Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Power of Prayer

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 1, 2025

Scriptures: Acts 16:16-34; Ps 97; Rev 22:12-21; Jn 17:20-26

This morning, I want to focus on the power of prayer.  But first, let’s consider what God is saying to us through our Scripture passages appointed for today:

Jesus is praying for us in the Gospel of John 17:20-26.  As our High Priest, He is praying for us, interceeding—just before going to the Cross.

He asks the Father to (1) keep us as united to the Father as Jesus is;

(2) help us to dwell with both the Father and with Jesus in heaven; and

(3) so fill us with the Father’s love that we might love Him and others as the Father has loved His Son.

The Revelation 22:12-21 Reading reminds us that those of us who love and have surrendered our lives to Jesus are going to heaven,  while evil-doers will be barred from Paradise.

Psalm 97 describes what happens when God the Father shows up (this is called a theophany):  There are big signs like fire, lightening flashes, and earthquakes (which usually mean God is fixing to judge).  Verse 9 reminds us For You, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.  In other words, nothing and no one in this world is more powerful than our God.   He has the power, total power, to answer our prayers.  And verse 10 states  He [God] protects the lives of His godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

He is our divine rescuer/our Redeemer.   He can and does pull us free from the tentacles of this seductive world. 

Our Acts lesson (16:16-24) provides us with a real life example, an object lesson, in how our God works through our prayers.

But first, consider this:

“A man was being pursued by a roaring, hungry lion.  Feeling the beast’s hot breath on his neck and knowing his time was short, he prayed as he ran.  He cried out in desperation, ‘O Lord, please make this lion a Christian.’  Within seconds, the frightened man became aware the lion had stopped the chase.  When he looked behind him, he found the lion kneeling, lips moving in obvious prayer. Greatly relieved at this turn of events—and desirous of joining the lion in meditation, he approached the king of the jungle.  When he was near enough, he heard the lion praying, ‘And bless, O Lord, this food for which I’m exceedingly grateful!’”

The man would have been better off praying for escape.  I guess the lesson is think about what you really want when you pray. Also consider the child who was asked by the preacher what his mother prayed for at his bedtime each night.  “The youngster replied, ‘Thank God he’s in bed!’”  I wonder how often God is amused by our prayers.

(Chuck Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, p.456.)  

Let’s examine our Acts lesson more thoroughly to discover everything we can about what God has to teach us about the power of prayer.  We find the Apostle Paul and his assistant, Silas, in Phillipi (a Roman colony in present day Greece) to establish a church.  As Paul and Silas are preaching and teaching, they find themselves followed by a slave girl who is able to see into the future.  She hollers a true message: (v.17)  These men are servants of the Most High God and they have come to tell you how to be saved.  She’s right, so what’s the problem?  Well first, she might have drawn unwanted attention to them. Second, she was disruptive and annoying, especially if she kept on screeching while Paul and Silas were trying to teach. And third, Paul discerned her knowledge came from demonic sources, and probably did not want amything from the evil one to taint his ministry. It is likely that the Holy Spirit had already revealed to him that she was being trafficked—used by her owners—to make money. 

So, Paul casts the demon out of her.  There’s a clear lesson here:  We don’t want to be trying to find out what our future holds from any medium or witch. In the 1980’s, before I went to seminary, I let my aunt talk me into making a visit to Casa Dega, a village of mediums near Orlando.  I wanted to know if I might remarry some day. The guy who worked with us called himself “Rev. Jerry,” but looking back, it is clear he was not a Christian. In addition, nothing he told me came true!  I had wasted my time and money.  We are to trust only God with our futures.

Now the Philippian medium’s owners became enraged because it meant a big loss of income for them.  As we see so often in today’s culture, they accuse Paul and Silas as a way of exacting revenge (Don’t get mad, get even!  In fact, ruin the person if you can. This belief is so unchristian!).

They make two false claims that were all too readily believed of Jewish outsiders:  (1) (Verse 20)  The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews.  Really?  There was probably some excitement due to a demon being cast out, but such an event wouldn’t have galvanized an entire city.  (2) (Verse 21)  They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.  Also not really true. The Romans only later began to persecute Christians because they would not affirm that “Caesar is Lord.”  Since Christians would only avow that “Jesus is Lord,” they were seen as intolerant and then caught and punished.  But, since the Romans worshipped a large number of gods, at this point, most figured what’s the problem with one more?   Additionally, Paul and Silas would have known this as they were both Jews who were also Roman citizens.

The city officials side with the slave owners and have Paul and Silas severely beaten and jailed.  They are stripped and beaten with wooden rods. Their backs would have been lacerated, bleeding, and needing medical attention. Instead, they are thrown into the heart of a filthy, unsanitary prison.  To make matters worse, their feet and locked pin stocks, so they could not lay down or rest on their stomachs.

Now, put yourselves in Paul and Silas’ places, and think of how you might have responded to this treatment.  Here’s another clear lesson:

They praise God  they were singing hymns of praise.  Psalm 100:4 says  We Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts [ a step more intimate] with praise.  They knew the “secret sauce”  praise takes us in close to God’s heart.  It also opens our hearts and spirits to draw closer to God.  This is why I begin our pastoral prayer (most all my prayers) with praise and thanksgiving.  Praise puts us into the proper prayer mind-frame.  It helps us remember He’s exalted and all powerful, but we are not.

And because God loves us, He listens to us and He hears us.

Then they pray, and pray without ceasing.  John Bunyon once wrote, “You can do no more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”  (Swindoll, Ibid., p.452).

Someone else once said, “Prayer is not room service.”  In fact, they went on to assert, “There’s something exquisitely luxurious about room service in a hotel.  All you have to do is pick up the phone and somebody is ready and waiting to bring you breakfast, lunch, dinner, a chocolate milkshake, whatever your heart desires and your stomach will tolerate.  Or by another liquid motion of the wrist, you can telephone for someone who will get a soiled shirt quickly transformed into a clean one or a rumpled suit into a pressed one.  That’s the concept that some of us have of prayer.  We had created God in the image of a divine bellhop.  Prayer, for us, is the ultimate in room service, wrought by direct dialing.  Furthermore, no tipping, and everything is charged to that Great credit card in the sky.”  (Ibid., p.453)

Prayer is, in fact, surrender.  Did you notice that Paul and Silas weren’t grumbling. But I’ll bet they were praying for a break through—or a breakout!   Meanwhile, everyone else incarcerated there was listening and perhaps coming to Christ.

Next, notice what God does:  He provides a massive earthquake (a theophany).  Verse 26 states  …the prison was shaken to its foundations.  All the cell doors flew open. An earthquake could have torn them from their walls, but to unlock them was purely supernatural.  All the chains fell off; this was also due to a supernatural intervention.  Furthermore, the prisoners don’t leave (Think about the jailbirds in New Orleans who recently escaped from behind a cell toilet.  They jumped out and fled like roaches do when you turn on the lights.)  These other prisoners had witnessed a miracle.  They appeared to have turned their lives over to Jesus.  Through Paul and Silas, God had brought about a revival in that jail.

Those miracles then bring the jailor (and his family) to a saving knowledge of Christ.  The warden provides medical attention for Paul and Silas.  They then baptize the jailor and his household.  And, finally, he feeds them.  Everyone ends up rejoicing over God’s powerful answer to prayer.

Church, prayer is powerful!  Prayer effects things we cannot. Illnesses are healed.  Addictions are broken.  Relationships are mended.

We need to pray daily, especially if you don’t already.

Not just bedtime or mealtime prayers.  John Wesley and Martin Luther each prayed 3-4 hours per day, and look at what God accomplished through them.  Jesus sometimes prayed all night!  We need to spend significant time with our Lord.

We also need to pray for others.  You can begin with the people on our weekly prayer list.  Pray for your family, coworkers, and any friends who don’t follow Jesus.  There is a team of us who pray each Sunday afternoon for strangers who drive by the front door of our church.  Many of them now honk their horns and wave at us, expressing appreciation for the spiritual help.

Prayer is how we access the power of God.  It’s impact is astonishing.  

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

God Never Gives Up On Us

Pastor Sherry’s message for March 30, 2025

Scriptures: Jos 5:9-12; Ps 32; 2 Cor 5:16-21; Lk 15:1-32

I ask your forgiveness if I have used this story before.  After 10 years here at Wellborn Methodist Church, I have lost track of which stories I have told when.  In this story a guy who committed a crime was sentenced to time in prison:

“ On his first day there he was sitting in the dining hall at lunch and suddenly a man stood up and shouted 37!  And everybody laughed.  After a while another man stood up and shouted 52!  And everybody chuckled and smiled.  After a few more minutes somebody else stood and yelled 86!  And again everyone laughed.  The new guy leaned over toward the man across from him and said, “What’s going on?  Why is everyone laughing at those numbers?” 

“The man said, “It’s like this.  There are only a hundred of so jokes in the world, and in here you hear them all.  We decided to save time and give them numbers.”  Wishing to fit in and win friends, the new convict decided to give it a try.  “17!” he yelled out.  Nobody laughed, nobody looked at him; finally, he sat down mystified.  “What happened?”  he asked his new friend.  The man shrugged and said “Oh, some people know how to tell a joke, and some people don’t.”   

(Fairless and Chilton, The Lectionary Lab Commentary: C, 2015, pp.128-129.)

Sometimes those of us who preach end up feeling this way about certain Bible stories.  They are so well known we could call out their names—like numbered jokes–and you would remember them.  Think of Noah and the Flood, Jonah and the Whale, the Good Samaritan, or the Woman at the Well.  You know these stories, you’ve heard them preached or discussed many times, and you could probably tell us all how they apply to our lives.

So what’s a preacher to do to bring new insights to such well-known tales and keep you all awake during the telling?

Our Gospel today (Luke 15:1-31) certainly falls into this category of famous parables. With the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I will try to bring something fresh to our understanding of these well-beloved Parables.

A. Dr. Luke, the author of our Gospel account, has grouped together three parables of Lost things in Chapter #15.  They all say essentially the same thing, but using 3 different illustrations:

(1) An example directed at men (shepherds), a lost sheep;

(2) An instance directed at women (housewives), a lost coin;

(3) And an image most of us can relate to, a lost child, or son.

These constitute Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees’ criticism that He, a rabbi, hung out with sinners.  He knew they were muttering against Him (v.2) This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.  Jesus’ three examples—especially the final one—contrast the love of God for sinners, against the exclusiveness and snobbiness of the Jewish religious leaders.  Those folks, over time, had established themselves as a “holy club” whose members they considered special while those outside the club were considered losers.  Jesus is saying, among other things, God the Father and He, Jesus, both love the Lost Ones, the losers.. Yes, He also loves those of us who He has already found, and who have accepted Him.  In all three parables, Jesus defines repentance as the acceptance of having been found.  The initiative belongs to God.  He never gives up on trying to reach us.  He really goes out of His way to find us.  And, I could be wrong, but studying Jesus’ model, I think our job, as followers of our God, is to notice those who don’t love Him—or don’t even know about Him–and tell them the Good News of the Gospel:

(1.) Jesus Christ came to save the Lost;

(2.) He died on a Cross, taking upon Himself the penalty for all of our sin, for all time;

(3.) And He rose again, overcoming the penalty for our sins, which is death, and guaranteed to each of us eternal life in Heaven with Him.

Our Lord Jesus hung out with sinners because He hoped to save them.

B. While we’re on the subject, let’s take a look at our Old Testament lesson from Joshua (5:9-12).  The context is that God has safely delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  During their 40 years of wilderness wanderings, He has protected them from illness and enemies; provided them with water from the rock (Jesus) and has fed them with manna (also Jesus); He has disciplined those who were rebellious and ungrateful; and He has now directed General Joshua, their new leader, to lead them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

Instead of immediately attacking and defeating Jericho—which you might think He would do–God has Joshua circumcise all the men and boys born since the exodus.  YIKES!  Besides being very painful, this no doubt laid them out for several days as they recovered.  It also required that the Lord continued to protect them as they were vulnerable to attack. Clearly this was important to our God.  Why?  Circumcision was the undeniable, indelible, permanent sign of their covenant relationship with God—a daily reminder that they belonged to Him.  They had not practiced it in the latter years of slavery and didn’t stop traveling to circumcise in the desert.  God was saying to them, You are not lost; you belong to Me; You must carry the sign of our Covenant relationship.

Next, He directed Joshua to lead them in a Passover service.  The Lord wanted them to remember how He saved them from the angel of death—the 10th plague—in Egypt.  He wanted them to remember they were saved by the blood of the Passover Lamb painted over their doorways—a foreshadowing of Jesus.

Having rededicated themselves to God, the Lord discontinued the daily drop of manna and they ate instead of the grain and fruit of their new territory.  

Again, notice the lengths our Lord goes to help us remember we are His.

C. David’s psalm (Psalm 32) is what is called in the Hebrew a maschil, a psalm of instruction.  In Psalm 51:12-13, King David’s great penitential psalm, He promised that if God forgave him for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah her husband, he would teach others to love and obey God.  Scholars believe Psalm 32 is David’s fulfillment of that promise.  (Obviously, the psalms are not listed in chronological order.)

In verse 1, David writes (NLY, p.671)—Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight.  David is clearly speaking as someone who has experienced God’s forgiveness. He is rejoicing in the fact that God did not give up on him, despite his egregious sins.

He recounts how the Holy Spirit afflicted his conscience (v.3) until he came to a point of repentance.  He celebrates the fact that (v.5)—I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”  And You forgave me.  All my guilt is gone.

He uses the remainder of the psalm to praise God as his hiding place (v.7), and to instruct us that (v.10)—many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.

D. Paul picks up a similar refrain in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

1st he states that we have no basis for judging others, as we are all sinners, and Christ died for every one of us.  Because of this, we are all new creatures in Christ.  He has pursued all of us. He has redeemed all of us. This fact has resulted in a new relationship between us and our God. Just as the reiteration of the covenant at Gilgal (which means rolled away; at that place God rolled away the shame of their past slavery, through circumcision and Passover) reaffirmed the Israelites as God’s Chosen People, we have—through our belief in Jesus–been reconciled to the Father.

We have also been given a ministry (vv.18-20, NLT)—And all of this is a gift from God who brought us back to Himself through Christ.  And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.  And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.  So we are Christ’s ambassadors.  We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

During Lent, as I said last week, as we do our spiritual housecleaning, we must all come to grips with the fact that we are all sinners.   As Paul says (Romans 5:8)—While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ died for our sins.  Our Lord Jesus is not satisfied until we Lost Ones are found by Him.  Our God is called The Great Hound of Heaven because He pursues us like a bloodhound until He finds us.  He and all of Heaven celebrate when we turn to Him.  He loves us with a steadfast and faithful agape love.  He is willing to forgive us whenever we repent and ask Him.

Interestingly, in the stories of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, there is an invitation to us to party, but we don’t know if anyone did.  Similarly, in the story of the Lost Son, we know the party takes place, but we don’t know if the self-righteous older son ever participated.  These parables are left open-ended for a reason.  The ending is up to us.  How will each of us respond?  Let us join in with our reconciling Lord, who never gives up on us.  Please also turn to www.YouTube.com and listen to a song by Jesus Culture called “One Thing Remains.”

©️ Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Be Careful What You Ask of God

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 9, 2024

Scriptures: 1 Sam 8:1-20; Ps 138, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1; Mk 3:20-35

The story goes that Wally, from Wellborn, Florida, was vacationing in New Mexico.  He knew there was a famous, annual Chili Cook-Off scheduled for the next day. He arrived and thought to himself, “Lord, how I would love to be a judge of this!  All kinds of great chili recipes and all the beer you can chase it down with…sounds like my kind of heaven!”

As it happened, the man slated to be the 3rd judge had come down with the flu, so our Wellborn friend—standing in just the right spot—got asked to take his place.  “Thank you, Jesus!” he said to himself.  He just couldn’t get over his good fortune!

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

Chili #1—Mike’s Maniac Monster Chile:

1.) Judge #1—A little too heavy on the tomato.  Amusing kick.

2.) Judge #2—Nice, smooth tomato flavor.  Very mild.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Holy Cow!  What’s in this stuff?  You could use it to remove dried paint from your driveway!   Took me 2 beers to put the flames out.  I hope that’s the worst.  These New Mexicans are crazy! 

Chili #2—El Rancho’s After Burner Chili:

1.) Judge #1—Smoky, with a hint of pork.  Slight jalapeño zest.

2.) Judge #2—Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Keep this out of the reach of children.  I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain.  I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver!

Chili #3—Alfredo’s Famous Burn-Down-the-Barn Chili: 1.) Judge #1—Excellent firehouse chili.  Great kick!

2.) Judge #2—A bit salty.  Good use of peppers.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Call the EPA!  I’ve located a uranium spill.  My nose feels like I have been snorting Drain-O.  Pour on the beer before I ignite!

And on it went—until Mike, complaining that his stomach had imploded—passed out.  (Sorry but I cannot credit the source of this story!  I came across it about 12-15 years ago on the internet.  Back then, I was preaching about 6-8 times a year for vacationing pastor friends and did not think—since my sermons were not being reprinted—to provide footnotes.)  The moral of the story:  Be Careful What You Ask of God.

Our OT lesson, 1 Samuel 8:1-20, makes a similar point.  Let’s examine it:

Samuel, the Prophet, followed the last of 12 Judges to rule Israel.  He provided leadership much like that of Moses ad Joshua, and had done an excellent job until he decided to retire.  Apparently without consulting God, he appointed his two sons to succeed him.  You may remember that he had seen the wickedness of Eli’s (the priest who had mentored him) sons and that God had removed them from power and set Samuel in their place. In what must have surely been a senior moment, he forgot (1) only God—not any person—appoints leaders over His chosen people, Israel; and (2) how incompetent and unworthy his own two sons were.  This is a sad commentary on human memory…or perhaps human ego.  Someone once said, “If we don’t remember history, we are doomed to repeat it.”  Eli’s boys had seduced female assistants at the Tabernacle and had taken the best sacrificial meat (God’s portion) for themselves.  Samuel’s boys were almost as bad.  They took bribes from the worshippers they served and they perverted justice.

So the Administrative Counsel or the Call Committee of that time approached Samuel (vv.4-5) and with all of the subtlety of a New Mexican chili, they said, “Samuel, you are old” (he was all of 65).  Didn’t they know that 65 is the new middle age?  Didn’t they recall that Moses lived to 120 and Joshua, to 110?  So 65 was hardly old.  They were trying to justify their demands.  They were inventing excuses!   They added, “Your sons are reprobates!”  This was true.  But the right thing for the Administrative Counsel, or the Call Committee, and even for Samuel to have done would have been to consult God:  Lord, who is Your choice of the next leader or the next prophet over Israel?  Instead, they arrive at their real agenda:  Make us a king, like all the other nations.  They want to be like everyone else.  What parent hasn’t heard this refrain:  I need a phone, a brand of jeans, or a car/truck just like everyone else has?

Now the selective amnesia has jumped to the people!  Have they forgotten that they were singled out to serve God from the time of Genesis 15?  What about when God says in Exodus 19:5–>Although the whole earth is Mine, You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  They had a special and a unique relationship with God.  He ruled over them and they were His people.  As long as they obeyed Him, they enjoyed His provision, protection, and presence.

But Samuel is feeling rejected, so he takes his disappointment to the Lord (v.6).  The Lord tells him essentially, don’t take it personally. It’s not you they are rejecting; it’s Me.  They’ve got a covenant with Me, the Ruler of the Universe.  I have provided for them, daily.  I have protected them, better than any human king could.  It’s ironically true that the only time Israel lacked protection was whenever they would rebel against God.  Time and time again, it was their idolatry and their disobedience that brought them military defeat.  God was always able to care for them.  

But, by this time, they want a human to take God’s place. Amazingly, God tells Samuel to let them have what they want.  Samuels’ mind must have traveled to Deuteronomy 17:14-20—in which God specified what a king should be like: (a) He should be chosen by God; (b) He should be an Israelite; (c) He should be a covenant-keeper (a member of the Jewish faith); and (d) He should live a simple lifestyle—none of this owning 10 palaces, 20 chariots, and 3 yachts sort of thing. 

Furthermore, God also tells Samuel to warn them that having a king will cost them in ways they may not anticipate.  (In other words, be careful what you ask for!) Samuel proceeds to tell them a king will abuse power (there are 5 he [meaning a king] will take’s in the text):  (1) He will reign over them/or oppress them; (2) He will take your sons for soldiers/or institute a military draft; (3) He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.  Perfumers was an Old Testament euphemism for concubines.  Samuel was warning them that their daughters will go into servitude, of one form or another.  (4) He will take the best portion of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, your cattle and donkeys—for his personal use.  And, finally, he will take a 10th (in taxes) of your flocks—and you yourselves will become his slaves. Remember, we have long held in America that the power to tax is the power to destroy.

Knowing all of this—being forewarned by God Himself—they still say they want a human king.  Be careful what you ask of God.  Like Wellborn Wally, they get what they thought they wanted.  But look at the heartburn!  They had Saul, then David, then Solomon, all of whom started well and finished badly—though David did repent and reconcile himself to God.  The Kingdom then split into Northern/Israel (10 tribes) and Southern/Judah (2 tribes).  Israel went on to have a succession of 20 kings, all of them bad.  Judah also had 20 kings, only two of whom proved to be good, God-fearing, and honorable, Josiah and Hezekiah.  This was not a stellar record!  God then allowed the flood of the Assyrians in the North and the Babylonians in the South to end the Israelite monarchy.  God cleaned house in 578 BC!  There were no more kings in Israel until the King of Kings, Jesus, arrived on the scene more than a half century later!

The lesson, again, is be careful what you ask of God.  He knows better than we do what we need.  But He also gives us free will.  He lets us decide for ourselves.  Paul reminds us in Romans 1 that, when we insist, God lets us have our way.  Unfortunately for us, when our way differs from God’s, we step out from under His protection and His provision.  And the consequences can be dire.  If only they were no more painful than Wellborn Wally’s   mammoth indigestion!  Think about the times you took control of your life out of God’s hands.  I can.  It wasn’t pretty.  I wish I had made better choices.  I wish I had let go of my own control and let God.  But isn’t it true that “trial and error” learning can be very effective—Once burned, twice learned.  The lesson sticks with us for a long time, but the cost is also often very high.

Let’s take a lesson from our ancestors of the faith, the Israelites.  They were so sure they needed a human king.  1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles all report the trouble that decision brought upon them.  The next time you are tempted to make a major decision for your life, run it by Jesus.   When we trust in humans, we may find our freedoms diminishing.  But as our 2 Corinthians and Gospel (Mark 3:20-35) lessons tell us, our Lord Jesus expands rather than restricts our lives.  Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we who believe in Him now step confidently from this life to an even better one.  Jesus also expands the meaning of family.  Our faith in Christ binds us together more powerfully than blood ties.  We love and serve a Savior Who loves and blesses us when we seek Him.  Amen!   

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Making Room for God

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 2, 2024

Scriptures: 1 Sam 3:1-21; Ps 139:1-6, 13-18; 2 Cor 4:5-12; Mk 2:23-3:6

A pastor related the following story:  Apparently, the church he served was in a city and “…was located next to a Jewish synagogue. That synagogue was served by a rabbi who quite typically walked to the synagogue on the Sabbath, though his house was some distance away. It was not that he didn’t have a car, but that for him it was improper to drive on the Sabbath, for that constituted work. Sometimes I would see him riding a bicycle to synagogue. I suggested to him that that was a lot more work than simply turning on the ignition in an automobile. He said that when a person is riding a bicycle on the Sabbath, the person is not tempted to go shopping or run errands, or to pick up something at the cleaners. However, when one is driving a car, it is easy to do many more things than one intended to do, and thus, the special nature of the day is lost. He was, of course, attempting to live up to the requirements of the third commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy.” Some people would honor his attempt to live by the requirements of this commandment. Others would see it as an unnecessary concern for an outdated concept.”

(Illustration borrowed from www.sermons.com, June 2, 2024.)

From this side of the Cross, we know that Jesus often got into it with the Pharisees over the issue of proper Sabbath-Keeping.  Notice, He never said we were not to honor the Sabbath.  After all, the 3rd Commandment requires us to keep a Sabbath. Jesus would not have ever suggested we violate any of the Commandments.  He just wanted us to be sure to take into account human needs (love, grace) over strict rule-keeping.

To understand where He was coming from, we need to remember the history behind the Father’s institution of the Sabbath.  It’s based on God’s model of resting, on the 7th day (in Genesis 2:2-3), after having worked six days to create the world.  We know from Psalm 121:3-4 that our God neither slumbers nor sleeps.  He, then, does not require rest to maintain or sustain Himself.  So, the obligation to keep a Sabbath was for our benefit, not His.  Additionally, the Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. That meant they worked 7 days a week, without a break.  Our gracious, loving God wanted them and us to be guaranteed at least a one-day pause.  He knew our bodies, minds and spirits needed rest.  He also knew our human tendency was to do as much as we could each day.  So perhaps He was also building in a brake system to help prevent “workaholism.”

But I think God also knew He would need to appoint a time for us to make room for Him in our lives.  Yes, we are to worship Him on Sundays—our Sabbath due to Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  (The Jewish Sabbath is sundown Friday until Sundown Saturday.)  But we are also meant to use this time to make room for our relationship with Him.  Think about this:  The prohibition against murder (Commandment #6) is spelled out by God in four words—You shall not murder.  But God used 94 words to explain the Sabbath (Commandment #3).  God obviously views our keeping a Sabbath as very important.  Incidentally, your Sabbath does not need to be Sunday.  Many folks have to work on Sunday.  If this is true for you, be sure to set aside another day to seek rest and to visit with God.

Let’s see what further light our Scripture passages today shed on this topic:

A. 1 Samuel 3:1-21 relates God’s call to the young man, Samuel, to become His prophet (our Old Testament lesson last week shared a similar call to Isaiah, who came later in Biblical history).  You may recall that Samuel was given over to the priest, Eli, to be raised for God’s service (his previously barren mother, Hannah, had made this promise to the Lord).  He would have been about 3 years old when Hannah placed him in Eli’s care.

Eli had fed and housed him, and no doubt showed him what to do in God’s service–but he, a priest, did not teach him to make room for God in his personal life.  YIKES!  So Scholars tell us the 1st two calls awakening the sleeping Samuel were God’s call to salvation.  (Samuel would have been about 12 years old.) The latter two calls were God’s call upon him to serve the Lord as His prophet.  This is just after the time of the Moses, Joshua, and the Judges—all men (and one woman) whom God had selected to lead Israel (about 1200-1000BC).  From Samuel’s time until that of Jesus, God tended to speak to His people through prophets.

Eli was now old and out of touch with the Lord.  Verse 1 tells us—…in those days the word of the Lord was rare….God wasn’t speaking because few folks were listening.  God no longer spoke to Eli, his clergyperson.  Eli apparently went through the motions, but did not make space in his life for a relationship with the Lord.  So in this passage, God essentially fires Eli and calls Samuel to replace him.  Eli wasn’t so far gone that he did not realize what was happening.  He did prepare Samuel to answer the Lord’s call.  Samuel then went on to serve God faithfully for years.  The Lord used him to anoint the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.  And Samuel listened carefully to God, making room for Him in his life.

B. In light of this lesson, we can look at Psalm 139 perhaps in a new way.  It’s certainly reassuring to know that God knows us intimately (He is both omniscient and omnipresent), and that there is nothing we might say or do that He does not already perceive.  But consider also how carefully and completely God pursues us for relationship.  He created us for relationship with Him.  He has made room and time for us.  So, if we do not feel close to God, who is at fault?  It’s us!  It is up to us to nurture a deep relationship with Him—to meet Him halfway.  King David encourages us in this psalm to make room in our lives for God.

C.  Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:5-12 exhorts us to be aware of how generously God has gifted us:  In verse 6, he proclaims—For God, who said, ’Let light shine out of the darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ.  In other words, He loved us enough to send Jesus into our lives.  Jesus–and now, since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit–both gift us with life and light.  These are both “treasures” to which God has given us access, even though we are weak containers/”jars of clay”/”earthen vessels.”  He calls ordinary folks like you and me so that only God gets the glory.

Paul fervently believed our job/our ministry is to convey this wonderful knowledge we hold within ourselves—our born again relationship with Jesus, and the Gospel of Christ—to others who don’t know Him.  There is an old country expression:  “You can’t get back from where you ain’t been.”  In other words, we can’t convey to others what we don’t know ourselves.  Paul’s understanding, and ours, is that we cannot do this well if we do not make room in our lives for—or abide in–Jesus.

D. Finally, we have our Gospel message, Mark 2:23-3:6.  In this extended passage, Jesus has two encounters with the Pharisees over Sabbath-Keeping:

One occurs while Jesus and His disciples are out walking through a field.  His disciples are hungry.  There was room in God’s Law to cover this situation—Deut 23:25—If you enter your neighbor’s grain field, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to his standing grain.  But the Pharisees had decided picking kernels was work and should not be done on the Sabbath, no matter who hungry you might be.  Jesus, however, trumps them with precedent:  David and his men, pursued through the wilderness by King Saul, were hungry.  The High Priest, Abiathar, gave them the 12 loaves of showbread in the Holy Place to eat (1 Samuel 21:1-6).  It was reserved for the priests to eat at day’s end.  Jesus uses this to make the point that legalities must be tempered with love and grace.  You may bend the Sabbath Law in service of saving the lives of righteous persons.  David and his Mighty Men, as well as Jesus and His closest followers, were both hungry and righteous.

The other incident takes place, during worship, in a synagogue.

The guy with the withered hand was probably a “plant.”  Knowing this was a trap, Jesus calls the guy forth, saying (3:3)—Stand up in front of everyone.  Obviously, and knowing their negative intent, Jesus did not back away from doing what He knew was the right thing, to heal the handicapped man.  He also very wisely asks the Pharisees, (3:4)—Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?

In both instances, Jesus reiterates that the Sabbath was made for we humans.  The Pharisees practically abolished it by hemming it in with too many, often ridiculous rules.  We have practically abolished it by paying it too little attention.

An Eastern guru once poured tea for a fellow who insisted he wanted to discover how to have a deeper relationship with the divine.  The fellow kept talking and talking as the guru poured and poured, letting the tea overrun the cup.  When the seeker asked what the guru was doing, the wise man said, “This cup is like you.  You are so full of yourself there is no room for God.”   We don’t want to be like that guy.  We want to make room for the Lord.

Sabbath-Keeping helps us make room for God.  Being here in church every Sunday shows Him we are serious about wanting to honor Him. 

We want to get to the place that we don’t feel right if we haven’t been to church.  We probably should feel guilty if we have let other things take precedence over our relationship with the Lord.  This is a way we can tend the vertical of the Cross.  When I finally got this point in my early 40’s, I realized there was always something I heard each week—whether from the Scripture readings, the hymns, the sermons, the prayers, or even a comment by another member of the congregation—that I knew the Lord meant for me to hear.  If I missed church, I ran the risk of missing what God had for me.

Sabbath-Keeping also keeps us connected to our spiritual family, the horizontal of the Cross.  Each of us is important here.  When we don’t attend, the Body is left poorer.  Before I went to Seminary, I attended the same church in Tallahassee for 11 years.  I realized if I did not attend church a given Sunday, I would miss seeing some of those dear folks I did not encounter in any other arena of my life.  Let’s try to be consistent present in  worship each Sunday.  Your spiritual family loves you and misses you when you do not attend.  Amen.

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Necessity of Prayer

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 4, 2024

Scriptures: Isa 40:21-31; Ps 147:1-11, 20c; 1 Cor 9:16-23; Mk 1:29-39

Some time back, the devotional booklet, Our Daily Bread, ran the following story:

“A father took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands. When lunchtime arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich. The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him. They ordered lunch, and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, “Son, we’ll just have a silent prayer.” Dad got through praying first and waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time. When he finally looked up, his father asked him, “What in the world were you praying about all that time?” With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, “How do I know? It was a silent prayer.”

(As repeated on the website, www.sermoncentral.com, 2/2/2024.)

Isn’t that just like a little kid? So literal: “If it’s truly silent, even I don’t know what I’m praying.” Whatever was on his mind and heart, I’m sure that it brought a smile to God’s face.

I believe that Jesus is taking us—and His disciples–to school today on the necessity of prayer. Prayer is talking to God or conversation with Jesus.

Technically, it’s our pleas or our praise directed to God, through the intercession of His Son, Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s see what our readings today have to add to this topic:

A. Our Gospel is from Mark 1:29-39—In it, Jesus gives us a great model for prayer. Remember, Biblical scholars believe Mark is actually Peter’s Gospel. Peter was too busy doing ministry, so he has his apprentice, John Mark, write down for him Peter’s experiences with Jesus. (I did this once for a friend from seminary. He was pioneering in bringing drug dealers, addicts, prostitutes, and pimps to Christ on the south side of Jacksonville, Florida. He had a substantial collection of hair-raising stories about such folks coming to Christ. I offered to write them down for him as he was too busy doing the work of ministry himself. I wrote, he edited, and we published a book called, Gospel Chains: Inspirational Stories of Changed Lives through Chains of Relationship, Anglican Revitalization Ministries, 2022. Peter was trying to win over a Roman audience to Christ. He focuses on something Roman soldiers would relate to and appreciate: the authority of Christ.

He reports in Chapter 1 that Jesus successfully overcomes the temptations Satan presents to Him. He then returns to Capernaum to recruit his first disciples, and to worship in the Synagogue there. As Jesus is teaching and preaching in the synagogue, a demon manifests in a man in the congregation. Jesus muzzles it with a minimum of fuss and casts it out of the man. The worshippers of Capernaum were amazed—and so too would have been the Romans—that Jesus has authority over the spiritual realm.

And so we find Him in today’s passage, leaving the Synagogue with James and John to visit at Simon Peter’s house. Let’s focus on 3 noteworthy points: First, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law. This indicates that He has authority over physical illnesses. Second, the word travels after Sabbath just as you might expect in a small town—Jesus has freed a demonized man and now He has healed Peter’s wife’s mother. Imagine if our church offered a service in which we prayed for folks from Wellborn (which I hope we will begin doing later this year). Next imagine that many were healed due to our intercessory prayers for them. Needless to say, the very next time we offered prayer, people would crowd in, bringing their sick 2nd cousins, neighbors, and friends for healing. Verses 33-34 state it this way—The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but He would not let the demons speak, because they knew who He was. Somewhere reputable I read that the 4 Gospels list 31 healings. But the truth is that Jesus healed many, many more than Scripture describes. The Apostle John writes at the end of his gospel (21:25)—Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would have room for the books that would be written.

The 3rd important point is that Jesus, the Son of God, also operated under authority—that of God the Father. Verse 35 tells us—Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. (I used to wonder, “Wasn’t He worried He might be assaulted by bad-actors, by Himself in the dark?” Then I realized, “Of course not. He’s God! Who could mess with Him and win?”). We do not know how often He did this, but I would bet that He checked in with His Father daily. Bu doing so, He nurtured their relationship, plugged back into His power-source, and He got His directions, His marching orders for the next step.

When Peter and the others look for Him, because a morning crowd has formed, they urge Him to return to the house to meet these additional needs. But Jesus does not bow to their demands; He’s not a people-pleaser. He asserts instead (v.38) Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come. Capernaum may be His headquarters, but He will not be limited to ministering there only—the mission the Father has given Him is broader than what the disciples considered. This fact, too, would have appealed to a Roman military audience, as they too served a mission greater than one duty station warranted.

B. Our Isaiah lesson (40:21-31) reminds us of God’s limitless power. Peter and John Mark—if they had thought of it–should have attached this reading to the Gospel account to impress the Romans. It is the Christian God who sits enthroned above the earth, not the Roman panoply of arrogant and merciless master-manipulators. Verse 23 tells us—He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. God the Father (and God the Son) (v.26) made and named the stars. God the Father (and God the Son) created (v.28) the length and breadth of the earth. It is He and Jesus who set things into motion and it is He and Jesus who sustain all things.

Furthermore, (v.29)—He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. We renew our strength when we abide with Him. Jesus knew this and so sought the Father in prayer. Have you ever noticed how un-frazzled you become after a time of prayer? Seeking the Lord calms and relaxes us.

We are also renewed when we hope in the Lord! Now Roman soldiers would have loved to have known that secret. This would have eliminated the need to use drugs to stay awake. They would have had no need to rely upon substances to increase strength. Evidence has been uncovered that indicates the Nazis used drugs to amp themselves up before an offensive action. We also know that the Hamas terrorists, who stuck Israeli kibbutzim on October 7th, were strung out on some drugs that gave them energy for days with no sleep, and also lowered their inhibitions so they could commit the atrocities they did. We don’t need to resort to such as God is willing to renew our strength in righteous causes. To quote Psalm 62:6, the Lord is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Additionally, Roman soldiers should have become impressed to learn that our God truly is the Commander in Chief, sovereign over all the earth!

C. Psalm 147:1-11 reiterates essentially the same message as the Isaiah passage: Verse 5 states—Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit. Verse 3 promises, like Isaiah 61:1—He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He is both all-powerful and yet extremely compassionate. Verse 11—The Lord delights in those who fear Him [look to Him with awe], who put their hope in His unfailing love. It just makes sense to worship and to pray to an all-powerful God who loves us and cares for us.

D. And in our 1st Corinthians passage (9:16-23), the Apostle Paul wants us to know that his relationship to God compels him to preach the Gospel far and wide. Paul admits he is as winsome as he can be in an effort to appeal to all to accept the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ. He did not want any impediments to exist in him that would inhibit spreading the Gospel to those who had not heard it. He doesn’t mention prayer per se, but we know he was a mighty man of prayer. He prayed for the wisdom and stamina to travel and to deliver the message. He ended many of his epistles by asking God to bless those who labored with him in this great endeavor around the Mediterranean Sea basin. I think we can safely assume he sandwiched all of his efforts at kingdom building with prayer.

Our readings today are telling us that daily prayer for us is a necessity. We need to communicate with the Lord to understand His will for us. We need to abide with or stay connected to Him to have the power to do His will. We need to pray to Him so as to remain attached to Him.

Firm attachment to the Lord renews our strength. Residing in God’s pocket (I like to think of myself as settled into His breast pocket where I can hear His heartbeat) allows us to soar like eagles. Amen. May it be so!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Can’t Elevate Them All

Pastor Sherry’s message for July 16, 2023

Scriptures: Gen 25:19-34; Ps 119:105-112; Ro 8:1-11; Matt 13:1-9, 18-23

The Rev. Del Chilton, a Lutheran pastor, tells the story of how he cropped tobacco as a youngster in North Carolina in the summers (some of you can relate to this, I am sure). He says the “cropper” consisted of a low seat some 5-6 inches off the ground. It was pulled by a tractor. Del sat on the seat and cut tobacco leaves, starting at the bottom of the plant, as the tractor slowly drove them through the rows. He was then to place the cut leaves on a conveyor belt that transported them to an elevated platform, where folks called “stringers” tied them to sticks to be hung in barns where the tobacco was cured. One particular day, the conveyor belt was acting up, and was not moving the cut tobacco up to the platform. Chilton recalls, “There was a precocious six year old boy who was a friend of the family and was watching us work. He observed our troubles for a while and then walked up to the farmer and said, ‘Well, you can’t elevate ‘em all, can you, Mr. Virgil.’ Chilton’s point is that even Jesus could not “elevate” or convince everyone He met, taught, healed, or delivered from demons to trust in Him and in God. (Story and title borrowed from Fairless and Chilton, The Lectionary Lab Commentary, Yr. A, 2013, p.179.)

This is one of the messages of our Gospel lesson (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) today. We won’t reach everyone we try to tell about Jesus, will we? Some of us have family members or good friends we have tried to convince, but who still reject our Lord. Why would we ever be discouraged, though, if even Jesus Himself—died, resurrected, and ascended—couldn’t move them? But in the parable, Jesus means for us to try, anyway. We are to tell people about the difference Jesus has made in our lives, thus sharing with them about the Kingdom of Heaven.

In Jesus’ story, the seed is the Gospel, the sower is God (or Jesus, or even us), and the soils represent people’s receptivity to taking in the Message or of coming to faith in Christ.

1.) “Hard-Shelled hearers” are just not interested. They think Jesus is a myth and the Bible is nonsense. The birds—representing the devil—steal away God’s Word so that it cannot take root in their hearts.

2.) “Rocky Ground folk” don’t do anything to sustain or nourish their new faith. It’s not deeply rooted, so it fades away. It fades with persecution or when their faith is challenged. This happened to me when I went to college in the mid-1960’s. I arrived with faith, but when I studied sociology and learned that many folks believe the Christian faith is a myth, I fell away for a time. For some, it may be that someone they loved and prayed for died. For others, it may be that some dream or aspiration they held dear was disappointed. They blame God and reject their faith. Their spirit may have been willing, but their flesh capitulated.

3.) “Thorny Ground people” allow fear and worry to choke out their faith. Do you realize that fear is a negative faith? It is the antithesis of faith. Faith says, “I believe in God’s goodness and love for me, no matter what.” Remember, Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. Notice, Paul believes fear is a spirit, actually a demon. Fear says, “I trust in a negative outcome”; that is, “If anything bad can happen, it will.”

Something else that can drive out or kill our faith is wealth. Ever notice how many rich folks live as though they don’t need God? They believe, falsely, that they came into their wealth through their own power or canny strategies. When one of these folks truly come to faith, it’s amazing as they tend then to do good things for others with their money, contributing generously to charitable causes.

Nevertheless, Jesus maintains that the cares of this world can and do discourage and drown out our faith.

4.) But “Good Soil people” hold onto our faith, despite the world, the flesh, and the devil. Jesus says these folks bring in a harvest, of varying sizes depending upon their influence and opportunities. Their faith is contagious and commended.

By now, you have noticed that I like to try to find the link between our lectionary readings—sometimes this link is more obvious than at others.

A. Our Psalm (119:105-112) connects to Jesus’ parable about the soils because it focuses on reading and meditating on God’s Word (spoken, written and in-fleshed in Jesus) as a primary means of nourishing our faith. This theme is also stated in Isaiah 55:10-11As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word, that goes out from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

The psalmist is saying essentially the same thing: God’s Word provides light for steps taken in darkness. It provides a standard against which to measure our behavior. It guides us in ways to keep us close to God.

B. Paul, in Romans 8:1-11, is reassuring us that if we are in Christ (his famous concept that we accrue many blessings by maintaining a close, personal relationship with Jesus), we will not be condemned or rejected by God. Even though our carnal/fleshly nature continues to lure us into sinful activity, our spirit nature—assisted and strengthened by the Holy Spirit—can help us overcome this warp in our DNA. Again, as in Chapter 7, he makes the point that we cannot walk out the Christian life by our own will-power. We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit (like a booster rocket) to overcome sin’s gravitational pull.

As Paul writes (v.11) And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through His Spirit who lives in you. The Holy Spirit provides us with power to overcome fleshly, worldly, or devilish temptations. The Holy Spirit is called the paraclete or helper—like a combination defense attorney and coach—for a reason. He exists to help us become the best we can be, this side of Heaven. The Holy Spirit wants us to develop a strong, unshakable faith in Jesus. Or, as J. Vernon McGee writes, “The Holy Spirit is now able to do the impossible. The Holy Spirit can produce a holy life in the weak and sinful flesh” (J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary, Romans Chapters 1-8, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.138.)

C. Our Genesis 25:19-34 passage once again provides us with examples of all too human attitudes (or soils) toward our faith in God. Since the narrative says Isaac was married at forty (v.19) and had children at sixty (v.26), it is clear that Isaac and Rebekah waited twenty years to have children. Rebekah, like Sarah, Isaac’s mother, was barren, which would have been very hard on them for several reasons:

Remember, before Rebekah left her home to marry Isaac, her parents had prayed that she would be the mother of thousands (Gen 24:60). So they probably had great expectations, which made Rebekah’s barrenness more difficult. Isaac and Rebekah probably thought, “If we are going to fulfill God’s plan of forming a great nation, we have to start popping out kids right away.”

In addition, this waiting would have been hard simply because of cultural expectations. Women were expected to birth children in that culture. It was how the family name was carried on. It was how a work-force was developed. It was how elderly parents were provided for in retirement (there were no 401K’s). To be unable to have multiple children would have been very disconcerting.

Yet notice Isaac’s response to this dilemma: He prayed for his wife to conceive. Last Sunday, we noted that Isaac was a man of prayer. Rather than take matters into his own hands, as his parents had, he takes this problem to the Lord. Isaac is an example of good soil.

Then, when Rebekah does conceive, she experiences turbulence in her stomach. Perhaps due to her husband’s excellent example, she asks God what is going on in her womb. God speaks to her and tells her she is carrying twins who are and will be very different from one another. Identical twins often think the same way, like the same things, and dress the same, but not these two! Just as they are jostling about in her womb, they won’t get along in life either. A larger, stronger nation will come from one of them: This will be Esau (his name means hairy, not Harry; he would also be called Edom or red. Together with his half-Uncle, Ishmael, he will become the father of the Arabs. They will be more numerous and stronger than Israel. Esau will be a skillful hunter, outdoorsy, an athlete, and his father’s favorite. And yet, God’s word continues, Esau will eventually serve his minutes’ younger twin: This will be Jacob (his name means heel-grabber because he was born grasping his twin’s heel, or deceiver). YIKES! What a moniker to carry! He will be a quiet, contemplative man, a chef, and his mother’s favorite.

We are given one more indication of their important differences in the “stew episode.” As a grown-up, Esau reveals himself as a man driven by his fleshly appetites (He is either a rocky ground, or a hard-shelled-thinker). He is a man of his world who gives very little time or thought to God. In trading his birthright—which has long lasting repercussions—for one meal—a temporary pleasure–he forfeits (1) the inheritance of the first-born; (2) being considered the head and priest of his family; and (3) ultimately providing the lineage of Jesus.

At first blush, Jacob, the quiet chef, seems the more godly of the two…but wait! He desires being head and priest of the family, but he is unwilling to wait on God to achieve this. No doubt his mother had told him what God had said over him during her pregnancy; but, like his grandparents before him, he was not willing to wait on God’s timing. He takes the matter into his own hands, ripping off his carnal brother in a moment of Esau’s weakness. Jacob does not appear to be as decadent, but he clearly is a schemer who pulls a fast one on his twin. Jesus would say God’s word has impacted him somewhat, but it has been choked out in his life by the weeds and thorns of fear and ambition. Whereas the flesh and the Devil grab Esau, worldly desires overcome Jacob.

These twin brothers represent a lesson/example in how not to respond to God’s Word. Jacob will later in his life come to a deep, abiding faith in God, but only after he has suffered for his deceit and his willfulness the hard way, through rough experiences and trials in God’s “divine woodshed,” a.k.a., his unscrupulous Uncle Laban.

Our Scripture passages today make it clear that we can’t elevate them all. We can’t even elevate ourselves without the supernatural help of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray: Lord, help us to be persons of prayer and of strong faith—good soil persons like Isaac. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ–and by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit! Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Immature Christians

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 12, 2023

Scriptures: Deut 30:15-20; Ps 119:1-8; 1 Cor 3:1-9; Matt 5:21-37

About 10 years ago, I was teaching Introductory Psychology at Santa Fe College, in Gainesville, Florida, when I had in my class a young man on the autism spectrum, likely diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder. He was 18 years old, earnest, and smart, but also very concrete in his thinking. He seemed not to be able to comprehend abstract ideas. He told me he had an older brother who was a pharmacist, and his perception was that his brother was their parent’s favorite. He told me how hard he worked to be just as good as his brother, academically, and how important it was to him to make A’s to impress his parents. I noticed in the parking lot that he drove a brand new Ford Mustang GT with racing stripes, so his parents must have favored him more than he acknowledged.

Now the study of Psychology involves a great number of abstract ideas, so I was worried that he would not score well on my tests. Sure enough, he failed the first one. Given the amount of pressure he put on himself, I suspected his reaction to his score would be one of intense disappointment. What I was not prepared for was his startling behavior.

When the other students filed out of the classroom, he threw himself on the floor and had a temper tantrum like that of a 2 or 3 year old. He flailed his arms and legs. He screamed and cried. Believe me, I felt compassion for him in his distress; however, his behavior was thoroughly inappropriate for a college student.

I stood near him and told him, calmly, to stop that. I said his tantrum was not age appropriate. I asked him to get up off the ground and to seek the free counseling that the college offered (which he later did). He needed to learn to control his anger and to manage his distress, and he needed to learn to express negative emotions in an age-appropriate manner. Such a response was immature and would only earn him his peers’ and his professors’ contempt.

Immaturity is the issue that Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. Let’s back up for just a minute and put Paul’s concern into context. In chapter #2, he had divided humankind into two classes of people: the unsaved and the saved. The unsaved he also called the natural man, or the fleshly man. Such persons either reject the idea that God exists– they are atheists–or, they worship gods they create in their own image, and we call them idolaters. Or they cling to their own wills, believing spiritual things are foolish. They are so fascinated by their own intellects that they believe they can save themselves (I have met many like this in academia).

Paul contrasted the unsaved with the saved or spiritual man. This man or woman has accepted Christ. They are spiritual enough, or practical enough, or wise enough to realize (1) they can receive the wisdom of God; but, (2) they cannot attain righteousness on their own. On other words, they know cannot save themselves—they need Jesus.

Now, in chapter 3, he further divides Christians (the saved; spiritual persons) into two classes: Paul asserts there are Mature Christians, who are cooperating with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. You can see evidence that their life has changed since they came to know Jesus. They are not perfect, but they do most everything they do with the awareness that God is watching. A church in Live Oak has on their sign, “God saw that.” I think that’s funny. It’s also true since God is omniscient and omnipresent. He does see everything. Furthermore, mature Christians do most everything they do with a desire to please the Lord. They are also future thinking, often considering what might be the eternal consequences of their current actions and words. They are constantly learning from Jesus and/or Scripture and desire to share what they learn with others.

Then there are also what Paul calls Carnal or Immature Christians. They are Christians who look like and live like everyone else in the culture. Coming to know Jesus has not changed them at all. The Greek word for carnal is sarkikos, which means fleshly. In Latin and in French, carna means sensual. Thus, the word carnival comes from carna vale—or farewell to the flesh. This is why many cultures celebrate the Tuesday before Lent starts—Fat Tuesday—as the last opportunity for gluttony allowed before the traditional deprivations of Lent set in. This is who Paul meant when he wrote in Philippians 3:19 [they are the ones]…whose god is their belly. Paul thinks of them as “spiritual infants;” they are as immature acting as my former student.

Paul tells them he fed them milk, the basics, because they were too immature to digest meat. They may have come to know Biblical stories, but were probably not familiar with Biblical doctrine. When I arrived at a church in New Orleans to assist my friend, the lead pastor, we discovered the staff were all reading The DaVinci Code, by Dan Brown. They did not understand why Jesus would not have impregnated Mary Magdalene and left behind a child the Catholic Church worked hard to deny. We shared with them the doctrine that Jesus was sinless as he walked the earth. He needed to be in order to save us. Also, He would not have committed fornication, nor would He marry only to have shirked His responsibility as a husband or father. The staff were “baby Christians.” They hadn’t really studied Scripture (which is both milk, bread, meat, honey), like the Corinthians. Or perhaps they had studied God’s Word, but they had not digested the hard truths they found there (like in today’s Gospel lesson). They weren’t cooperating with the Holy Spirit, so there was no spiritual fruit in their lives, little grace for others, and no true desire to live a life pleasing to Christ.

In verses 1-3, Paul says that the Corinthians are immature, worldly, and carnal Christians. He is convinced his assessment is accurate due to their (a) quarreling (strife)—they are too fascinated with fallen humans; (b) jealousy of (and gossip about) one another; (c) factions; and (d) the fact that they allow gross immorality to go on in their fellowship in the name of toleration. He then reverts back to his arguments of chapter #1they are being carnal, immature Christians when they try to elevate Paul over Apollos, or vice versa. There is not to be any competition, as both are servants of God who do different aspects of God’s work: Paul planted the church and the “seed” of God’s Word in their hearts. Apollos then “watered” that seed as the great preacher and teacher who God used to deepen their faith. They were a kind of one-two punch for Jesus!

Paul wants them and us to be sure that God alone gets the glory. It’s not who the preacher or teacher is–not their personality or their skill set; not even whether we like them or not. It is, instead, whether God is using that person! He rarely ever uses only one person. I have heard other pastors criticize an Ed Young, Jr. and a Joel O’Steen because they preach “Gospel light.” They are both invested in attracting nonbelievers to Jesus. Once people have accepted Christ, they probably then move on to someone like Ed Young, Sr., Charles Stanley, or Dr. David Jeremiah to dig down deep to experience being discipled in the faith. I believe God uses many persons of differing skill sets to bring us to a full, mature faith. Again, Paul, Peter, and Apollos did not compete with one another. All three were doing the work assigned to him, under Christ’s Lordship.

Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 is that he wants both the Corinthian Church, and us, to grow up in our faith! (Remember, I told you last week that God told me to “Grow up!” because I am usually reluctant to preach from Paul’s letters?)

We become mature Christians when we marinate ourselves in God’s Word, the Bible. Make it a practice to read a passage daily. If you don’t understand it, get a study Bible and/or a good commentary to help you. Ponder what you have read and notice how opportunities to apply it come up in your daily life. When I was doing fulltime therapy with folks, I often found the Scripture I had read that morning was immediately relevant to what they were going through, and because it was fresh on my mind, I could share it with them. The Bible consists of God’s thoughts–God’s wisdom–written down for our benefit, ”The Word of God for the people of God.” Let what it says begin to guide your behavior. Let what it says begin to corral and transform your thoughts. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you change the way you live and think so that you line up with how Jesus lived and how He thinks.

We become mature Christians as we notice things like gross immorality in our culture—like drag shows for toddlers and sex change operations for children—and refuse to participate in it ourselves. Pray that those who practice these things come to a saving faith in Jesus, rather than summarily condemning them. Instead of condemning corrupt politicians, pray they discover Christ. Instead of seeking revenge, pray the evil-doer has a life transforming experience with the God you know and love. Finally, look for opportunities to offer nonbelievers knowledge about Jesus. This could include your personal testimony about how faith in Him has changed your life. It might also involve sharing the truth that all of the addictions or immoral practices people are using to fill the God-shaped hole in their lives will never satisfy them as Jesus can and will.

Thanks be to God who desires to grow us up into Mature Christians through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia! Alleluia!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Our Starting Point, Our Standing Place

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 5, 2023,

Scriptures: Isa 58:1-12; Ps 112:1-10; 1 Cor 2:1-16; Matt 5:13-20

Over my years here, you have probably realized that I don’t usually preach from the writings of Paul. I find him often difficult to understand and more often addressing theological points rather than everyday life. But this week, the Lord told me it was time for me to “Grow up!” So, today I will focus on the second chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church. In chapter #2, he focuses on our correct starting point with Jesus and our secure standing point.

But first, let’s look at some humorous examples of various starting points:

(1) Great grandma’s recipe for chicken and dumplings: First, catch a chicken (Aren’t we glad we don’t have to do this today?). I remember this as a little child. My grandparents had a few chickens. Saturday afternoon they would kill one; my grandmother would pluck the feathers and clean it out, and then cook it for Sunday dinner.

(2) In the 1920’s, the University of Michigan had a famous football coach named Fielding Harris Yost. One season, Michigan had been badly beaten by Notre Dame, one of their major archrivals. The atmosphere on the train trip back to Ann Arbor was silent and dismal, as players waited to be thoroughly chewed out. Eventually, Yost stood up in the aisle to address the team. In a calm manner, and with a solemn demeanor, Yost held up a football and explained, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

(3) You may have noticed that I struggle with my weight. Both of my grandmothers were plump (I always thought they were “fluffy” and provided such comfortable laps for a child), so I think I may have been genetically primed to carry extra pounds. At any rate, I have tried almost every diet plan known to humankind: Weight Watchers; The Daniel Diet (based on what Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ate in Nebuchadnezzar’s court); Jenny Craig; The Maker’s Diet (consisting of vegetables like leeks and grains like spelt found in Old Testament times); Keto; and GoLo (or as my son calls it, “NoGo.”). Even when I struggle to take the excess pounds off, I cannot seem to preserve or maintain a reduced weight. I can start, but I can’t seem to successfully stand. Here’s the truth: I know the secret of weight loss, but I just enjoy eating too much of the wrong things. The most effective weight loss strategy—the starting point and the standing place of weight loss–boils down to this truth: Eat Less, Move More.

(Ideas borrowed from the Revs. John Fairless and Delmer Cilton, The Lectionary Lab Commentary, Year A, 2013, p.51.)

Again, I believe this is where the apostle Paul is coming from as he addresses the Church in Corinth (Greece) (1 Corinthians 2:1-16). Here’s the historic situation: Paul had established this church, in about 18 months, from 49-50 AD. The city was a sea port of Greece, numbering about 400,000, and populated by sailors, soldiers, and tradespeople of many races, nationalities, and belief systems. Additionally, it offered more than 1,000 male and female prostitutes to copulate with “worshipers” of the goddess Aphrodite and the god Apollo, in fertility rites.

Needless to say, the prevailing lifestyles were carnal ones—a lot like present day Las Vegas, which panders to about every addiction know to humankind–focused on meeting all sorts of human “needs.”

Since founding the church, a number of problems had arisen, so Paul wrote this first letter to them, from Ephesus, to address the 5 most troubling dilemmas:

(1) Divisions—those who preferred Apollos, or Peter, or Paul. He made short work of this issue in chapter 1. Christianity is not a cult of personality. We are all followers of Jesus Christ. We are to keep our focus on Jesus…End of story (Starting point, standing place).

(2) A case of a man sleeping with his stepmother—YIKES! This sin was a “notorious” one because everyone in Corinth knew about it. It was a disturbing example to nonbelievers. In a later chapter Paul gives the church a choice: the man can stop having sex with his stepmother and repent, or he can be expelled from the church.

(3) Law suits between members. Paul says, “God forbid!” This is not behavior grounded in Christian love. It is also a poor witness to nonbelievers. Paul wants the Corinthians to forgive as they have been forgiven.

(4) Abuses of Christian freedom (using grace as an excuse to continue to live as though we don’t know Jesus). Again, in a later chapter, Paul says in essence, “No, we really don’t have the freedom to do wrong.”

We are to remember that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. When we fornicate or commit adultery, we bring Jesus into that illicit relationship. Again, YIKES!

(5) And, finally, he addressed the general chaos he had heard reigned during communion. People were hogging the bread and getting drunk on communion wine. Paul calls this a violation of the law of love and charity with our neighbor. It was selfish, indulgent behavior. We are to receive communion decently and in order, not taking more than our fair share.

He begins, in chapter two, to instruct (and correct) them by returning to the starting point, the basics: Remember, before you cook a chicken, you need to have one on hand. If you want to win at football, you need to know how to handle the ball (knowing the rules and having some strategic moves doesn’t hurt either). In other words, this is an “eat less, move more” moment for the Church at Corinth. The basic starting point (and standing place) for the Christian Church is (v.2) …Jesus Christ and Him crucified [and resurrected].

Paul then goes on to tell them (vv.3-4) he is not a great orator or a gifted debater, both of which were skills highly prized by Greeks I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. He spoke as an ordinary person, not caring to draw attention to himself as a great preacher. He claims he had no eloquent words, no clever arguments; just “the Word of God for the People of God.” He says he preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, so all the glory would go not to him but to the Lord.

Next, he reminds them (vv.6-8) that salvation was purchased for us by the Son, but it was planned by the Father. Paradoxically, the Gospel is both simple and exceedingly complex–simple enough for an illiterate or uneducated person to grasp; but also so profound that it challenges the most brilliant minds. He stresses that the “lost”—and even immature believers—won’t get it. Jesus Christ crucified for our sins may seem ridiculous (foolishness) to nonbelievers. Nonbelievers of that day said, He was a nobody from nowhere of importance! And, He was executed as a criminal! Even Satan thought he had defeated Jesus at the Cross. Jesus’ death on the Cross is a mystery, a sacred secret, an unveiling of God’s plan from Old Testament times. These truths were hidden in the Old Testament (hinted at by the prophets, but not explained). They were also hidden from the unsaved world, people like Pilate and Herod, and others who encountered Jesus and never suspected Who He really was: The Son of God; The Creator and Redeemer of the World.

But Paul then asserts that these truths were revealed to us, by the Holy Spirit, and through the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And Paul and the other apostles all devoted their lives to sharing them with anyone who wanted to understand.

This wisdom is still valid and applicable to our lives today. In verses 9-10, Paul quotes from Isaiah 64:4 ’What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’—the things God has prepared for those who love Him—these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit has revealed to us God’s thoughts, God’s wisdom. After all, Deep speaks to deep (Psalm 42:7);

(V.13) —This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. God’s thoughts have been preserved for us in God’s Word (the Bible).

Paul wants the Corinthians and us to know that our standing place is secure in Jesus Christ. We don’t have to placate a group of immoral immortals, as pagans do their gods (who often act like out-of-control humans). Our God has done the work of salvation for us. We simply have to say, “Yes, Lord, I believe.” Paul also wants us and them to realize that because we love Jesus, we have the mind of Christ. Through Christ, we are redeemed or ransomed. Through Christ, we are made right with God the Father (our sin is washed away by Jesus’ blood). Through Christ, we are sanctified, set apart for God’s service as works in progress. In Christ, we come to understand the wisdom of God.

So what’s the point for us today in modern-time America? We start right and stand firm/true when we accept and believe that Jesus Christ has saved us. This is not a faith based on human wisdom, but on the wisdom of God–even if nonbelievers consider it to be far-fetched.

As a result, those of us who are in Christ can say that, “Every Day is a good day.” It might not always look like it. It might not always feel like it. But think of this: We close our service each Sunday with a portion of the Kenyan (African, Anglican) liturgy…

All our problems…we send to the Cross of Christ.

All our difficulties…we send to the Cross of Christ.

All the devil’s works…we send to the Cross of Christ.

And all of our hopes…we set on the Risen Christ.

The purpose of this is to remind us, as we leave worship to go out into the world again, that we can give every trouble we encounter to Jesus. We can stand firm on the fact that He is able to take care of it all. We can also stand firm on the knowledge that Jesus Christ is our hope.

Our starting point and our standing place is this: Jesus Christ and Him crucified…and raised from the dead. Halleluiah! Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

What Does God Want From Me?

Pastor Sherry’s message for January 29, 2023

Scriptures: Micah 6:1-8; Ps 15; 1 Cor 1:18-31; Matt 5:1-12

I heard an interesting, true story this week: A high school student I know—Jake–was called down to the office and told another kid—Sam–had accused him of bringing drugs to school to sell. Now Sam had been caught red-handed with illegal substances. When the school authorities asked where Sam got the drugs, he falsely named Jake. They brought Jake in, told him what he had been accused of, and searched him. Jake defended himself by saying he doesn’t do drugs and he certainly would neither bring them to school nor sell them. Because they had Sam’s story 1st, the authorities seemed reluctant to believe Jake. They frisked him and searched his locker and backpack but found nothing. Finally, they let Jake return to class yet would not tell him the name of the student who had falsely accused him.

The grown-ups must have forgotten that this is a small town. Word got out—as it generally always does–and Jake learned the identity of his accuser. Jake’s parents were furious at Sam—and wanted to address the matter with Sam’s parents straight away–but Jake asked them to let him handle the situation. Jake calmly confronted Sam, asking him why he had lied about him. Sam “stone-walled,” would not answer Jake, and would not give him eye-contact.

I was appalled when I heard this and I wondered if this is indicative of the value system of most teens today. Jake, a Christian, has taken a wise stance: he is now praying for his false-accuser…Praying that Sam would come to know Jesus; and Praying that Sam would regret lying and trying to get an innocent person into trouble. I commend him and would only add my hope that Sam comes to know the 10 Commandments—bearing false witness is #9.

Thinking about this incident over the last few days, I realized Jake’s response is right out of our Micah 6:1-8 lesson, as well as our psalm and Gospel:

The prophet Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah in Judea, and of Amos and Hosea in Samaria, during the 8th century BC. It was a time of great prosperity and wealth in Judah. It was also a time of extensive apostasy. Political corruption was rampant; the rich and powerful felt free to exploit those who were weaker; and many had fallen away from God.

When they did worship Him, their worship was pro-forma, mind-less and rote. Mostly, they just went through the motions. And their moral behavior was despicable. Actually, they were behaving a lot like modern Americans today.

So God appointed Micah as a “whistle-blower” to his time period. His job was to challenge the people on their arrogance, dishonesty, and hypocrisy. He was also tasked with warning them of the judgment to come if they did not turn back to the Lord.

Chapter 6:1-8 forms the climax of Micah’s prophesy: He portrays God as confronting Judah, as though they were adversaries in a court of law.

Listen to Peterson’s paraphrase (The Message) of verses 1-2–Take your stand in court. If you have a complaint, tell the mountains [powerful nations]; make your case to the hills [smaller. Less influential nations]. And now, Mountains, hear God’s case; listen, Jury Earth—For I am bringing charges against My people, I am building a case against Israel. God is telling the world to watch and listen.

But instead of going on the offensive, God asks what He is guilty of that His people have all but abandoned Him. He reminds them of their salvation history with Him:

(1) He has rescued them slavery in Egypt.

(2) He provided them with good leaders like Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

(3) When the king of Moab, Balak, hired the false prophet Balaam to curse them, God protected them by blocking any curses.

(4) He also provided for them when Joshua assumed leadership from Moses (at Shittim), and protected them at Gilgal as they recovered from circumcision. (They had not circumcised anyone on the wilderness march, so all the adult males now needed to take the sign of their covenant with God. Doing so required about 3 days recovery time when they would have been too vulnerable to resist an enemy attack). God had been faithful while they have been faithless.

Then the prophet anticipates the people’s response to God’s indictment: (verses 6-7) —Should we bring an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves? Would God be impressed with thousands of rams, with buckets and barrels of olive oil? Would He be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child, my precious baby, to cancel my sin? They are essentially asking, “What do we do to make amends to God?” “Is God mad because we didn’t do enough?” “Should we do more to try to please Him?” But God does not want extravagant offerings from us. As if we can do something for God! A much later generation will ask the same thing of Jesus, and He will answer (John 6:28-29) —This is the work of God [that you can do], that you believe in Him Whom He has sent [faith in Jesus]. All we can do, and the best we can do, is to have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And in verse 8, Micah summarizes the issue: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Listen to the way Peterson paraphrases it: But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.

They are dwelling in darkness, as are many in our country today. . Psalm 15: 2-3 says [Those who please God are] the one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does not wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. Sam’s behavior demonstrates he is dwelling in darkness. The folks back then—much like many “religious” folks today–are focusing on external religious practices, while neglecting their internal experience of God. They need to know and relate to God’s heart.

So what does Micah mean in verse 8? This side of the Cross, we know that we must believe in Jesus to be saved. What God wants from us is to demonstrate our faith by living a life that pleases Him:

(1) To act justly means to do what is right and truthful in God’s eyes. Sam lied to get the focus off himself—he threw Jake under the bus. If Sam had acted justly, he would have admitted his own fault and left Jake out of it. To act justly means exhibiting honest practices in business; not cheating on your taxes or your spouse; giving your employer a full day’s work for a full day’s pay (and employers should give their workers the pay they have earned; playing by the rules in sports and cards, etc; in other words, doing the right thing in God’s eyes.

(2) To love mercy means to offer others grace—i.e., treat them better than they deserve. Justice is a great starting point, but it’s not enough. Grace is Jake forgiving Sam for having tried to ruin his reputation and get him into trouble. God has saved us, through Jesus, when we did not deserve it. We offer grace to others because Jesus offered/offers it to us.

(3) To walk humbly with our God means to do God’s will instead of our own. Humility says “God made me and He knows what is best for me. I’m not as smart as He is, so I will submit to Him and follow His will.” Pride, on the other hand, says, “I’m in charge of me and I will do what I want to do.” It puts self ahead of God. In fact, it makes self a god instead of the One Who is God. Prideful people lack a “teachable spirit.” They are unwilling to admit they don’t always know what is best and are therefore unwilling to listen to someone who might be wiser or more experienced.

No wonder God says in Isaiah 66:2–But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word.

No wonder Jesus lists humility of spirit as the 1st characteristic to be blessed in the Beatitudes of Matthew. As Peterson phrases it, You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule.

So what’s God want from me, from us? What defines a life that pleases God? First, we must have faith in His Son, Jesus. Next, we try to live a life that is characterized by the following: Acting honestly and rightly; offering grace to others, even when they don’t appear to deserve it; and being humble with regard to God, remembering to be grateful to Him for all of His blessings, and to be obedient to Him, even when it’s hard. I believe Jake pleased God when he confronted Sam face-to-face, rather than castigating him on social media. This righteous behavior took courage and humility. That young man certainly set an example for Sam, and for us.

May we all remember to act justly, offer grace/mercy to others, and walk humbly with our God! Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Praying with Humility and Gratitude

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 23, 2022

Scriptures: Joel 2:23-32; Ps 65; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18; Lk 18:9-14

I have preached here before on the fact that our God answers our prayers. He tends to answer in one of the following ways:

1. Yes, that’s something I am happy to do for you right away.

2. No, I am omniscient and know that would not be good for you.

3. Not yet.

a. I am working out all the intervening variables;

b. Or, I am waiting on you to develop further.

He also likes for us to have an humble attitude toward Him when we pray. In our Gospel Lesson today, Luke 18:9-14, Jesus contrasts the opposite attitudes of the Pharisee and the publican/tax collector.

The Pharisee was a man at the top of the religious ladder of the day. Was he praying out loud or silently? If out loud, how arrogant of him! He appears to be talking to himself, about himself, rather than dialoguing with God. His prayer is a soliloquy, a speech made by himself to himself. Lord, I’m thankful that I am not like other men (v.11)…YIKES! There’s his first mistake. He should have said, “Thank You that You called me to be a Pharisee; I am so happy to serve You and Your people, Lord!” He might have added, “Thank You for keeping me from becoming a robber, an evildoer, an adulterer, or anyone who mistreats others. I know that there, but for the grace of God, go I.” And he would have been very Christ-like to have requested of God, “Lord, I ask you to bless this tax collector and bring him to repentance for any theft or fraud he has committed.” Instead, being very self-focused and lacking humility, he considers himself a cut above other sinners.

The Publican or tax collector, was considered a low-life in that culture (definitely a sinner!). Unlike the Pharisee, however, he seems to have been very well aware of his deficiencies/his sins. He knows that he has denied his nation (as a Roman collaborator); he knows he has alienated himself from his countrymen. The Romans let tax collectors set their own salary, which they did by demanding a certain percentage above what he was required to collect for them. So typically, tax collectors charged extra, taking care of themselves at the expense of their own fellow citizens. Additionally, they didn’t think they needed God or were too ashamed to approach the Lord (We’ve all known people who have said, “If I entered the church, the roof would fall in.)

But notice his prayer, and contrast it with that of the Pharisee: The tax collector admits he’s a sinner! He is humble and humiliated by his past, his present, his bad choices, his wrong actions. He is so aware of his deficiencies before God, he cannot even raise his eyes toward heaven. His prayer is one sentence (v.13): God have mercy on me, a sinner, or God be merciful to me a sinner. This is where we derive The Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It is a famous old prayer uttered from foxholes, places of danger, and traumatic situations.

I once was visiting some friends when someone they knew asked me to minister to their adult daughter. She had been car-jacked at night, kidnapped, and pistol whipped by two men. She feared for her life, sure she would be raped and murdered. She was a believer and knew to pray “The Jesus Prayer” throughout her entire ordeal. The felons took her to a deserted area, blind-folded her, and told her to remove her clothing. She was sure this was the end for her. Suddenly, however, she heard the sounds of the two men running away. She suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress afterward but also knew that God had saved her in answer to her prayer. We believe the men must have seen a large angel behind her who frightened them away.

So what is the right heart attitude? From what attitude should our prayers arise? Not that of the Pharisee—arrogant, going on about how great we are, how much we’ve done for God, how much better we are than others. Rather, Jesus says the right heart attitude, especially when we pray, should be one of humility–and of gratitude. He says in verse 14–For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. We want to approach God humbly, acknowledging and confessing our sinfulness. And, we want to approach God with gratitude for His mercy and love:

Our other lessons today explain why we should pray to God with gratitude:

A. 800 years before Jesus, the prophet Joel warns the Southern Kingdom (Joel 2:23-32) that the Great Tribulation of God’s Judgment is coming. Actually—even now—we haven’t yet seen the End Times. The prophet assures the people that if they repent and turn back to the Lord, He will respond, take pity on them, and call off the conquering Babylonians.

He foretells that they will rejoice in the Lord because…

1.). He will bring life-giving rain (v.23);

2.) He will repay them (v.25) for the years the locusts [enemies; evil-doers] have eaten.

3.) He will provide them with plenty to eat (v. 26);

4.) He will “pour out His Spirit on all people (v.28), empowering them and us to accomplish miraculous things we could never produce in our own.

5.) Best of all (v.28), Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This prophesy predates the saving work of Jesus Christ, but it does infer that redemption is coming.

B. In a similar vein, Psalm 65 is called a “Restoration Psalm” and also prophesies what will occur at Christ’s 2nd Coming: King David wrote it in celebration of God’s goodness to him/us. He knew, historically and personally, that God saves His people from our enemies. He also experienced God’s forgiveness for his (and our) sins. Furthermore, God also draws us near to Him—He wants to be with us!

David recognized that God answers our prayers with what he called (v.5) —awesome deeds of righteousness, and addressed the Lord as, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas…. As a former Sociology major, I believe our younger American generations now—who do not know God—are suffering from what the French Father of Sociology, Emile Durkheim, called, anomie. This is a sense of purposelessness, of alienation. It occurs when people’s lives lack meaning, when they fail to see they have a reason for living. If unrelenting, it leads people to suicide and to other acts of desperation, like running people over in a parade, or shooting strangers in a grocery store. But for those of us who know and believe in God, we always have meaning and purpose in life (See Psalm 139), and, we are never alone!

Finally, David praises God for His loving provision for us.

C. 2 Timothy 4 constitutes Paul’s farewell address: He wants Timothy, his spiritual son, to know he has—(v.7)…fought the good fight, like a loyal soldier; I have finished the race, like an Olympic runner; and I have kept the faith—remember in our Gospel lesson of last week (Luke 18:8), Jesus wondered, When the Son of Man comes [when Jesus returns], will He find faith on the earth? Paul has kept the faith. He was, in fact, martyred for his faith. Paul is encouraging Timothy and us to keep our faith in Jesus, no matter what comes.

Why? Because death for us is not the final word/final chapter! It is a release:

1.) From the battles of life—or, “the rat race;” and

2.) From the frailty and failings of our mortal bodies. It is like a ship being untied from a wharf, freed to sail out to sea.

3.) And it is a release that frees us to accept our final reward, what Paul calls a crown of righteousness (v.8). It’s not a wreath of olive leaves, like the original Olympic winners got, or even a medal, like present day athletic stars. It is something Jesus, the Son of Righteousness, gives to each one of us who loves Him. Truthfully, I don’t know what it is, but I do know that I want it when my time comes. Death is not the end for those of us who love Jesus.

So why should we pray with gratitude in our hearts?

1.) Because our God is our creator, our provider, and our protector.

2.) Because He loves, forgives, and redeems us.

3.) Because He gives our lives meaning and purpose.

4.) Because He is present to us.

5.) Because He hears our prayers and responds to us

6.) And because He rewards us with a new and a better life—and some special reward–on the other side of death.

The next time you are feeling downhearted, discouraged, or alone, grab onto any one of those reasons to feel grateful to God. Remember, our God is for us, not against us. Thanks be to God!

©️2022 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams