail against God?). Joseph endures some very tough times, but, because he is basically a righteous man, he is eventually blessed by the Lord. He also becomes a source of blessing to his family, his nation, to the Egyptians, and to unknown numbers of other Gentiles trying to survive the famine. It is through Joseph that the Lord moves the future leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel to Egypt, and ultimately sets the stage for the Exodus.

A second reason Joseph gets so much biblical coverage is that, as J. Vernon McGee writes, “There is no one in Scripture who is more like Jesus in his person and experiences than Joseph.” (McGee, Through the Bible Commentary: Genesis, Chapters 34-50, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p.43.):

1.) Both births were miraculous;

2.) Both were especially loved by their fathers;

3.) Joseph was set apart by his special coat, while Jesus was set apart by his sinlessness;

4.) Both were ridiculed for asserting they would one day rule over their brethren;

5.) Both were obedient to their fathers at considerable cost to self;

6.) Both were sent by their fathers into danger;

7.) Both were hated and rejected by their brothers (in Jesus’ case, His countrymen);

8.) Both redeemed/saved their brothers.

Our passage today provides the backstory for Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers. The 10 (half) brothers born to Leah and the 2 concubines were murderously jealous of Joseph. They resented their father’s favoritism. It’s never good to favor one child over another. The favored one can ultimately feel guilty or develop an unhealthy arrogance; the non-favored becomes resentful and can be plagued by low self-esteem. Jacob should have known better since his father, Isaac, had favored his twin, Esau. As a licensed psychologist, I can tell you I have seen this again and again: without Jesus, we later become or re-enact as an adult what we hated as a child. These brothers resented his dreams of future grandeur. They also despised the fact that their oblivious father tasked Joseph with ratting them out!

So they plot to kill him, their own flesh and blood. Reuben, the by- now discredited eldest, attempted to rescue him, thinking he would recover Joseph, return him to their father, and perhaps regain some favor with dad. Judah, the one to whom the leadership of the clan had passed after Reuben’s gross disrespect of Jacob, talked them out of murder and into selling Joseph into slavery—a likely avenue to death, anyway, but without having bloodied their hands. These dreadful brothers then sell Joseph to Ismaelite traders (descendants of Abraham’s son, Ishmael) for 20 shekels (another foreshadowing of Christ, who was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.)

B. As our Psalm (105:1-22, 45b) recounts in verses 17-22, God intended Joseph’s descent into slavery—They bruised his feet with shackles, [and] his neck was put in irons—as well as his later rise to prominence—Till what he foretold [in his two dreams] came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true. King David, the assumed author of the psalm, relates how Pharaoh freed Joseph and made him master over all of Egypt in the time of a devastating 7 year famine. He also describes how God elevated Joseph—through Pharaoh—to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom. Joseph was 17 when sold into slavery. For 14 years, God prospered both Potiphar’s house and the Egyptian prison under Joseph’s supervision and influence. Everything Joseph touched “turned to gold.” Once he was freed, he did instruct Pharaoh and the Egyptian leadership in the meanings of Pharaoh’s dreams. And by saving his family from starvation, he taught his 10 elder brothers and even his father about the sovereignty of God, and the value of forgiveness.

C. As I said last week, our God has not given up on the Jews, His Chosen People. Fortunately for us, we, Christ’s followers, are also God’s chosen people through the saving work on Jesus Christ on the Cross for our sake. We have been grafted into the lineage of Jesus by our belief in Him. We are co-heirs with Jesus, our Lord and our brother. Paul makes it clear in Romans 10:1-15 that keeping God’s Law saves neither us nor the Jews. Since we are sinners who cannot keep it perfectly, the Law simply serves the purpose of proving to us that we need a savior. In verse 9, Paul emphatically asserts what it takes to be saved If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved! Jesus has done the hard work of salvation for us. We just respond with belief, with faith in Him.

Verses 11-15 contain Paul’s urgent plea that we, Christ’s Church, reach out to evangelize the Jews. He quotes the prophet Joel (2:32) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [who believes in Jesus] will be saved. He also quotes the prophet Isaiah (53:1) How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News. I remember a friend’s father telling me in the 8th grade that I had pretty feet. I remember thinking at the time that that felt rather “icky” and I couldn’t imagine why he would say such a thing. Everyone knows our feet are not really that attractive. But the prophet means that the one or ones who convey the Good News to those who haven’t yet taken it in are beautiful in God’s sight, feet and all. Paul’s heartfelt prayer is that his Jewish brothers and sisters come to a saving faith in Jesus. And he believes that those of us who try to evangelize the Jews–who have suffered dreadfully down through the ages–will be particularly blessed by the Lord.

D. I’m not sure Jesus would say it this way, but in today’s Gospel Lesson (Matthew 14:22-36), He urges us to…

1.) Get out of the boat. Let go of our fear. Let go of our pride. Let go of our insistence in our self-sufficiency, our willfulness, our disobedience. Do what God is calling us to do, even if it is emotionally uncomfortable for us.

2.) Keep our eyes on Jesus. Just attending church won’t save us. Even reading Christian books won’t save us. Having wonderful Christian friends won’t save us. These things can help move us in the right direction, but it is having faith in Jesus and confessing our faith aloud that saves us.

3.) And trust in Him to help us do what would be impossible for us—like walk on water—without Him. Our God…is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than all we ask or imagine…. (Ephesians 3:20). I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

When asked why God allows good people to undergo bad experiences (suffer), the famous Presbyterian preacher, R.C. Sproul, answered, “I haven’t met any good people yet, so I don’t know.” He was, of course, considering the Apostle John’s assertion from 1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Or as the Apostle Paul states (Romans 3:10) There is no one righteous, not even one.

The next time you find yourself in a season of suffering, remember that—unlike the college co-ed–God does not manipulate us. He does, however, test us. He allows us to walk through suffering for a season, but always with a purpose. The purpose is to mold and shape our character; to reduce our dependence upon anything but Him; and to deepen or strengthen our faith. And he brings us out of that suffering both transformed and blessed. Look at Joseph. Look at Jacob/Israel and his extended family. Look at Peter. Look at Paul. Look at you! Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia, alleluia!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

God Wants to Talk About You

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 6, 2023

Scriptures: Gen 32:1-31; Ps 17:1-9; Ro 9:1-5; Matt 14:13-21

In August of 2001, country singer Toby Keith released a song titled, “I Wanna Talk about Me.” It’s kind of a country rap showcasing a man’s desire to have some equal “air time” with his significant other. Here are a few of the lyrics:

We talk about your work, how your boss is a jerk,

We talk about your church and your head when it hurts.

We talk about the troubles you’ve been havin’ with your brother,

Bout your daddy and your mother and your crazy ex-lover. We talk about your friends and the places that you been,

We talk about your skin and the devils on your chin,

The polish on your toes, and the run in your hose, And Lord knows we’re gonna talk about your clothes!

You know talking about you makes me smile. But every once in a while, I want talk about me…

Wanna talk about I,

Wanna talk about #1, oh my, me, my…

What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see.

I like talking about you, you, you, you usually…

But occasionally, I want to talk about me!

I can’t think about this song without smiling. It sounds like his girlfriend is very self-focused, since it’s hard for him to get a word in edgewise. But if and when he gets the floor, what does he want to talk about? Himself! He wants to “talk about me!”

The song has become a metaphor in my family for thinking only of self. Someone cuts us off in traffic. One of us will smile and say to the others, “I want to talk about me.” Someone cuts in line in front of us at the grocery store, or at the post office, etc., and we’ll be thinking, “I wanna talk about me.” Have you noticed that, even when you politely let someone go ahead of you, often they don’t say thank you or even give you eye contact because…”I wanna talk about me.”

Let’s take a look at what the Lord has to say about this all too prevalent attitude in today’s world.

A. Psalm 17:1-9 was written by King David. Biblical scholars believe it dates from the time before he ascended the throne. God had lost confidence in King Saul and had had His prophet Samuel anoint David as the next King. The jealous and mentally unstable King Saul accurately viewed David as a rival to his throne and set out to kill him. In this psalm, David pleads with God for protection against Saul and any other adversaries.

Yes, David is worried about saving his own skin; but he also tells God (Peterson’s The Message, p.962)I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way. I’m trying to get Your way; Your Word’s way; I’m staying on Your trail; I’m putting one foot in front of the other. I’m not giving up. David views the Lord as his (and our) protector. David trusts in God to provide him a divine rescue.

David knows we need to take our focus off ourselves and put it on God, first, and then on others. This is the shape of the Cross. The vertical reminds us to love God. The horizontal reminds us to love others. God would have us put our focus on loving Him and then on loving others. A healthy self-love comes third.

B. Our Old Testament lesson, Genesis 32:1-31, provides us with an object lesson in where our love/focus should be directed. Jacob is re- entering the Promised Land after having been an immigrant to Syria for 20 years. In that time, his Uncle Laban had cheated him at his wedding, substituting the less desirable Leah in the dark wedding tent for Jacob’s beloved Rachel. Uncle Laban also changed Jacob’s wages 10 times, always shifting things to Laban’s advantage.

Nevertheless, despite these numerous setbacks, the Lord has prospered Jacob: He leaves Syria with great wealth:

1.) 2 wives and 2 concubines (remember, this is before Moses’ time when the Law was given);

2.) 11 sons and 1 daughter;

3.) A large retinue of servants;

4.) and huge numbers of livestock.

Due to God’s blessings, Jacob returns to the Promised Land as rich as an Arabian prince or an oil sheik.

Focused on his fears that his brother might still want revenge (and is coming to greet him with 400 troops), Jacob sends Esau multiple, generous gifts to sweeten the deal:

1.) 200 female goats & 20 males (220 goats); 2.) 200 ewes & 20 rams (220 sheep);

3.) 30 female camels with young (30+ camels); 4.) 40 cows, 10 bulls (50 cattle);

5.) 20 female donkeys, 10 males (30 donkeys).

This represents approximately 600 livestock! And he still has other flocks with which to sustain his people. He divides his clan into two groups and directs them to separate encampments for protection

Then he prays. At this point, I want to shout out, “Good job, Jacob!” He reminds God of His promises to his grandfather, Abraham, to Isaac, his father, and to him. He admits he doesn’t deserve God’s love and mercy. But he does plead for God’s protection—like David will later—(Peterson’s The message, p.70) Save me, please, from the violence of my brother, my angry brother! I’m afraid he’ll come and attack us all, me, the mothers and the children. When he ran for his life 20 years earlier, his focus had been on himself—>“I wanna talk about me.” Now, after 20 years of trials, he has matured: His focus is still on self, but has enlarged to include family and the Lord.

God recognizes Jacob’s maturing faith, but then intervenes to strengthen it. In verse 24, Jacob finds himself engaged in a wrestling match with the pre-incarnate Christ. It’s like Jesus is saying to him, “Jacob, you are less self-focused than you were 20 years ago. But your faith still needs to deepen. In your life, you have wrestled with your twin, Esau…you have wrestled with your Uncle Laban for 20 years. But your first priority must be Me, God!” This then becomes a major turning point in Jacob’s faith: This is why we celebrate the “heal-grabber” as a respected patriarch. He persists. He does not let go of God. He has finally learned it’s not about struggling with God or others. It’s about yielding to God and holding on to Him. Once he comprehends this, Jesus blesses him and changes his name to IsraelGod-wrestlerHe who struggles with God and with men and has come through. (Some translations substitute the word overcome or prevail for come through, but actually none of us can overcome God.)

Our God wants to talk with each of us about us, and He does get the last word. He wants our focus to move from self to Him. He wants us to be generous toward other people, putting their needs above our own.

C. Look at Jesus’ example of this in our Gospel lesson, Matthew 14:13-21. Verse 1 tells us the Lord had just gotten word that King Herod had beheaded His cousin, John the Baptist. Jesus wanted or needed time by Himself to pray and to grieve His cousin’s murder. He tried to sail off to gain some alone-time with His Father. But He was accompanied by His disciples and, when the crowds saw Him depart, they raced around the lake to meet Him where He landed. I hope He was able to take a time- out to regroup and recharge emotionally and spiritually, but He seems hard- pressed for time and opportunity.

Notice He doesn’t act frustrated. Instead, (v.14) He had compassion on them and healed their sick. Additionally, after having taught them all afternoon, He tells His disciples to (v.16)…give them something to eat. They can’t feed this crowd, but Jesus can. He is saying to them, “Trust Me. I can make something from almost nothing [actually, He can make something from nothing]. I can take the little you bring Me and make of it much!”

D. And let’s not forget He does not break His promises. As our Romans 9:1-5 passage demonstrates, even though the Jews of His time rejected Him as their Messiah, He has not rejected them. Many Christians have taken it upon themselves to persecute the Jews because their religious leaders murdered Jesus. But God makes it clear through Paul that He has not forgotten that they are His chosen people. There is no place in the Christian life for us to disdain Jews. Through them, God has worked out His plan of salvation. Through them, God has brought forth the lineage leading up to Jesus. As we read last Sunday in Romans 8:31If God is for us, who can be against us?

God doesn’t want us to just “talk about me,” or be self-focused.

He wants us to focus on Him and on the needs of others. All through Scripture, He urges us to turn away from a concentration on self or selfishness. We are to follow Jesus’ and Jacob’s examples. He wants us to grab ahold of Him and hang on—no matter what. We are to surrender our wills to His, or as AA says, “let go and let God.” And then watch for His often surprising blessings.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams