Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Advent Joy

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 14, 2025

Scriptures: Isa 35:1-10; Lk 1:46-55; Ja 5:7-10; Matt 11:2-11

You may have heard this illustration before. Josh McDowell used it in his book, More than a Carpenter, Tyndale House, 1977, p.108:

In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ [from 60 major Old Testament prophesies of Jesus]. He says, “The chance that any man might have …fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.” (one hundred quadrillion) Stoner suggests that “we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly… Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?” Stoner concludes, “Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man…providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”

(Peter Stoner and Robert Newman, Science Speaks, Moody Press, 1976, pp.106-112.)

This account gives us some idea of the incredible veracity, the compelling truth of the Biblical claim that Jesus Christ is God’s Messiah. Not only do Stoner’s (and Newman’s) math computations demonstrate that only one person in all of history could have fulfilled just 6 of the 60 major Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah, but that Jesus–and only Jesus–was the one person who satisfied these prophesies (He also satisfied the other 52 major and 270 minor ones).

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent and we just lit the candle representing Joy (and prophesy) in our Advent Wreath. Doesn’t it bring you great joy to realize we worship the One, True King, Jesus Christ our Lord? I read this years ago and it solidified in my mind what I already knew in my heart and in my spirit—Jesus is the One and Only, long awaited Messiah. Our Scripture lessons today all testify to His identity and to His saving actions on our behalf:

A. Let’s begin with Luke 1:46-55, known as Mary’s Magnificat, a psalm of praise to God from the newly pregnant Mother of Jesus. Mary realizes a great honor is being bestowed upon her to become what the ancient Greek Christians would later call the theotokis or God-bearer.  In those days, to be chosen to bear the Messiah was every Jewish girl’s dream. Even though having a child out of wedlock could prove dangerous (she could have been stoned) and embarrassing for her before her family and her small community, Mary believes the Angel Gabriel’s announcement and rejoices in God’s choice of her. She then composes a song in which she primarily praises God. How humble and obedient she was! We could expect the whole psalm to say, “YIPPEE, God picked ME! Hooray, I was His choice!” But instead she proclaims (vv.47-49, NLT)—Oh how my soul praises the Lord, how my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations shall call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy and He has done great things for me. She recognizes that God has truly honored her, and she modestly admits her delight.

But then she proceeds to glorify God for what He is doing through her for His people. She shifts the focus from herself, and sets it upon God’s actions. She proceeds to praise Him for… (1) His mercy to those who respect and revere Him; (2) His past works of power; (3) His surprising, unexpected propensity to reverse worldly fortunes: The lowly are raised up, while the lofty and self-reliant are brought low; and 4) His fulfillment of His promises to Israel: A king from the lineage of David, and a Messiah who will bless all nations on earth. Can’t you just hear her joy as she delights in the plans of God the Father and in the future redeeming work of her soon-to-be-born son?!

B. Just prior to our Gospel lesson today, Matthew 11:2-11, Jesus has sent the 12 out to put into practice all He has taught them.

Meanwhile, He does not sit idle, but continues to preach and teach. John the Baptist (JtB), has been imprisoned for some time now, and—as often happens—he begins to doubt his earlier faith that his cousin Jesus is the Messiah. Remember, he was the forerunner, the prophet to announce Jesus’ arrival. But, rotting away in a dungeon, he begins to doubt his previous certainty. He deploys two of his disciples to ask Jesus (v.3) Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else? 

No doubt JtB expected Jesus to set him free. After all, Jesus’ job description from Isaiah 61:1 promised that Jesus would—…proclaim that captives [would] be released and prisoners [would] be freed. John was probably expecting his immediate emancipation. He may have also been frustrated that it was taking Jesus so long to usher in His Kingdom on earth.

But instead of sending word of eminent release, Jesus reiterates from Isaiah 61:1 that the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.

Because He does not reiterate that He will also (NIV)—proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, JtB learns Jesus will not be initiating a jail break. Yes, John, your cousin is the Messiah you proclaimed at the beginning of His earthly ministry; but no, He will not be commuting your sentence. 

Jesus does not meet JtB’s personal hopes. Apparently, it suited God’s purposes for JtB to leave the scene (decrease) so that Jesus’ ministry could increase. If you have watched the various scenes from “The Chosen,” you may have encountered the one that focuses on JtB’s execution. It what seemed to me to be so poignant, the writers have John look out a window, as the executioner’s ax is lifted above his head, and see a lamb grazing. It is as though the Lord wanted to remind him in his last moments that he had done a good job of telling others He was and is the Lamb of God. Jesus does proclaim to those He was teaching that JtB was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Hopefully, John understood this need to exit the world stage and had prepared himself to meet his Maker.

C. In fact, JtB probably knew Isaiah 35:1-10, a Messianic prophesy from 700 years before Jesus’ birth. He would have remembered that in the predicted Messianic or Mellenial Age (the 1000 year reign of Christ) that the material earth will be restored to the time before the Fall. As a consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin, God had cursed the ground and the serpent—not the humans. True, life would be harder than it had been for them in the Garden, but only the physical earth and Satan were actually cursed. Paul will later assert (Romans 8:22)—We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Paul had learned from Jesus that creation, too, would be redeemed at Jesus’ 2nd Coming.

Additionally, JtB would recall that the bodies of human beings will be renewed. Verses 5-6 promise that—…the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Think of the vast swath of desert land in our southwest, or the enormous Sahara in North Africa. These lands will be renewed and covered with vegetation and flowers.

Though Jesus accomplished the healing of many individuals in His 1st Advent—we really have no idea of how very many He healed–when He comes again, all of humankind will be spiritually, physically, and emotionally restored. How can we learn this and not experience a welling up within our hearts and spirits of great joy?!!

D. No wonder we have the James 5:7-10 passage. The 2nd coming of Jesus Christ will right all that is now wrong with our world. However, as James counsels us, we need to (v.7)—Be patient, then, brothers [and sisters] until the Lord’s coming. Scripture has told us what to expect.

We just need to wait with faith, as a farmer waits for his/her crops to grow.

We should get ourselves ready to receive our King. James counsels us not to let Him catch us gossiping about or negatively judging others. And we can and should meditate on the lives of the prophets, including JtB, as we wait. They all prophesied the wonders to come In Jesus, but did not get to see them manifest in their own lives.

An anonymous author once wrote: 

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.

(Quoted in www.sermoncentral.com, 12/10/2025)

Thank God the Father sent us a Savior! We all needed saving from the penalty of death for our sins and from our carnal tendencies to seek out and indulge in sin. We all needed a divine rescue! We needed the gift of Jesus! 

The song in our hearts today could very well be Beethoven’s Ode to Joy (Music by Beethoven; lyrics by Henrr Van Dyke):

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of Love;

Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, praising Thee, the Sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day.

All Thy works with joy surround thee, earth & heaven reflect Thyrays;

Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise,

Field and forest, vale and mountain, blooming meadow, flashing sea,

Chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessings, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest;

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother; all who live in love= thine;

Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Lord, please fill our hearts with Joy during this Advent Season. Amen and Amen!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

True, Lasting Peace

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 7, 2025

Scriptures: Isa 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-8, 18-19; Ro 15:4-23; Matt 3:1-12

The story is told that…

”Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. 

(Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46, as shared on www.sermons.com, 12/3/2025).

This is how we think of true peace, isn’t it? It isn’t the absence of trouble or turmoil, but rather the ability to tune into an inner resource of trust in our God in the midst of commotion and turbulence. This is what Scripture refers to as the peace that passes all understanding (Philippeans 4:7). It doesn’t depend on our circumstances, the thunderous waterfall, the stormy clouds threatening rain, wind, lightening, and thunder. Like that mother bird, we can nest comfortably despite noise and agitating circumstances, because this peace depends upon the quality of our relationship with Christ Jesus. This peace is available to us through prayer—our prayers to the Lord; or asking a friend to pray for us. It is possible for us to achieve this peace. When I counsel anyone, I always rely on a “prayer sandwich.” I begin with prayer that the Lord would help the person calm, order their thoughts, and bring up whatever the Lord wants to heal in our session. At the end of our time together, I offer up to Jesus what the person has shared, asking Him to heal them and help them to experience His presence. Often I have witnessed people cry because at this point because they are so touched by having had someone pray exclusively for them. This tends to send them on their way with the peace that passes understanding.

But the peace described in our Old Testament lesson (Isaiah 11:1-10) today is that dreamed of peace that will come only when Jesus returns to earth a second time. Let’s examine the passage so we know what to look forward to when the time comes.

It consists of a promise from God the Father to the Israelites. It dates from before the time of their 70 exile in Babylon. The Father is going to discipline them for their continuous idolatry and for centuries of rebellion toward Him. From 605 to 586 BC, in a series of 3 deportations, He will allow the Babylonians to defeat and take them off. Some were given good jobs in Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, Abenego, and Daniel—all Israelite princes—were trained for and entrusted with high government positions; so was Mordecai, Queen Esther’s uncle. Others were employed as shopkeepers or craftsmen. But most were enslaved. So God is telling them, even before all this happens, that—despite all evidence to the contrary—He will not have forgotten about them. He will return them to the Land of Promise, Israel; and He will provide for them a new king, Jesus.

Isaiah 11:1-10 is one of the great Messianic Prophecies of Scripture: The prophet proclaims that Jesus is coming a second time, when He will prove to be the best of all Kings. His titles transcend any description of a mere mortal. Back in Isaiah 9:6-7, we are told: For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign of David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The ZEAL of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. In today’s passage, we are told two things: (1) What equips Him to live into these titles; and (2) what His Kingdom will be like, when He finally comes to rule and reign on earth.

Verses 1-3 tell us about His empowerment. Both at His first and His second coming, Jesus will restore the Kingship begun centuries before by King David. There were no additional Davidic kings after the final deportation in 586BC. Kings ruled Jerusalem and Judea, but they were appointed by Rome & were often not even Jewish. Most only gave grudging lip service to God. But Isaiah tells us the Father will usher in King Jesus, a shoot …from the stump of Jesse [David’s father], a branch that will bear fruit (tree = metaphor for Kingdom). Jesus is of the lineage of King David, both from His mother’s side and even his step-father’s. However, because Jesse, David’s father, was a farmer and a shepherd, it can be assumed that Jesus’ beginnings will be rural, humble. He is a commoner whose ancestors were kings. 

He will bear fruit—be effective—because He will be empowered by the Holy Spirit: He will have the Spirit’s wisdom and understanding. He will rule with practical, ethical, and moral skillfulness. He will also have the ability to decide between opposite views accurately. As a college student, I helped with debate contests, not debating myself, but keeping time or whatever was needed. I can remember hearing one side of the debate topic and thinking, “Well, that made sense,” only to become confused as I head the opposite arguments. I realized I had difficulty deciding between two persuasive but opposing contentions. Jesus will be able to see through clever arguments to the truth of any situation, especially as regards discerning evil from good. He will provide wise, powerful counsel, but will need no advice from humans. He will instill knowledge and awe of God. Peterson paraphrases it this way (The Message, p.1226) the life-giving Spirit of God will hover over Him, the Spirit that brings wisdom & understanding, the Spirit that gives direction and builds strength, the Spirit that instills knowledge and Fear-of-God. Fear-of-God will be all His joy and delight. He will maintain a righteous relationship with God the Father. With Him, there will be no idolatry, no sin, and no rebellious actions. He will do only what pleases the Father.

There will be no one wiser, smarter, or more compassionate than Jesus. Think of His amazing parables; think of His saving, healing acts; think of the many ways He blessed His people. This was true at His First Advent, as a poor, itinerant rabbi and it will be true when He returns at His Second Coming, as the Great and Sovereign King of the Universe.

His Kingdom, when He comes again in Glory, will be one of astonishing justice and peace! In verses 3-5, Isaiah declares—He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.  When Jesus returns, He will not be swayed by appearances, slick arguments, or the presentations of high-powered attorneys. Nor will He fall for shrewd manipulations or clever appeals to legal loopholes. He will supernaturally discern the truth and will decide disputes with true justice. Again, as Peterson paraphrases (pp. 1226-1227): His words will bring everyone to awed attention. A mere breath from His lips will topple the wicked. Each morning He’ll pull on sturdy work clothes and boots and build righteousness and faithfulness in the land. His rule will conform to the will of God. With virtue, He will do the work of God Himself.

Because of His meeting out of true justice, true, lasting peace will reign in the world. The nature of the world will change: Violent predators will coexist peacefully with their prey. Innocent children will be able to lead them out to graze and back in again without fear. A baby will be able to safely play where once only danger lurked. This change in world order did not occur with the First Advent, but it will with the Second. There will be no more pain, evil, or harm. Everyone will be submitted to the rule and reign of Christ. Oh, happy day! I want to be there to experience it, don’t you?!

This passage assures us that there in a glorious future ahead. With the Second Coming of Christ, the peace of the Garden of Eden will be restored. Oppressors will be judged and punished. All of us will be delivered from liars, cheats, scam-artists, thieves, even Satan, and of course the threat of death. Meanwhile , may we all be like that mother bird. May the peace that passes all understanding abide in you this Advent season, as we await the true, lasting peace of Christ. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. Come, let us adore Him.

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Ready or Not …

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 30, 2025

Scriptures: Isa 2:1-5; Ps 122; Ro 13:11-14; Matt 24:36-44

I thank God I am a little older than I was years ago!: I’ve learned to slow down and not expect as much of myself or of others as I did when I was younger.: About this time of year, I would “get my panic on,” thinking of all the things I “had to do” to get ready for Christmas:

(1) It began with filling a Shoe-box or two, or 10, for Operation Christmas Child.

(2) Then there was the Thanksgiving feast to prepare and hold.

(3) Next I felt compelled to decorate my house, inside and out for Christmas.

(4) And don’t forget my need to survey the Black Friday sales for potential gifts for family and friends.: Be sure to locate and purchase them, then wrap them.

(5) I couldn’t neglect Christmas cards, especially for friends and family who live far away—you know, the ones you only communicate with once a year.

(6) Then I felt compelled to fit in a visit to Christmas on the Square and the Christmas parade here in Live Oak.

(7) I would attempt to find out what gifts my kids and grandchildren particularly wanted.

(8) Daily, I would hum Christmas carols wherever I went and even in the shower. 

(9) I would try to participate in decorating the Church—thanks to all of you who came out to help yesterday.: Isn’t it beautiful?

(10) And finally, I would also try to get my mind into the right head space, remembering that “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

Were you ever this obsessed? I hope not!: I would work for weeks like my hair was on fire!: If you were like me—as a younger person—you reached Christmas afternoon exhausted and on your last nerve.

Fortunately, now that we have more age and experience, we realize it’s not about doing all these things—and doing them perfectly or with panache—but it’s about being.: We can eliminate a lot of the hustle and hassle we used to enforce upon ourselves in this season, and focus on having the right heart attitude as we await the Advent arrival of King Jesus.  

We lit the candle of Hope on this first Sunday of Advent, 2025, because our hope is in our Lord.: Consider this anonymous poem:

Philosophy says:: Think your way out.”

Indulgence says:: “Drink [or eat] your way out.”

Politics [government] says: “Spend your way out.”

Science says:: “Invent your way out.”

Industry says:: “Work your way out.”

Communism says: “Strike your way out.”

Fascism says:: “Bluff [bully] your way out.”

Militarism says:: “Fight your way out.”

The Bible says: “Pray your way out, but…

Jesus Christ says:: “I am the way [out]….”

(J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Isaiah, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.29.)

Our hope is in Jesus…Who He revealed Himself to be in His First Coming; and Who Scripture predicts Him to be in His Second.

Oddly enough on this first Sunday of Advent, our Scripture lessons today all focus on Jesus’ Second Coming:

A. Jesus Himself warns us to be ready for this great event in our Gospel, Matthew 24:36-44.: He says no one—not even He Himself—knows the hour or the day the Father has determined for His return to earth.

It could come as suddenly as the flood in Noah’s day.: People then were blithely unconcerned, oblivious about what was to happen.: They were just going about their lives as if God did not exist.: They were not ready when the flood waters came and swept them away.: I believe Jesus was thinking about the Rapture when He remarked that suddenly one person will disappear while another will be left behind.: Similarly, if burglars break into your home while you are away, you are shocked, stunned, and regret not having been better prepared.: I taught school years ago with a friend in Rhode Island who lived in Providence, on a corner, in a very nice neighborhood near Brown University.: Her family owned a summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, that she and her husband would visit frequently.: Three times while they were out of town their house was robbed.: It seems that burglars then believed houses on corners belonged to wealthier persons (as they are taxed more), so that they expected the loot they would pilfer would be of a higher quality.: She bemoaned the fact that the thieves never took her grandmother’s china, an expensive but unattractive pattern, but stole much of her other valuable stuff.: Three robberies undermined her sense of safety and security in her home and she and her husband ended up moving.: The point Jesus is making, though, is that no one knows the hour or the day of His return, so we need to get ready and live ready.

B. Paul picks up the same theme in Romans 13:11-14.: He sees our need to be ready as crucial (v.11, NLT): This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is:: time is running out.: Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.: He urges us to get ready and stay ready to meet our Lord in person.: He writes, (v.12): So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.: He wants us to behave ourselves, to not give into our carnal natures (v.13): Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in: sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.: He insists we can best be ready for Jesus’ 2nd coming by clothing ourselves with Christ—i.e., act like Jesus.

C. The prophet Isaiah (2:1-5) shares a vision he had of Jesus in His Millennial reign.: King Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, from the old Temple Mount (Mt. Zion), after He has defeated the forces of evil at the Battle of Armageddon.: The word mountain in the Hebrew means a kingdom, an authority, or a rule.: Jesus’ kingdom, authority, or rule will be based in Jerusalem.: It is from there that He will reign over all the earth.

Jerusalem will then have become the most significant place on earth. People from all over the world will journey there to worship the Lord and to learn from Him. They will recognize and acknowledge His transformational and sovereign power.: Additionally, King Jesus will mediate any and all disputes.Weapons of war will be melted down to become farming implements. There will be no more war between nations.

At that time, we will all walk in the Lord’s light. In other words, our God is the only light that overcomes the darkness of sin and evil. We are currently living in what is known as “The Church Age,” beginning at Pentecost and extending until the Rapture.: At the end of the seven years of the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return to earth to establish His earthly rule, and the Church Age will be replaced by “The Kingdom Age.”: We want to be ready to be inhabitants of that new reality.

 (J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Matthew, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.149.)

D.: Psalm 122 was written by King David and in it he prophesies about Christ’s Millennial Reign in Jerusalem.: Pilgrims traveling to the city for any one of the three great feasts would have sung this psalm after David composed it.: Verses 3-5 form an ode or a majestic poem in praise of the city.: And in verses 6-9, David urges us all to pray for Jerusalem.

The prophet Hosea latter penned these words (Hosea 3:5): …Israel will go a long time without a king or prince, and without sacrifices, sacred pillars, priests, or even idols!: But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their King.: In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of His goodness.: The first part of this prophesy has come true—no king, prince, or Temple worship being practiced currently in Jerusalem.: The second part—the Jews will return to the city and worship the Messiah—awaits Jesus’ Second Coming.

Our Scripture passages all warn us that Jesus is coming again and we need to be prepared.: The Advent season reminds us to ready ourselves.: Consider this reworking of the Night Before Christmas story:

“Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house

Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.

Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care

In hopes that Jesus would not come in there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,

Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head, 

And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap

Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter, 

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

And what to my wondering eyes should appear

But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray

I knew in a moment that this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head.

It was Jesus!: Returning just like He had said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spirt of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand

Was written the name of every saved [woman and] man.

He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;

When He said, “It’s not here,” my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love

He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without sound

While all of the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;

I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight.

Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear:

The coming of Jesus is soon drawing near.

There’s only one life and when comes the last call—

We’ll find that the Bible was true after all.

(Chuck Swindoll, The tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, pp.86-87.)

Ready or not, here He comes!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

King of the Cross

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 23, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 23:1-6; Lk 1:67-80; Col; 1:9-20; Lk 23:32-43

This is Christ the King Sunday.  Today we are a week away from beginning the new Church Year (A) with the First Sunday of Advent.  Isn’t it interesting that we end the church year today (not on December 31st) with the passage from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 23:32-43) describing the Crucifixion?  It’s as though the “powers that be” (God the Father and Jesus) want us to remember—as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ first and second sojourns to earth during the season of Advent–that we worship a different kind of King.  Our Lord Jesus is not ensconced in a splendid castle in all manner of pomp and celebratory circumstance.  Instead, this Jesus—our Lord Jesus—is affixed to a cross.

Though thoroughly innocent, he has been found guilty of sedition against Rome and blasphemy against God.  As He hangs in agony, He appears defeated, weak, vanquished, powerless, suffering, dying.  He is mocked, derided by His Jewish and Roman enemies.  He has been stripped of His clothes, which are then gambled over by His Roman torturers.  To fulfill the Prophet Isaiah’s predictions, He was hung between two criminals. 

Isaiah 53:12 reads (NLT) He was counted among the rebels, He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.  Tradition calls them “thieves,” but some scholars believe they may have been accomplices of the murderous rebel Barabbas.  How fitting that Jesus’ cross stood between theirs, in the place where Barabbas would have been.

(The Rev. Mark Barber, www.sermoncentral.com, 11/18/2023).

The people gathered at the foot of the Cross do not yet realize He is a King, the King of Glory.  But as time drags painfully by, two persons begin to discern that Jesus is no ordinary criminal:  One of the rebels notices Jesus does not condemn his executioners, shouting curses at them, as the crucified usually did.  Typically, the crowd verbally harassed and insulted the dying; and in their pain and anger, the dying often hurtled insults and curses back at the crowd.  But, extraordinarily, Jesus doesn’t do this.  Instead, He prays to His Father for them, saying (v.34) Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.  What amazing poise, what extraordinary self-control, what astonishing grace!  This “thief” watches Jesus and begins to see He is responding differently than any criminal ever crucified.  He then defends Jesus to his partner in crime.  And he asks, with an awakening faith, that Jesus would take him with Him into His Kingdom.  Three times, Jesus has been told, mockingly, to save Himself.  He does not save Himself (though He could have).  But, in verse 43, He saves the faith-filling rebel, saying I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.

The second person to notice Jesus’ extraordinarily different behavior and speech is the centurion in charge of the execution detail. He had perhaps witnessed thousands of such capital punishments and had never heard or observed such before.  He says in verse 47 (NIV) Surely this was a righteous man (Then NLT records Surely this man was innocent.)

What a great king Jesus is–forgiving, merciful, generous.  Thank God our King is not like human monarchs!  Many down through the ages have been bullies and despots.  Imagine being a pretty woman in the court of Henry the eighth. YIKES! Or think of the risk a truthful man of integrity took in telling a fickle ruler an unpleasant truth.  But our King Jesus came to serve rather than be served. Instead of causing the deaths of others, He came to suffer and to die in our place.

The Hebrew concept of a king—taught to them by God the Father through the Law and the prophets—was that the king ruled solely under the authority and at the discretion of God.  Our Scriptures today further explain the difference between a secular king and the King of Kings:

A. In Jeremiah 23:1-6, God the Father is castigating the kings, nobility, priests and prophets for their poor leadership of His people.

This is just prior to the defeat of the Southern Kingdom at the hands of the Babylonians.  The prophet Jeremiah warns them of the punishment to come, (v.1, NLT) ”What sorrow awaits the leaders of My people—the shepherds of My sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.  God has been watching.  He knows that false prophets, idolatrous kings, and weak, compromised religious leaders have abused His sheep and lead them astray. 

In a way very similar to that of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:11-24), Jeremiah declares they have scattered His flock, rather than gathering them in; driven them away from God rather than drawing them closer; and (v.2) ”Instead of caring for My flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction.  Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.”  God Himself will gather His flock (and bring home the remnant from exile in Babylon), and place better shepherds over them.  Then He prophesies the coming of Jesus (vv.5-6) ”For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.  He will be a King who rules with wisdom.  He will do what is just and right throughout the land.  And this will be His name:  ‘The Lord is Our Righteousness. ‘” Jesus, descended from King David, will be, like him, a shepherd-king.  However, He will be the True Shepherd, the Good Shepherd (John 10), the Great Shepherd, the Eternal Shepherd, a completely righteous king.

B.  Luke 1:68-79 constitutes Zachariah’s Song (the 3rd after Elizabeth’s and Mary’s).  Zachariah, the elderly, priestly father of John the Baptist, had been struck mute by the angel who foretold John’s birth–due to his lack of faith.  Once John the Baptist was born, and Zach agreed he was to be called John, the elderly father was freed up to speak again.  

In this morning’s lesson, he provides a psalm-like song celebrating not just his new son’s role as a Prophet of the Most High, but also as the forerunner to Jesus the Messiah.  Zechariah devotes 2/3rds of his psalm to praising God because He is finally sending His long awaited Messianic King:

The Light is coming into the darkness.  God is sending forth His rescue plan, our salvation.  He, Jesus, will empower us to live without fear (for God will be with us), and (vv.74-75) to serve Him…in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.  Halleluia!  Jesus will be the Best King Ever!

C. Paul, in Colossians 1:10-20, describes Christ the King in even more detail.  He depicts Jesus as having superior strength and power: Verse 16 reads For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him.

Not only did He create all things, but, to this day, He holds them together (Remember my having preached in the past about a minute protein in each of our cells call lamina?  It is a connective tissue and exists in the form of a  cross.  The Cross is literally holding us together!).  Jesus is supreme over all creation.  He contains the fullness of God the Father, the Greek word is pleroma.  It means that Jesus has all the attributes and characteristics of God the Father.  As Jesus said in the Gospel of John, if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father.  And (v.20), through His sacrifice of His life on the Cross for us, He has reconciled us—really all things—to God.

There is no other king like Jesus—He is the King of the Cross and the Best King Ever!

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Of all the things for which we can and should be thankful, let’s remember to express our gratitude to God the Father for sending us such a wonderful, incomparable King in His Son, Jesus our Lord. Amen and Amen! 

Christ the King

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Let’s Focus on What We can Do, and Leave the Rest to Jesus

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 16, 2025

Scriptures: Isa 65:17-25; Isa 12; 2 Thess 3:6-13; Lk 21:5-19

The story is told of a city pastor driving his son to school at 7:15 one morning. He was stuck in rush hour traffic and entertained himself by reading the bumper stickers of the cars just ahead of him. He read several, including the following: 

My driving scares me too! 

I had a life, but my job ate it. 

Don’t even think of dating my daughter! 

Wife and dog still missing…reward for dog. 

 I don’t know how to act my age…I’ve never been this old before. 

And my personal favorite, a picture of Jesus peeking around a wall, and saying, “I saw that!” 

The pastor was amused until he read, Forget world peace; visualize using your turn signal. “There you go,” he said to himself. “Forget the big stuff, like world peace. That’s too much, and too hard, and too unlikely to contemplate. But I can visualize (and actualize) using my turn signal; just do the little things that make life a little easier for everybody. Who knows, maybe if everybody [in Wellborn; Suwannee County, and Florida] and in the South and in the USA, etc., would use their turn signals properly, it might be a start toward world peace.”

(J. Fairless & D.Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year C, 2015, p.338.)

It kinda makes sense, doesn’t it? Do what it is possible for you to do, then leave the big, seemingly impossible things to Jesus. If we could live this way, we could avoid so much stress and worry, so much disappointment, and even some despair.

Our first two readings today provide us with reassurance and the final two, some practical advice about how to respond to the big things of life:

A. Our Old Testament lesson is from the prophet Isaiah (65:17-25). It’s the next to the last chapter of Isaiah’s prophesies. The Lord wants us to be encouraged, because Great Days are coming! (Verse 17) : The Lord is going to create a new heaven and a new earth at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ. Satan and all the forces of evil will have been destroyed in the Lake of Fire. Scholars say the old earth (this present one) will have also been destroyed by fire (nuclear holocaust? The sun coming too near?). But Jesus will present a new Jerusalem which will be a place of joy (v.18)! There will be no weeping or crying there. There will be (v.) no need for assisted living facilities or nursing homes or Hospice care, as everyone will enjoy long life (like the patriarchs) and great health. In that time, we will all also enjoy prosperity, permanence, and stability (vv.21-23). The Law of the Jungle will have been replaced by the peaceful Rule of God’s Kingdom. Yippee ki-yi-yea! It’ll be great to be there!

B. Isaiah 12 has been termed a praise psalm for the worship of the Lord during Christ’s reign. We will be thrilled and fulfilled because God’s Kingdom will be established on earth and the Lord Jesus will be King over all. The suffering of the Great Tribulation will have ended. J. Vernon McGee writes, “The night of sin will be over and the day of salvation will have come.” (McGee, Through the Bible Commentary of Isaiah, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.114.) All who believe in and love Jesus will be saved. And instead of crying at the Wailing Wall, Israel will be rejoicing at the feet of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We will be engaged in joy-filled worship, praising God for His creation and re-creation, and for our redemption and salvation. This is all very reassuring for us.

C. In our Gospel passage (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus is operating in His prophetic role: The disciples are in Jerusalem and have commented on the beauty and majesty of the Temple. They seem to be implying that such a grand structure would last forever. Herod the Great had begun rebuilding and refurbishing the one rebuilt in the time of Nehemiah, Ezra, and Haggai, in 20BC. This project continued until 63 or 64 AD (80 years). It was considered one of the most notable structures around the Roman Empire. Not quite as grand as Solomon’s Temple, it was nevertheless ornamented with gifts of gold and jewels from a number of nations. The ancient historian, Josephus, described it as a “snow clad mountain looming over the city.”

But Jesus prophesies its coming destruction : (v.6) : Not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down : the devastation will be complete. In 70 AD, the Roman General Titus laid siege to the city. First, he starved the city into submission. It is reported that people inside the walls ate their children. Josephus claimed that 1 million Jews were killed and their bodies were thrown over the city walls.  Another 100,000 were captured as slaves. Then Titus tore down the Temple: He burned the marble and he had his troops plow up the Temple grounds.

Jesus adds in V.24 : Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. This is exactly what has happened. Currently, the Moslem Mosque of Omar sits on the former Temple site. All of this entails God’s judgment on the city for be returned as a place to honor God until the Gentiles have had an opportunity rejecting His Christ. Jesus then prophesied that the Temple mount will not to come to know Christ and until Jesus comes again.

Jesus next warns them they will be persecuted because they love Him: First by the Jews–they killed the deacon, Stephen, then beheaded the Apostle James– then by the Gentiles (The crazed emperor Nero began a persecution in Rome in 54AD). Despite this bad news, He then encourages them not to be afraid when/if they are arrested and tried: (vv.14-15) : But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. He tells them they will be betrayed to the authorities by family members, neighbors, and acquaintances. They will be hated because of Him, but no one can take eternal life away from them!

D. Paul essentially supports and expounds upon what Jesus says by writing in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, in 51 or 52 AD from Corinth. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, he stated : For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up [rapturo : raptured], together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so will be with the Lord forever. 1st those who have died loving Jesus will be called home. We who remain on earth will then rise up to meet with them. Thus, it appears that the Church will be removed from the earth prior to Jesus’ Second Coming. The Great Tribulation will follow, consisting of 7 years of intense, worldwide suffering. The restraining hand of the Holy Spirit will have been removed, so Satan will be free to do his worst. He will encourage sin and depravity. He will compel people to worship his henchman, the Antichrist (also known as the man of sin, the son of perdition, or the lawless one). This will be a time for the Jews to come to Christ. The Antichrist will present himself first as a man of peace, uniting warring nations. Next, he will secure the peace of Jerusalem : He will appear to solve the problems of the Middle East (his Peace Treaty will mark the beginning of the 7 years). He will begin to rebuild the Temple. Three and a half years later, he will break the peace, demanding that he be worshipped in the Temple (He will set himself up as God). This is what Jesus called, the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15; also noted by the Old Testament prophet, Daniel in 9:27). He will perform signs and wonders, using Satan’s power. Then he will begin a program of persecution.  He will attempt to destroy Israel through genocide. He will require the “Mark of the beast” (on wrists or foreheads, or on our phones?) for people to obtain jobs or exchange money for all goods and services. Nevertheless, despite all this persecution, 144,000 Jews will come to Christ, as well as additional Gentiles from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

Finally, at end of 7 years, King Jesus will come again! He will defeat the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon. And He will judge Satan, the antichrist, and his false prophet/fake religious leader, and throw them all into the lake of fire.

Both Jesus and Paul provide reassurance and practical advice in these passages. Jesus does not want us to put our trust in buildings, or even in human leaders. We are to put our full trust in Him and in what He predicts. We need not be afraid! We know how it all turns out! The forces of evil are ultimately overcome by the forces of good! So what are we to do until this occurs? Paul says we are to live each day, believing and practicing the Truth we have in Christ! We are not to just sit around waiting, expecting the Church—or the government–to care for us. Additionally, Paul would have us make use of every opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ.

In light of all of this, let us consider a new bumper sticker: Relax, God’s Got This!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Our God is a Straight Shooter

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 9, 2025

Scriptures: Hab 1:12-2:9; Ps 145; 2 Thess 1:1-5, 17-21; Lk 20:27-40

The story is told that…

“Shortly after the Communist Revolution, a spokesman for the party visited one of the peasant villages and began to promote communism. He said, ‘Thanks to the party, we have increased wheat production by 100 percent.’ One little man stood up in the back and said, ‘My name is Menski, and I would like to know where all that wheat is.’

“The next year the same official returned to the same village and began the same litany of propaganda, except in this case he said, ‘I want you to know by now we have increased the wheat production 200 percent.’ A little man in the back stood up and said, ‘My name is Menski, and I have one question. Where is all that wheat?’

“Third year came. Same official approached these people and began his same talk. And he said, ‘The communist party has increased the wheat production 300 percent,’  A little fellow stood up in the back. And the official said, ‘I know, you’re Menski, and ….’ The fellow responded, ‘No, my name is Polaski and I have a question. Where is Menski?’”

(Chuch Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, pp.588-589.)

This story is a reminder to many of us that communists are not known for being truth-tellers. They reject Biblical truth, indeed they reject God altogether. Instead, they replace truth with propaganda, lies intended to subvert the truth—Where’s the wheat?–and make their godless rule look much better than it is. In George Orwell’s prophetic book, 1984, the agency that produced propaganda was called “The Ministry of Truth.”

Perhaps you are nervous over the fact that New York City has just elected a Moslem Communist (aka, a “Democratic Socialist”) as mayor. Perhaps you are wondering if this is an indicator of what is to come in our country, a trend in liberal big cities? Or is it exactly what is needed to alert conservatives and others to vote more toward the center in the midterm elections next year?

Rather than worry, let’s look to the truth of God’s word to see what our God has to say about the situation: 

A. In our Old Testament lesson, Habakkuk 1:12-2:9, the prophet—a contemporary of Jeremiah, Nahum, and Zephaniah– reminds us that (v.4, NLT) The righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. That means we are to remain faithful to our Lord, no matter what comes.

The book of Habakkuk is noted for relaying the prophet’s own experiences with God. As in the book of Jonah, it is the way the prophet interacts with the Lord that teaches us how to live and how to think. Jonah did not want to do what God directed him to do, and he paid a scary price. When he did finally comply with the Lord, he helped usher in a massive revival in the huge pagan city of Nineveh. 

Habakkuk, on the other hand, has questions for God and he poses them to the Father. He first asks God, in Chapter 1, verse 2 : How long, O Lord, must I call for help? He really wants to know where God is in the midst of so much evil around him. He wants to know why God hasn’t done something. We might say today, “Lord, how have You allowed a democracy-hating, Christian-hating, America-hating, and Jewish-hating person to be elected mayor of America’s largest city” (and a city with the largest concentration of Jews outside of Israel)? “How could someone whose beliefs are in every way opposite those of our Christian ideals exercise power over such a big and influential locale? 

God answers him in v.5 :Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe, even if someone told you about it. Perhaps God is doing a new thing in our day too. The truth is that our God is still sovereign over our nation and over the entire universe. We can trust in the fact that He has a plan and that He has not abandoned us. The Lord goes on to say to Habakkuk (vv.6-11) :I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. In other words, the Lord is doing something for them as well. He is going to use the pagan Babylonians to discipline His wayward people.

Earlier, Isaiah called the Assyrians, who defeated the Northern Kingdom, (10:5) :the rod of God’s anger.  So too, it appears, are the Babylonians. 

In the section of Habakkuk read today, the prophet then asks God why He would use wicked, evil, brutal, heartless people for this task? But he then says he will wait to see what God does. He will watch, remaining faithful to the Lord, even if it pains him, even if he doesn’t understand.

In this way, he anticipates 2 Corinthians 5:7 :For we live by believing, not by seeing. [NIV, We live by faith, not by sight.] He does not understand, but he trusts the Lord who promises (v.4) He will later punish the Babylonians. 

This is a great lesson for us in these difficult times! Let’s trust in our God’s plan and purposes. The first new thing He did for them was to sustain them in captivity and then return them to the Land. The second, and best, was to send Jesus to earth to redeem us all. Let’s look forward with faith and patience as we await this new thing He is doing in our time.

B. King David exhorts us, in Psalm 145, to praise God for what He is—our Lord–and for what He does. We praise Him for all that He has done for us in the past and we trust in Him for what is to come. But we can also trust in Him for all that is past and praise Him for all that is to come. Both are true. He has cared for us all of our lives. Since the single best predictor of future behavior (outside of an intervention from God) is past behavior, we can also trust and praise Him for what is yet unknown to us and off in our future.

C. Luke 20:27-40, our Gospel lesson, chronicles how Jesus rebukes and redirects the Sadducees.  Remember, the Sadducees were the rich, urbane, religious liberals of the day. They dismissed the Pharisees as too conservative, and probably too “red-neck,” and they arrogantly cultivated favor with the Romans. They approach Jesus with a ridiculous issue: How likely is it that a woman would marry one brother after the elder brother had died, on and on through 7 brothers? Brothers 3-7 would no doubt decide she was cursed and would avoid her–or barren and would avoid her. We see this played out with Judah’s 1st two sons. Back in Genesis 38, Tamar married Judah’s 1st son, Er. He was so wicked he was put to death by God. Then, by the Levirate law intended to protect widows, Tamar married Judah’s 2nd son, Onan. Onan was also very evil so the Lord put him to death as well. Judah refused to allow Tamar to marry his 3rd son, Shelah, believing she might cause his death too. These Sadducees should have been familiar with this story, so they would have known their example was preposterous. Additionally, Sadducees didn’t even believe in the afterlife or in bodily resurrection.

Matthew and Mark both report that Jesus told them they did not either know Scripture, nor understand the power of God (they didn’t believe in the supernatural or in miracles). Jesus doesn’t really address their ridiculous case, but instead demonstrates from Exodus 3 that Our God is the God of the living. He says to them (v.37) :But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.

He is the God of all of us on earth and also of those who go on to heaven to dwell—in a different life form–with Him there. He rebukes them for their ignorance of God’s Word and their wrong perceptions of God, and reasserts for them to the reality of resurrection.

Our God is a “straight-shooter.” As Scripture says (James 1:17) :[God] never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He is a consistent truth-teller. Hebrews 13:8 further clarifies that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can and we should trust in Him, no matter what is going on in the American or the world’s political arena. He has a plan, He is aware of our concerns, and He is clearly in control. Thus, we can let go of our worry and trust in His purposes.

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

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Who is a Saint?

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 2, 2025

Scriptures: Dan 7:1-3, 15-18; Ps 149; Eph 1:11-23; Lk 6:20-31

The story is told of “…a church where the preacher and the minister of music were not getting along. As time went by this began to spill over into the worship service.

“The first week the preacher preached on commitment and how we all should dedicate ourselves to the service of God. The music director lead the song, “I Shall Not Be Moved”.

“The second week the preacher preached on tithing and how we all should gladly give to the work of the Lord. The director lead the song, “Jesus Paid It All”.

“The third week the preacher preached on gossiping and how we should all watch our tongues. The music director led the song, “I Love to Tell the Story”.

“With all this going on, the preacher became very disgusted over the situation and the following Sunday told the congregation that he was considering resigning. The musician led the song, “Oh Why Not Tonight?”.

“As it came to pass, the preacher did indeed resign. The next week he informed the church that it was Jesus who led him there and it was Jesus that was taking him away. The music leader led the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.”

(Rev. Tim Wilson, http://www.preacher’s illustrations,jokes,andquotes.com, 10.30.2025

Now this story is pretty funny, isn’t it?    It’s something we might expect of people who dislike each other.    Thankfully, Bonnie, Joy, and Alice and I all get along well.    I can’t see them trying to sabotage me like the music director in this tale.    I think they know they can just talk to me instead of choosing hymns and songs to put me in my place. 

Today we celebrate All Saints Day, a serious day on the church calendar, a day set aside to remember those faith-filled followers of Jesus Christ who have gone before us. Almost from the beginning of the Church, Christians desired to honor the memories of believers who either lived exemplary lives or who were martyred for their faith.    So who is a saint?

The New Testament refers to believers as saints, hagios—those whose lives set them apart as persons sold out to Jesus. The date of their death was the day set aside to remember them.     However, these holy ones became so numerous over time that it was decided to honor them all on one day set aside each year, the day after “All hallows Eve,” or Halloween.     

Our readings today can all be seen to refer to the saints of the wider Christian Church—the Church throughout history and across denominations.

A. Our Gospel lesson (Luke 6:20-31) contains the Lucan Beatitudes from “The Sermon on the Plain.”  You will remember that Matthew’s beatitudes are embedded in Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Luke’s are a quarter of Matthew’s length (they are briefer).    This sermon takes place on “level” ground (v.17)—Luke sees “the mountain” as a place of prayer for Jesus, while the “plain below” is where Christ goes to be with the people.

Lacking video-taping capabilities, or social media, Jesus taught the same material in a number of different locations or settings.    Non–believers mistakenly assume that because there are discrepancies between the messages, this proves the Bible is a fraud. However, I have worked in churches with multiple services on Sunday, preaching the same sermon several times. My sermon was never exactly the same from service to service! Sometimes it’s due to the differences in the congregation at each service. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit changes the message.    Jesus makes similar points in both sermons, but there are these natural differences between the two.

There was a huge crowd at the Sermon on the Mount. This crowd, too, was apparently quite large and was comprised of apostles, disciples, and people from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon. It included both Jews and Gentiles, which indicates Jesus’ teachings are meant for all of us.    Interestingly, He healed people and cast out demons prior to this teaching, perhaps as a way of gaining their attention, or of gaining their respect and belief. 

He presented Blessings and Woes (vv.17-26) [also termed “sorrows”]. These are Jesus’ ethical expectations for His followers.    They contain 4 blessings and 4 woes (whereas Matthew lists 9 blessings, and no woes). Jesus is proclaiming how life is to be lived both in and outside of the Kingdom of God.  (They are also very reminiscent of His mother, Mary’s Magnificat from Luke 1:46-55)

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you,      

 when they exclude you and insult you    

and reject your name as evil,  

because of the Son of Man.

Rejoice in that day                                                             

and leap for joy                                                                        

because great is your reward in heaven

for that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Blessings declare God’s grace and favor to those who are righteous (vv. 20-22), those who act rightly. God has compassion on…

a.) the poor–>Jesus is not excluding the rich (for instance, Zacchaeus, (Lk 19:1-10).    But the poor have a special place in God’s heart because they have to depend upon Him, and because they know they have little control over life.    

I once heard a Bishop from Nigeria (he may have been among the 52,000 Christians murdered by Moslems in Nigeria over the past 4 years) tell us in seminary that we Americans have a wealth of insurance: house, car, life, health, travel, etc., but that Nigerian Christians have no insurance except the love of Jesus.

b.) the hungry usually a result of poverty &/or persecution.

c.) the sad/the dispairing    (often the poor and hungry) God sees them and knows their suffering.

d.)    the persecuted    a choice for Jesus then meant being ejected from the synagogue, meaning they lost their community and their status.

Jesus says they are to rejoice because God’s grace will help them overcome their suffering.

Woes indicate God’s displeasure. They are directed at those who oppose Jesus’ blessing or who persecute His disciples. They consist of 4 descriptions of the same type of person:

a.) the rich because they often take advantage of the poor.    They believe they don’t need God because they have “made it” on their own. They tend to be uncaring toward others.

b.) the well-fed    they will be hungry on Judgment Day.

c.) callous participants in the “good life”    they too will mourn and weep on Judgment Day.

d.) those who prefer men’s good opinion to God’s    they do not see themselves as accountable to the Lord.

A saint tries to live out the Beatitudes.  We demonstrate our set-apartness, our sainthood, by living according to these principles.

B.    Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:1-12) is prophetic:    It tells of 4 successive empires to rule the known world:    (1) The Babylonians, as depicted by a lion with 2 wings; (2) The Medo-Persians, as represented by a bear; (3) The Greeks under Alexander the Great, a leopard; (4) And the Romans, a terrible beast with iron teeth (The Romans had iron weapons).

Rome’s 10 horns represent ten successive evil empires, arising from the ashes of the former Roman empire through the ages. The final “little horn” will be the antichrist. But most relevant to us today is the portion from vv. 13-18.  Jesus, one like a Son of man, comes into the presence the Ancient of Days [God the Father], where He is given authority, glory and sovereign power.    Daniel is told by an angel that these vast evil empires will pass away, but Jesus’ followers—the saints—the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever.

This is the hope for which all we saints live. Our God, Jesus, is coming again to restore earth to a Garden of Eden-like environment.The saints will come to live there forever.

C. As a result, according to Psalm 149, we are to praise our Maker and King. He (v.3)  takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with victory. And He (v.7)    inflict[s] vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples [who have been the enemies of His followers, the saints].

D. Finally, in Ephesians 1:11-23, Paul reminds the Ephesian Church, and us, that we who follow Jesus were all chosen and sealed by the Holy Spirit to (vv.11-13)    …be [God’s] own people…so we would praise and glorify Him.    Paul prays we saints might (1) grow in wisdom and in the knowledge of God; (2) understand more deeply the great spiritual inheritance we have through Jesus; (3) as well as the tremendous power of God available to us through the Holy Spirit; and (4) that we might realize that (v.23) God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things…. Jesus is sovereign over every nation, every empire, and every being. Nothing happens without His knowledge. And nothing—not even death—can separate us from His love for us.

If we love and follow Jesus, we are saints. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.   Alleluia! Alleluia!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Trouble with Comparisons

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 26, 2025

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

Back in the late 80’s, as I was working on my doctorate in psychology, my next door neighbor was working on hers in Early Childhood Education. Her dissertation research examined how 4th grade children manage comparisons with their peers. As any of us who have raised children would know, 4th graders (10YO’s) are already comparing themselves to the kids around them. They compare clothing, book-bags, shoes, haircuts, lunch bags and what’s in them, grades, athleticism, etc. 

It even starts earlier than 4th grade, doesn’t it? Very little children compare cookie or cake size. Don’t we hear about it if their sibling or friend gets a bigger piece than they do? To keep the peace, we have to be sure things are doled out fairly. When my grandson, Noah, was 3-4YO, he would run a distance and then tell us adults that he was faster than Usain Bolt, the 8 time Olympic Gold medal sprinter from Jamaica. Our family thought his comparison was adorable because it was so unlikely, but it just goes to show how “hard-wired” is this tendency we have to compare ourselves with others.

Hoping we come out as well as, or perhaps even better than others seems to be a permanent factor in our fleshly natures.

Consider this: For those of you who follow professional tennis, Valentin Henequin (a photographer living in France), looks like and is frequently mistaken for tennis champ Novak Djokovic.  He appears to be Novak’s doppleganger, an unrelated identical twin. As a result, tourists often ask him for selfies. But a woman named Kayla Nicole had a totally different reaction to having a doppleganger. She dated Travis Kelse just before he began seeing–and is now engaged to–Taylor Swift. Kayla, who is frequently negatively compared to the singer on social media, finds it exhausting, and says it has lowered her self-esteem. Being compared to—or comparing ourselves to others—can be dangerous and destructive. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Mark Twain took it one step further insisting, “Comparison is the death of joy.”

Think for a moment about the Biblical examples of brothers who compared themselves: Cain was so jealous of his brother that he killed Abel. Jacob cheated his twin, Esau, of his birthright as well as their father’s blessing. Joseph’s brothers were so jealous of him that they sold him into slavery, fully expecting the experience would kill him. There were two pairs of brothers among Jesus’ 12 Apostles: James and John, Peter and Andrew.

James and John created a ruckus among the other 10 when they asked to sit at Jesus’ left and right hands in His Kingdom. We are not told directly about whatever animosity may have arisen when He singled out Peter as “the Rock.” (The series, “The Chosen” depicts Peter as a clear leader, so it may be that they all deferred to him because of his obvious gifting.) 

(Concept borrowed from “The comparison Complex,” www.proclaimsermons.com, 10/26/2025).

But the point is that we are not meant by God to compare ourselves to others. The only way we are to measure ourselves is against the standard or yardstick that the Lord has for us. How does He see us? What does He want of us? This is the only measurement of comparison that really matters.

In our Gospel lesson today (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus reveals what He thinks when we compare ourselves with other people. He is on His way to Jerusalem to die when he tells the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Tax Collector). As I have said here before, this is His final chance to teach His disciples about His Kingdom and how we should behave in it. He is no longer focused on evangelizing the Jewish nation. Instead, He is trying to deepen the faith of those Jews who believe in Him. His time is short, so we can assume He is teaching concepts He thinks are important for them to have to sustain their faith when He is gone. 

There are only two men in this story: The Pharisee, a man at the top of the religious ladder of his day; and the Publican or tax collector, a social bottom-feeder. Jesus shares how the self-righteous Pharisee compares himself to the tax collector. We don’t know if he was praying out loud or silently, but Jesus knew what was in his heart. Rather than talking to God, he appears to be making a speech about himself to himself. In verse 11 he boast

Lord, I’m thankful that I am not like other men. The guy is puffed up with arrogance, isn’t he? He might have said, “Thank you that You called me to be a Pharisee; I am so grateful to You, Lord!” He could have also prayed, “Thank you for so guiding my steps that I never became a robber, an evildoer, an adulterer—or even a tax collector, bless their hearts. I mean, there but for the grace of You, Lord God, go I.”

Then Jesus compares the Pharisee to the Tax Collector: This poor fellow knows he’s a sinner! He is humbled and humiliated by his past, his present, his bad choices, his wrong actions. He is so aware of his deficiencies before God, that he cannot even raise his eyes to heaven. He knows that he has denied his nation as a treasonous Roman collaborator. He knows he has alienated himself from his own people. The Romans let tax collectors set their own salaries above what they collected for them. The downtrodden Jews saw this as legalized robbery, because tax collectors profited at the expense of their countrymen. He also clearly knows he has neglected God and sinned against Him. His prayer is one sentence: “God have mercy on me, a sinner,” or “God be merciful to me a sinner” (v.13). This is the early forerunner of “The Jesus Prayer”: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Over the millennia, this prayer has been uttered from foxholes, places of danger, and in the midst of traumatic situations.

Jesus clarifies the lesson from this parable in verse 14–I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Jesus is teaching us that social comparison (comparing ourselves to others) is dangerous. Like the Pharisee, we often consider ourselves to be better than the one to whom we compare ourselves. We tend to think things like, “At least I’m not as fat as that person,” or, “I’m not as big a gossip as that one.”

The Pharisee had a pride problem, and we know how God hates our pride! The Pharisee was also a religious leader and teacher who lacked compassion on those God had given him to shepherd. Jesus is also teaching that the best way to come before God, in worship or in prayer, is to be humble. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift us up (James 4:10); And (Micah 6:8), what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Our other lessons today show us many reasons why we should be humble and compassionate as we relate to God and to others:

A. The prophet Joel (2:23-32) supplies 5 reasons:

1. God is faithful to His people.

2. God provides for His people. The Jews’ agricultural economy depended on rain. He promised them abundant food, which we enjoy as well.

3. He restores to us what the evil one has stolen from us. I went to Seminary in 1996 with an IRA of $28,000. But my teenaged daughter got sick and we were without health insurance. Also, our house turned out to be a money pit. I had to cash in my IRA (resulting in a financial penalty), and take on a fulltime job. When I graduated from Seminary 5.5 years later, the college I worked for had put money into a retirement IRA. I left seminary with exactly $28,000 in that retirement account. I knew in my heart that the Lord had graciously replaced what the “locusts” had stolen from me.

4. In the end times, He will pour out His Holy Spirit on all people, men women, sons, daughters.

5. And, most importantly, (v.32)🡪Everyone [at the end of time] who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

B. King David tells us 5 reasons in Psalm 65:

1. God answers our prayers.

2. God forgives our sins.

3. God has chosen those of us who believe in Him to dwell with Him forever.

4. Our God is an awesome, all-powerful, and righteous being.

5. And as Joel will later echo, God provides for those who love Him.

C. Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:6-18, gives us 4 reasons:

1. Paul does not fear dying and neither should we because we know God loves us and that He has given to us each a ministry which He has empowered us to complete.

2. Paul had a lot of friends. Our God has surrounded us with friends in the church for the spiritual journey.

3. Even when our associates betray or disappoint us, God never gives up on or abandons us.

4. And He delivers us from danger and sustains us through attacks by the evil one.

This week, let’s try to be aware of when we are comparing ourselves to others. Let’s remember to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, recognizing that when we think we are better than others, it is the sin of pride at work in us. Let’s also be grateful to the Lord for…                  (1) Rescuing us and providing for us; (2) Loving us so faithfully; (3) Forgiving us; (4) Empowering us; (5) Restoring our relationships, material goods, and God’s peace and joy that Satan occasionally has stolen from us; And (6) Protecting us from “ghoulies, ghosties, long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night.” 

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

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

An Attitude of Gratitude

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 12, 2025

Scriptures: Jer 29:1, 4-7; Ps 66:1-12; 2 Tim 2:8-15; Lk 17:11-19

Modern psychological research has demonstrated again and again—when research results are replicated in study after study over differing groups of people, this is called a “robust finding”—that practicing gratitude helps us become happy.: When I have worked with depressed persons in the past, I have challenged them to thank God, daily, for 3 good things that happened to them for each of 30 consecutive days.: Practiced often enough, expressing gratitude becomes a non-medical way of healing depression.: AA programs have long recommended finding things daily for which to be thankful.: They have found over time that giving thanks for being clean or sober one more day, or even one more hour, helps an addict avoid their substance or activity.

Paul admonishes us in Colossians 3:16 (NIV):Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.: An attitude of gratitude takes your focus off yourself and your complaints—what you don’t have, and keeps your spirit uplifted and focused what the Lord has done for you—what you do have.

Consider the following story from Mother Theresa:: She had heard of an alcoholic man who had been beaten and left for dead in the streets of Melbourne, Australia.: The sisters in her order—the Missionaries of Charity–had located him and taken him into their hospital there called the “Home of Compassion.”: Their kind and compassionate care of him helped him discover that God indeed loved him.: When he was able to leave the facility, he apparently never again touched alcohol, but returned home to reconcile with his family and to regain his former job.: (A healing from alcoholism is a huge miracle, but so too is having a family willing to reconcile and a boss willing to take another chance on a previously underperforming employee.) Upon receiving his first paycheck, he brought it to the Home of Compassion and gave it to the nuns, saying, I want you to continue to demonstrate the love of God for others as you did for me.”: This man was healed through the loving care of these Sisters of Charity.: He saw the heart of God in what they did for him and was immensely grateful!: Their treatment of him changed his life.: He was so thankful that he gave them his first paycheck as a restored person.: (Graham Twelftree, Your Point Being…?,: Monarch Books, 1988, p.125.)

Our Scripture passages today all express God’s desire that we practice an attitude of gratitude for His blessings, no matter our circumstances:

A.: In our Gospel lesson (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus heals 10 persons suffering from leprosy.: Jesus is headed to Jerusalem to die.

At the fringes of some unnamed village, 10 lepers appeal to Him for healing.

He gives them what they want, freely, graciously.: Notice, they had faith in Him and in His ability to heal them.: He says to them (v.14):Go, show yourselves to the priests.: He knew the requirements, stated in Leviticus 14:1-10, which designated all the things the leper who had been healed had to do:: (1) Show him/herself to the priest.: (2) The priest would then perform a detailed ritual to ensure physical and spiritual cleansing. (3): Lastly, the healed person was to wash his/her clothes, shave off all his/her hair, including eyebrows; and bathe with water.

The 10 obey Jesus and scurry off to begin the cleansing process.: It is while they are on their way that they are healed.: They had stepped out in faith, trusting in Jesus.: But only one guy notices his healing and returns first to thank the Lord.: Perhaps the other nine were just too overjoyed to focus on gratitude; or maybe they felt somehow entitled and believed they deserved it.: We don’t really know why they didn’t think to express their gratitude to Jesus. Most likely, however, their attention was on finding a priest, remembering and performing the religious requirements, and anticipating happy reunions with their families.: Remember, they would have had to have lived outside their community, quarantined away from loved ones and even all worship services.

At any rate, the one guy who does return to thank Jesus was a hated Samaritan!: We would say today that he wasn’t socially acceptable; that he was considered by the Jews to be a mongrel (Samaritans descended from the Jews who escaped captivity by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, and then went on to intermarry with Canaanites, and Assyrian and Babylonian overseerers.: The Jews returning to the Promised Land had contempt for them, considering them to be—as they say in our area–“Sorry from way back.” Regardless of his ethnic heritage and his upbringing, this man seemed to know enough to express his thanks.

Jesus’ response to the Samaritan’s gratitude was fantastic:verse 17:Rise and go; your faith has made you well.: This implies that he was kneeling at Jesus’ feet or had prostrated himself in adoration. Jesus is so pleased that He commends him for his faith and his manners. 

This guy has received the same physical healing as the other 9; but, in addition, he has also received salvation!: The other nine were healed of leprosy, but because they ran off and failed to express their gratitude to the Lord, they missed out on this very important extra gift:: This lone Samaritan was forgiven of all his sins.

(J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Luke, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.213.)

What this says to me—and perhaps to you as well—through offering his gratitude to Jesus, this enjoyed a special encounter with the Living God, and, anticipating Jesus’ crucifixion, was also cleansed of His sins!

B.: Jeremiah predates Jesus by about 600 years, but—because he is God’s mouthpiece–says essentially the same thing in Jeremiah 29:1-7.: Last week, we read where he lamented and grieved over the Jews who had been killed or carted off the Babylon.: We also read Psalm 137 which detailed the peoples’ grief and anger over their defeat by Babylonian forces.: But in today’s passage, the Lord is telling them to settle down and settle in.: They are to build houses.: They were not to establish a tent city, nor live in cardboard boxes.: God wanted them to build something more permanent, in order to “bloom where they are planted.”: Back in the late 1960’s I frequently saw a poster that said that exact same thing.: It used to make me mad because I believed I needed to work to change where I was or to move to somewhere better.: Similarly, I remember conversations with a pastor friend who was continually disappointed with his congregation.: He wished they were emotionally healthier or financially wealthier.: Finally, after continuous complaints to the Lord, he heard God tell him he was to love and care for the church members the Lord had given him—essentially bloom where he was planted.: God places us in the environment we inhabit.: He has a purpose for us there.

 So these captives are to plant gardens, both so they can feed themselves and because God is telling them it suits His purposes that they remain there for a while.: They are to marry, have sons and daughters.

Again, this implies they will be there for some time.: This side of the Cross, we know they were there for 70 years or approximately two generations.: Rather than persisting in frustration or hateful resentment, they were also to contribute to the peace/prosperity of the city.: God says, through the prophet, (v.7) :Pray to the LORD for it, because if it [Babylon] prospers, you too will prosper.

It’s really difficult, isn’t it, to think of being grateful for their captivity, for their deportation to a foreign land.: God has punished them because they were consistently and repeatedly out of line. They had practiced idolatry, abused their power, and polluted themselves with greed and lust.: A holy God like ours cannot abide such sin. We know from Hebrews 12:5-11, that God disciplines those He loves.: If He didn’t, we could not really trust Him. He means what He says in Scripture and through His prophets, and He says what He means. He has punished them, hoping they will change their sinful attitudes and bring their behavior into alignment with His standards.: The point is that, even though they are captive in a foreign land—which seems terrible to them–it comes as no surprise to God because He engineered it.

They can and should be grateful to Him because (1) they are alive!: And (2) He has not abandoned them.

This concept is lost on our secular culture:: We want to be grateful to God for every good thing, but also for the trials and disappointments we experience.: When we go through trials—emotional pain—we are molded and shaped by God.: When we go through trials, we learn compassion for others, patience, and to trust in the Lord despite our circumstances.

C. Our Psalm (66:1-12) is a song of communal thanksgiving (gratitude) to God which looks forward to the Jews’ restoration to their home in Jerusalem and Judea.: They are filled to the brim, in advance, with gratitude to God for their rescue and restoration.: They enjoin us to (v.1):Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!: Sing about the glory of His name!: Tell the world how glorious He is.

D. Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy (2:8-15) echoes a similar theme:

Paul wants young Pastor Timothy to be grateful always for the Good News that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.: On any given day, if we cannot find another thing for which to be grateful, we can cite this reality.

Whatever our present circumstances, our God wants us to practice an attitude of gratitude.:  I challenge you to recall for yourself,: every day, 3 ways in which God blessed you that day.: Recite them, tell them to someone else, or write in a journal these three things so you won’t forget.: Watch and see what happens to your attitude and to your mood.: And remember, even difficult things—like God’s discipline—can be blessings in disguise.:  (Play Laura Story’s song, “Blessings” (with the lyrics) which can be found on www.YouTube.com.): Amen!  

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Doulos or Servant of Christ

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 4, 2025

Scriptures: Lam 1:1-6; Ps 127; 2 Tim 1:1-14; Lk 17:5-10.

Today’s Gospel (Luke 17:5-10) consists of what is known as the “Faithful Service” parable: Jesus is speaking to those who believe in Him, rather than to nonbelievers. Using the example of a servant’s relationship to his or her master, He makes the point that our obedience to God is not a matter of merit but of duty. We don’t rack up “brownie points” with the Lord by living out the 10 Commandments or by donating to the poor. After all, like a good servant, we are just doing what the Master (our Lord) expects us to do. And if we are obeying God’s will, we shouldn’t be looking for an immediate reward.

This seems like another of those hard sayings of Jesus. He is stating, essentially, that we need to hold on to our faith–even through tough times–by remembering that our salvation is a gift to us from God. We don’t work to earn it; but we express our gratitude to the Lord for it by our service to Him and to others. The word in the Greek for servant is doulos. If we love Jesus, we gladly become His doulos, just as He became like a servant, going to the Cross for our sakes.

Our other passages assigned for this Sunday offer a contrast between what life is like for us when we surrender and become a doulos of Christ vs. when we don’t:

A. In our Old Testament lesson (Lamentations 1:1-6), we find the prophet, Jeremiah, grieving for what has happened to the disobedient and rebellious Southern Kingdom. The prophet is inconsolable! He weeps and laments for Judah and Jerusalem, personalizing the city as a desolate woman. He witnessed the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by the Babylonians in 586BC. He saw his countrymen and women killed, wounded, or carted off into slavery. They had abandoned being servants of the Most High God, and instead were forced to become servants of the pagan empire of Babylonia.

In his grief, Jeremiah reveals to us the heart of God. Our God is heartbroken when we veer off into sin and apostasy. God had had Jeremiah repeatedly warn the people of His coming judgment. But they chose to disregard all the prophet’s admonitions to return to return the Lord. So, in 586BC, the Lord severely chastised them, at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and his army.


B. Psalm 137 continues this tragic narrative. The captives in Babylon remember Jerusalem and their formerly magnificent Temple with grief and sorrow. It was common knowledge in the Ancient Near East that as many as 100,000 worshippers might raise their voices in unison to praise God during the great feasts in Jerusalem. King David had amassed an orchestra of hundreds of musicians. Hearing the gigantic choir together in combination with the huge orchestra must have been a sensational experience!

Now their captors urge them to sing as they used to do. Can’t you just hear them egg them on? Come on, come on! Sing for us! But they are too bereft to sing! Instead, they hung their harps on willow trees (now called weeping willows), and wept, insisting they could only sing as they once did if they were back in Jerusalem. None of the historical books of the Old Testament describe for us what the experience of captivity was like for the common Israelite. Daniel narrates the fate of princes; Esther, that of the queen and her uncle, a scribe; but no where do we see described what life was like for the ordinary Jew taken into Babylonian slavery—except in this psalm. They were slave laborers whose job was to dig irrigation canals in this dry land. Remember Babylon was noted for its lush hanging gardens, possible only with massive and effective irrigation. 

(J.Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Psalms, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.149.)

Furthermore, these slaves recognize by now that they are captive laborers in Babylon because of their rebellion against God and their idolatry. They are too sad to sing. And they are too angry with their enemy captors to entertain them! In verses 7-9, they call down revenge on two enemy groups:

(1) The Edomites, descendants of Esau, the carnal twin brother of their patriarch, Jacob (distant cousins). Their Edomite kin had witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and had ridiculed these Judeans in their defeat. The Jewish captives were furious with this betrayal by extended family members. They wanted God to avenge them. (2) And they certainly wanted vengeance against the Babylonian army! Perhaps they seen their babies ruthlessly killed by enemy soldiers, so they pleaded with the Lord to do the same to Babylonian infants.

This is called an imprecatory psalm because it calls for revenge arising from bitter hatred. This side of the Cross, we know we are not to hold bitter hatred in our hearts. Instead, Jesus expects us to pray for our enemies and to forgive them. At least these slaves knew they were in no position to pay their enemies back. They realized God is the only One Who could bring them justice. Sure enough, less than 50 years later, the Babylonians were defeated by the Persians under King Cyrus in 539 BC. It was Cyrus who agreed to allow the Israelites to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it. He even sent them back with the golden implements from the Temple, with money, and with soldiers to protect them. What a miraculous move of God!

It is well for us today to note that we can take our anger and our desire for revenge to the Lord. Vengence is Mine, says the Lord. Furthermore, in Galatians 6:7 (NLT), Paul reminds us : Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. We tend to remember this as, You will reap what you sow. My experience over the years has shown me that we often reap exactly what we sowed, almost like our actions boomerang back to us. I am thinking of a woman I know, the first wife of a man married four times. He told her she needed to pay off a debt of $300 before their wedding. She did. He found out his fourth wife, after he married her, had maxed out 3 credit cards, borrowed against two life insurance policies, and took out a mortgage and a second mortgage on a home that had been willed to her totally debt free! His focus had been on indebtedness as he entered his first marriage. How interesting that he found himself so encumbered in his 4th one. 

Now contrast these two passages with Pauls’ admonitions to Timothy (2 Tim 1:1-14). Paul is writing to Pastor Timothy(around 67AD),  his disciple, who he has left in charge of the Church in Ephesus. Paul is providing this dearly beloved [spiritual] son with instruction on how to become a successful minister of the Gospel. He wants Timothy to note that he is at the top of Paul’s prayer list—what an amazing place to be!–and that he appreciates the faith of Tim’s mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois) in helping form him as a Christian believer. Especially in this 2nd pastoral letter (also his final letter before being beheaded in Rome), Paul warns Tim about the afflictions that can beset a congregation and its pastor—especially apostasy. Apostasy is the willful turning away from the principles of the Christian faith. It is a rejection of God not due to ignorance, but due to the human choice to turn one’s back on the Lord and on one’s faith. 

This is what the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea had done in the time of the Babylonian Exile. 

To prevent against apostasy, Paul wants Timothy to continue to preach the Word of God and the Gospel:

1.) No matter if people turn away; 

2.) No matter if congregational size dwindles (which had happened all over since the Covid epidemic, but may be turning around as a result of Charlie Kirk’s assassination); 

3.) No matter if people don’t feel sufficiently entertained by church; 

4.) No matter if folks don’t want to hear the teachings of Jesus. 

Paul is saying, in so many words, “Make it as attractive as you can, but don’t skimp on presenting the reality of the Gospel. No matter what forces come against you, Timothy,” Paul exhorts him, “you remain strong!” In verse 7, he famously reminds him, For God did not give us a spirit of timidity [fear, cowardice], but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline [a sound mind, some translations substitute]. Paul is saying, when the world comes against you—and it will—remember that you have a spirit of power: The Holy Spirit is in you, to guard, guide, teach, and strengthen you!  Additionally, the love of Jesus and of God the Father enfold you and stand behind you so that, rather than fearing people’s bad opinions or getting angry and becoming vengeful, you can operate out of Spirit-induced self-restraint and self-control.  

Paul knew Timothy lacked self-confidence—and we may as well. So he told him (and us) this to provide assurance and to help us all to recognize the true source of our strength.

Finally, like an excellent coach, Paul inspired Timothy with his own example of bearing up under persecution, hard times, and trials. Paul wants us all to be aware that tough days, weeks, or even seasons may assault us. These happen to all of us—especially if we love and serve as servants (doulos) of Christ. The evil one doesn’t bother those he already holds in his hands, such as non-believers and the apostate (like the folks in Jerusalem in 586BC). Make no mistake, as the enemy of God, he comes after true believers, tooth and nail, trying to make us so discouraged that we abandon our Lord. Knowing this, we don’t want to give the evil one a victory over us. 

So Paul reminds Timothy (and us) to (v.14) : Guard the good deposit [of faith and love] that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. This is what makes us and keeps us a servant of Christ. Amen!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams