Sermons

Standing Firm

“Standing Firm” – Dr. C. David Matthews from RLBC Media on Vimeo.

Philippians 3:17-21 [show]Philippians 3:17-21 [17]Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [18]For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19]Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20]But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21]who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (ESV)

Philippians 4:1 [show]Philippians 4:1 [4:1]Therefore, my brothers,(1) whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (ESV) Footnotes 1. [4:1] Or 'brothers and sisters'; also verses 8, 21

Adolescents characteristically have trouble handling new forms of freedom. This is often true of spiritual adolescents as well. If you don’t think so, read the New Testament. Apparently there were those in the church at Philippi who interpreted freedom in Christ to mean “anything goes.” In his letter Paul says that some in the church are actually living like they were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” Their behavior is self-destructive, he says. “Their god is the belly,” they “glory in their shame,” and their minds are “set on earthly things.” Over against these, Paul tells the others to “stand firm.”

It sounds like good advice. Stand firm. Or does it? Some of the most foolish things I have ever done have involved standing firm. One summer when I was about nine, we vacationed in South Dakota. We were visiting a family who had a boy about my age and one day, deep in the woods, he pointed out a plant to me that he said was poison ivy. I assured him that I had vast experience in scouting and the plant was definitely not poison ivy. He reminded me that he had been born in South Dakota, and I insisted that poison ivy was the same everywhere. I “stood firm.” I was so confident that I took the leaves of the plant and rubbed them on my arms and face. Well, as you can imagine, I ended up looking like a kumquat on steroids and spent the rest of our vacation covered head-to-toe in calamine lotion, which back then came only in white. And, of course, people took pictures. Solid evidence of our fallen nature is our insatiable need to be right. Or, at least, not to be wrong. You’ve probably tried to forget about it, but I’ll bet there was a time somewhere in your past when you knew you were right, stood firm, and made a fool of yourself.

There is a fine line between standing firm and simply being stubborn. An important self-examination is to ask, “How long has it been since I said, ‘I was wrong’?” A man who is six-five, two hundred-and-fifty pounds, and cannot form the words, “I was wrong,” is a baby. And children who have never heard their parents say, “I was wrong,” are working with an unfortunate and unnecessary handicap. Standing firm can be foolish. It can be cruel. It can be tragic. Speaking of men, Archie Bunker is still the patron saint of men who never back down. Once his longsuffering wife, Edith, was explaining him to someone and said, “Poor Archie. He doesn’t know how to worry without getting upset.” Have you noticed that, when you are angry enough, you can insist you are right even when you know you are wrong? I can do this. I can also admit that I was wrong and still explain why I was justified in getting angry. Aren’t we beautiful?

Did the Apostle Paul understand that standing firm may be the wrong thing to do? Of course he did. On the Damascus Road this arrogant Pharisee who was conducting a police action against Christians was himself struck down. He had his nose rubbed in how wrong he had been, and he was left blind as a bat. Paul knew all about standing firm and backing down. He knew when standing firm was a virtue and when it was a vice. When he wrote to Philippi, he knew it was time for somebody to stand firm.

Stand firm for what? The church leaders in Philippi were good models of Christian character, and some, perhaps most, of the congregation followed their example. Still there were those, whom Paul mentions “with tears,” who lived like they were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” These were not people who rejected the gospel. They were people who openly professed the gospel but simultaneously betrayed it with their self-indulgent living. The others, whom Paul calls “my joy and my crown,” needed to stand firm for Christian character and conduct, and for faithfulness to Christ.

The problem is that we are humans and sinners. These are not the same thing. To be human is good. It is what we were created to be. But it means we have human limitations. To be a sinner is not good, because it is the corruption of our humanity. Because we are humans and sinners we often see our subjective perceptions as objective reality. We tend to equate our opinions with the truth. And we are inclined to believe our feelings are trustworthy. Just as we did in the Garden of Eden, we credit ourselves with an infallibility that belongs only to God.

It is as redeemed people that we need to stand firm, as redeemed people seeking the wisdom of God as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. For example, I would suggest that it is better to stand firm for someone else than for yourself. This doesn’t mean you won’t need to stand firm for yourself at some point, but most of us don’t have a problem with that. It is more Christlike to stand firm for someone else. Also, it is better to stand firm for someone than to stand firm against someone. It is easier to stand firm against someone, but it is less Christlike and it so easily becomes personal. Further, it is better to stand firm for a worthy cause than for a petty resentment. It is better to stand firm in good conscience than in anger. It is better to stand firm for the weak than the strong, and for justice rather than one’s own advantage. And it is certainly better to stand firm for a commitment than for an emotion.

I once asked the best marriage counselor I knew what he considered to be the difference between a good marriage and a bad marriage. He answered with one word:  commitment. Then he said, “People don’t live to keep commitments anymore. Most people consider their own happiness to be more important than their commitments.” Faith is a commitment, not a feeling.

A traveler stopped in a small town for a cup of coffee. Sitting at the counter in a diner, he noticed an elderly couple who had just finished their meal. The man came to the counter and paid the waitress, then, leaving the woman seated in the booth, he went out to a pickup parked in front. The traveler could see the man open the passenger door and leave it open. He came back inside and went to the booth where the woman was waiting. After making some adjustments the man picked up the woman in his arms, and now her withered and useless legs could be seen. The man carried the woman outside, and the traveler and the waitress watched him put her in the passenger seat of the pickup. The waitress said, almost to herself, “That man took his vows seriously.”

I’m not sure how we change the world. I know that some things are always changed by people who take their commitments seriously. Do not underestimate the difference you can make by standing up and standing firm. Ironically, this may involve standing firm against yourself. Let us as a church not underestimate the difference we can make by standing up and standing firm. A German priest named Martin Luther is credited with igniting the spark that became the Protestant Reformation. Disillusioned by the corruption of the papacy, in 1517 he nailed his manifesto to the church door in Wittenberg. But it is his spoken words that will never be forgotten. He said, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Prayer:  “That it may please you to strengthen such as do stand; and to comfort and help the weak-hearted; and to raise up them that fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet; We beseech you to hear us, good Lord.” (from Prayer Book 1662)

C. David Matthews  /  Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, TX  /  2.28.10

www.royallane.org

The Church in the Wilderness

“The Church in the Wilderness” – Dr. David Matthews from RLBC Media on Vimeo.

Luke 4:1-13 [show]Luke 4:1-13 The Temptation of Jesus [4:1]And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness [2]for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. [3]The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." [4]And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" [5]And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, [6]and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. [7]If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." [8]And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" [9]And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, [10]for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' [11]and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" [12]And Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" [13]And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (ESV)

The temptations of Jesus are interesting, but they do not strike chords of deja vu in us. You have temptations, but you’ve not been tempted to change stones to bread or jump off the church steeple or make a pact with the devil. I know, some of you feel like you’ve done the equivalent of making a pact with the devil, but today that doesn’t count! Jesus’ temptations are not the kinds of enticements we deal with. Except, in fact, we do – - perhaps not as individuals, but they are temptations we face as a church.

In the desert with the devil, after his baptism, Jesus was offered three attractive ways of accomplishing his mission. He was not tempted to change his mission, but he was offered suggestions for how to go about it. Jesus’ mission would begin with the people of his own time and place. He would need to find ways to draw them to him. The devil is pretty ingenious. We have an obvious bias against the devil’s suggestions because they came from the devil! Try to forget that, and consider what creative ideas they are. Turning stones to bread would win Jesus an instant and enthusiastic following. Most people in Palestine subsisted on a meager and inadequate diet. When you are unendingly hungry, which most of us have never been, nothing else seems very important. Jesus himself was hungry from fasting. “Jesus, change this stone into a loaf of bread and multitudes will follow you wherever you wish to take them.” Later, Jesus would see how true this was. After the feeding of the five thousand, people pursued him everywhere until he finally had to hide from them.

There was also the suggestion that Jesus gain worldly power by co-opting the kingdoms of the world. The devil said these kingdoms were his to give. That isn’t hard to believe, is it? Then there was the suggestion that has been called “the lure of the spectacular,” the suggestion that Jesus throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, so people would see heaven’s angels come to catch him. It is the sort of thing people would talk about forever. But Jesus rejected all three of these suggestions.

Isn’t it the case that the church today is living in a wilderness? The Middle Eastern wilderness is a desert – - dry and deadly. No water, little vegetation, it is no wonder John the Baptist lived on locusts and wild honey. Perhaps the true church has always lived in the wilderness. Today, at least in our culture, it certainly does. I am aware that there are churches everywhere, and that most Americans believe in God and consider themselves Christians. But the cultural ethos is about as foreign to the church of Jesus Christ as it has ever been. And the church has largely forfeited its influence by absorbing the culture rather than challenging it. There was a time in this nation when the Monday newspapers reported on the Sunday sermons of preachers like Phillips Brooks and Henry Ward Beecher, and even George W. Truett here in Dallas, a time when there were religious leaders, whose opinions were sought and could actually make a difference.

Back in the seventies, however, Carlyle Marney said he had stopped asking God to fix anything in the Carolinas. Why? Because for two hundred years God had had a majority in the South – - of Baptists and Methodists and Presbyterians, who could have ended racism, and poverty, and political corruption any time they chose. The church, you see, was domesticated by the culture, lost its courage and its voice, and became a whisper. The number and size of congregations has little to do with the church’s strength. The mega-churches threaten no one, except smaller churches. The church as an institution is in its wilderness years. And the tempter thrives.

When Jesus was tempted, his resource was the word of God. The tempter said, “Command this stone to become bread.” Jesus said, “It is written, ‘We do not live by bread alone.’” When the tempter showed him all the kingdoms of the world “in a moment of time,” saying, “They are yours if you bow down and worship me,” Jesus said, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” When the tempter said, “Throw yourself down from the temple pinnacle so that God has rescue you,” Jesus said, “It is said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’” The only way to resist the tempter is by standing on the word of God, trusting in the power of God. Stand for something or fall for anything, they told us when we were young. But the tempter is clever, and appeals to us on the basis of common sense.

Many of life’s most profound struggles involve questions about means and ends. I would suggest for your consideration that the church’s problems historically are not so much with its goals, its ends, as with its means. We have used our ends to justify some terrible means.

Some years ago a Christian group made a satirical little film called “The Gospel Blimp.” It was about a small and struggling church that began to strategize about how to reach the people in their community with the gospel and for their church. Someone came up with an idea that they all recognized as a stroke of sheer genius. They bought a blimp. They painted verses of scripture on it, as well as the name of their church, and they launched it to fly above their town.

Their excitement was palpable. They peered out of their windows, and, sure enough, people were looking up at the blimp. Then, after a few days, people quit looking up at the blimp. They decided to print some tracts, which they wrapped in red cellophane and called “fire balls,” and dropped from the blimp. As you might suppose, irate residents, tired of finding “fire balls” everywhere, went from merely cursing the blimp to plotting to shoot it down.

The end does not justify the means. If Jesus’ own life shows us nothing else, it shows us this. In the wilderness Jesus rejected shortcuts, power plays, and manipulative schemes as means of fulfilling his mission. He chose to be true to his calling and to the will of God, even though this way would lead him to a cross. He has shown us, however, that “the way we go about it matters.” The only means that is compatible with Jesus Christ is love, self-giving, sacrificial love. What is not done in love falls short of the end, the goal of serving Christ’s kingdom. The great New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd wrote in his commentary on Romans: “The mark of true glory is precisely renunciation of personal security.” We cannot always use safe means to reach holy ends. In Christ, love, with all its risks, is both our means and our end.

I found an anonymous little poem called “The Undiscouraged God”:  “The grass grows slowly up the hill / With faith the torrent cannot kill, / And rocks are rough, and still the clover / The stony fields will yet run over— / And I know nothing that the true, / The good, the gentle cannot do. / “Woodlands that the winters sadden / The leaves of Spring again will gladden; / And so must life forever be— / The gentle hands work patiently / And yet accomplish more forever / Than these too strong or those too clever. / “So toils an undiscouraged God / And covers barren fields with sod, / And so will hate and sin surrender / To faith still strong and love still tender— / And I know nothing that the true, / The good, the gentle cannot do.”

O God, we would be the true, the good, the gentle. Amen.

C. David Matthews  /  Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, TX  /  2.21.10

www.royallane.org

“Peaks and Valleys” – Dr. Susan Matthews

“Peaks and Valleys” – Dr. Susan Matthews from RLBC Media on Vimeo.

Luke 9:28-36 [show]Luke 9:28-36 The Transfiguration [28]Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. [29]And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. [30]And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, [31]who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,(1) which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. [32]Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. [33]And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. [34]As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. [35]And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One;(2) listen to him!" [36]And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. (ESV) Footnotes 1. [9:31] Greek 'exodus' 2. [9:35] Some manuscripts 'my Beloved'

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts be always acceptable in thy sight, our Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

Today we celebrate many things – for instance, it is Boy Scout Sunday and I know that Gordon Brown has spent a great Deal of his life in service to this organization. We thank Gordon for his dedication to this fine organization and also for his dedication to our Church!

Also, it is Valentine’s Day. Many like to celebrate this day because of two things – love and chocolate! And I would agree that these are things to celebrate! Some even call it a Saint’s Day because of St Valentine, who was not just one person but a collection of many Christian martyrs. Chaucer later took the stories of these martyrs and related them to the idea of courtly or romantic love for his own works and this is where we get the idea of love associated with Valentine’s Day. And chocolate was always considered a source of power and vitality especially by the Aztecs. The Greek term – theobroma cacao means –“the food of the gods.” And the word Valens means “to be worthy.” As worthy as these two celebrations would be on this day, they are totally overshadowed by a tremendous event in the life of a few disciples and in the life of Christ.  I am referring to the Transfiguration.

Every year, just before the beginning of Lent, we, along with his disciples Peter, James and John, get a glimpse of Christ’s glory.  As you will remember, after they had climbed to the top of the mountain, Jesus’ figure was changed. The transformation of Jesus began with prayer and from this point grew into an intense Religious experience, the exact nature of which is uncertain.  This aura of unnatural brilliance is associated elsewhere in the Bible – for example, Exodus 34:29-35 [show]Exodus 34:29-35 The Shining Face of Moses [29]When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.(1) [30]Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. [31]But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. [32]Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. [33]And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. [34]Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, [35]the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (ESV) Footnotes 1. [34:29] Hebrew 'him'
– where Moses’ face shone because of his encounter with God and in Acts 9:3 [show]Acts 9:3 [3]Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. (ESV)
, where Paul is traveling to Damascus and a light from heaven flashed around him. These exceptional experiences totally changed the disciples and utterly transformed Moses and Paul.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have been with them? To be able to glimpse Christ’s glory? At some level, don’t we all wish for that?

For most of us, our days are filled with highs and lows. Things that must be done: people to see; places to go; meetings to attend; errands to run; chores to accomplish and so on…Our days are filled with these necessary tasks – some of which are pleasant and some not so pleasant. And, along the way, we May be fortunate to have some spectacular experiences. Have you had any “mountain top” experiences yourself? I am sure that you have. English writer (Hillary) Hilaire Belloc expressed nostalgia for the mountains in his past. “When I am living in the Midlands/that are sodden and unkind,/I light my lamp In the evening/my work is left behind./and the great hills of the south country/come back into my mind.”

At one point in my life, I was lucky to be living amongst the Austrian Alps for eight years or so. I had the great advantage of being able to ski for ten months out of  the year – and even for the additional two months of summer – if I wanted to travel to a nearby glacier. I remember many mountain top experiences. The views were breath-taking and God never felt so very real or so palpable. What I primarily remember was the beauty of nature, the vastness of God and how spiritually significant these peak experiences seemed to me. However, as important as these experiences were, they were momentary and solitary. That is, they lasted for a brief moment only and I, and I alone, was experiencing this particular event. Witnessing the transfiguration must have been overwhelmingly glorious for Peter. He immediately wanted to erect three dwelling places for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter wanted this experience to last.

Our immediate reaction too may have been to prolong or to hold on to this event as long as possible. Not only was this not possible, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone about the experience. This was an experience that was momentary and solitary. That is, this event was only for the disciples.

Why would Jesus do this?

What would be the reason for keeping this event secret?

Well, there are probably many reasons for this, but one reason I would like to suggest today, is that our mountain top experiences are given to us to strengthen us for our continuing journey in Christ and not just for their beauty and wonder. You will remember that Peter, James and John had a very long and difficult road to travel with Jesus and also after Jesus’ death. Their lives were filled with terror, deprivation, and extreme suffering. In order to persevere in their faith, their mountain top experience helped to strengthen them in their journey with Christ. This event was not meant for anyone else at the time. It was a pure experience that God allowed to be shown to these disciples, in order that they could endure what they had to do in their own lives for Christ. Our mountain top experiences are connecting us to God in a very real way as well. They are not primarily of value because of the wonderful feelings they might produce in us, but because of the mysterious action of God who will use these moments to strengthen us for our journey in Christ to wherever it might lead.

Most of our lives, however, are spent not on the mountain tops but in the valleys of everyday, ordinary life.  And, you may be surprised to hear this, but I believe that the valley is even more important than the mountain top in experiencing God and His mystery and growing in our love for Christ.  I believe that God is even more accessible in every day life than in one spectacular peak event.

At another point in my life, I was on staff as an Associate Minister for a church located on a small key (or island) on the west coast of Florida. This is where I met my husband. This church was unique in many ways. First, most of the members were only winter residents; second, the church board was comprised of former CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and most of the other members were retired executives. You can imagine that they tried to run the church as they would have a large corporation. It was very interesting!! The majority of the people who lived on the Key were very wealthy by anyone’s standards, and the problems they experienced were few indeed. One could say that they lived on the mountaintop most of the time. Life there was relaxed and very comfortable. The primary concern was the threat of possible hurricanes or violent storms, but this was not of great worry, since most of the residents would be gone when these summer storms might occur. The only other concern was health. If one got ill, the question was – how fast could that person be gotten off the Key to a well-known medical facility?  This problem was solved with the introduction of a helicopter and helipad.

Then, one day, things changed. The President of the United States came to the Key and moved in two blocks down the road from my small church. The day after he arrived on the key, he visited an elementary school in the area and, as he was reading a book to a group of children, his aid informed him that the Twin Towers in New York City had been struck by planes. The look on his face at that moment, which was televised later, is one we all remember. Many of the people on the Key had family members who worked in the Twin Towers since this was the location of many international companies.  A short time later, we held a candle light service. The small church was filled to overflowing. The people, who were gathered there, that night, were in grief and sorrow and disbelief. This was a tremendous jolt from the mountaintop down to the very depths of the deepest valley.  And in their sorrow, there was a coming together and recognition of how much they all were in need of God’s great love. This was no longer a theory to be discussed or an abstract idea to be mulled over in a Sunday School class.

This was the reality of each and every person’s dependence on God. They became united in their need of God’s love.

This was an awakening into a deeper relationship with God and a growth of the human spirit. Formerly they had depended on their own powers to maintain their mountaintop existences. They had not felt that their extremely comfortable lives were a gift from God to be used for others, but as a result of their own efforts.  Now they realized that it was God, not themselves, who sustained their lives.

J V Langmead Casserly, an Anglican priest, was a speaker my husband heard during his Seminary days. Casserly was asked several questions, during the course of his lecture. One of the questions posed was: What is God doing NOW?”  His response was, God is creating a world in which love is a necessity. God is actively and repeatedly and infinitely looking for us to respond with love.

We need to look for God’s love in the valley of our lives. Peak experiences are wonderful and important in giving us glimpses of God, but it is in the valley where we grow into the love of God and neighbor.

Let us pray:  Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.

Going to Work for Jesus

GOING TO WORK FOR JESUS

Luke 5:1-11 [show]Luke 5:1-11 Jesus Calls the First Disciples [5:1]On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, [2]and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. [3]Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. [4]And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." [5]And Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." [6]And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. [7]They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. [8]But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." [9]For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, [10]and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." [11]And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (ESV)

Few words elicit as many different reactions as the word “work.” This is because work is one of the most multi-faceted of human realities. Consider the distance between these two sentiments:  “I hate my job” and “I love my job.” Between these extremes, work means many, widely divergent things to different people. What should it mean? Is work a blessing or a curse? From the Bible’s perspective, it can be either.

For a long time many African-American families would not read from the New Testament letter to the Ephesians. These were nearly always Christian families who were devoted to the Bible. But some of their fathers and mothers had been slaves. Their masters had conducted services for them when there was no minister present. The custom was to read a passage from Ephesians 6 [show]Ephesians 6 Children and Parents [6:1]Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. [2]"Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), [3]"that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." [4]Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves and Masters [5]Slaves,(1) obey your earthly masters(2) with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, [6]not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants(3) of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, [7]rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, [8]knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. [9]Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master(4) and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. The Whole Armor of God [10]Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11]Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12]For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13]Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. [14]Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15]and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. [16]In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; [17]and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, [18]praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, [19]and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, [20]for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. Final Greetings [21]So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. [22]I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. [23]Peace be to the brothers,(5) and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [24]Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (ESV) Footnotes 1. [6:5] Or 'servants'; Greek 'bondservants'; similarly verse 8 2. [6:5] Or 'your masters according to the flesh' 3. [6:6] Or 'slaves'; Greek 'bondservants' 4. [6:9] Greek 'Lord' 5. [6:23] Or 'brothers and sisters'
that says: “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ.” This devious and cruel misuse of scripture was a way of keeping the slaves obedient and in subjection.

Barbara Guinnin, Ray Vickrey and I heard John Dominic Crossan this past week at the Stetson University Pastors School. He, a Catholic, and Marcus Borg, a Protestant, have a book that helps rehabilitate the apostle Paul’s negative image as anti-women and pro-slavery. Many biblical scholars today believe Ephesians and Colossians, like some other letters, were not actually written by Paul, though they have been traditionally attributed to him. They are now thought to have been written by the early church more than a generation after Paul. At that time Christianity was trying to accommodate itself to the Greco-Roman world, which was patriarchal and pro-slavery. If this is correct, Paul is neither anti-women or pro-slavery.

Many people today feel like slaves in relation to their work. It is like bondage to them. It is meaningless drudgery, but is necessary for survival. When the unemployment rate hits double digits, people have no choice but to accept even the most demeaning and demanding jobs.

Jesus’ first disciples were working people, fishermen who made their living on the Sea of Galilee. One day when the crowds were pressing in on Jesus, he got in Simon’s boat and spoke to the people on the shore. When he had finished, Jesus told Simon to move into deeper water and let down the nets. Poor Simon! He was dead tired. He had fished all night and caught nothing. But he did as Jesus said, and he hauled in so many fish that the boat was in danger of sinking!

We are not actually told that Simon Peter was married, but we know he had a mother-in-law, because Jesus healed her. Imagine being Simon Peter’s wife, married to a headstrong and volatile husband, never knowing what to expect. On this particular night, he comes home and says, “Guess what. I have a new job. I am going to work for Jesus!” “But, you’re a fisherman! Jesus doesn’t need a fisherman!” “Oh, yes he does. He said, ‘Simon, you’ve been fishing for yourself, and you can do better than that!’”

Have you ever considered going to work for Jesus? Have you ever thought about swapping your job for a vocation? Have you wished you had a calling? Oh, I know. You can’t preach, and you can’t teach, and you can’t carry a tune. O.K., but what can you do? Everybody can do something. Don’t say you can’t do anything.

Andy Capp is a comic strip about a working class English couple. Andy spends most of his time at the pub, and his wife never gives up trying to reform him. One time she says to him, “The only thing you do well is serve as a horrible example.” On his way to the pub he says, “It’s good to know I’m making a contribution!”

Seriously, God has no ungifted children. There is something you can do. Whatever it is, it can be an offering to the world and to God. We have all changed jobs, I suppose. Perhaps, like Peter, you have made a change where you kept doing essentially the same thing for a different reason? Still fishing, but for a totally different purpose. Scores of fishermen fished the Sea of Galilee, but Simon Peter became, in Lloyd Douglas’ words, “the Big Fisherman.”

Ask Peter what it means to go to work for Jesus.

It means anything worth doing can be done as unto the Lord. We have a false hierarchy of important tasks, based on the distorted values of our misguided culture. If your heart is right, you can mop a floor to the glory of God, maybe even when it’s somebody else’s floor. Many of the great American spirituals were composed and sung in somebody else’s cotton field by slaves who worked for their masters but lived for God. Serving Jesus with your work means making your life a doxology, an offering of praise to God. Wendell Berry says there is sanctity in your life as a child of God, and therefore there is sanctity in your work. So, first of all, going to work for Jesus means making an offering of whatever you do to God. It means serving God with your work.

Second, going to work for Jesus also means loving whoever happens to be your neighbor at any given point in your life, at any given point in your day. You don’t have to be one-up on someone in order to love them. Jesus himself showed us how to love even one’s executioners, and even with one’s dying breath. Working for Jesus means learning how to love whoever happens to be your neighbor.

Finally, going to work for Jesus means becoming who you really are. This is what having a vocation, or a calling, means. You find your calling, you find yourself. Every follower of Christ has a vocation. Some have not heard it. Some have rejected it. But each of us has a calling. It is not just concerned with what you do, but also with who you are becoming. We are called to become who we really are. The extent to which we do is the degree to which we are like Jesus.

I daresay no one could have believed what Simon would become, certainly not his mother-in-law, and probably not his wife. He is a miracle, remaining in so many ways who and what he was, he became the rock of faith on which Christ built his church.

A great many things in the world have happened without you. But there are also things that cannot happen without you. Augustine, the greatest theologian of the first century of Christianity, said, “God created you without you, but God will not save you without you.” Bishop Desmond Tutu may have improved on that. He said: “God without you, won’t. You without God, can’t.” We would all do well to think about that.

The bottom line is: everybody is working for somebody, even if it’s oneself. And if you’re only working for yourself, you can do better than that.

Prayer:  O God, as Jesus called his first disciples away from their work to greater work, even so, call us. Amen.

C. David Matthews  /  Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas  /  2.7.10

www.royallane.org

The Frontier Within

THE FRONTIER WITHIN

Luke 4:21-30 [show]Luke 4:21-30 [21]And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." [22]And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" [23]And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." [24]And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. [25]But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, [26]and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. [27]And there were many lepers(1) in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." [28]When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. [29]And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. [30]But passing through their midst, he went away. (ESV) Footnotes 1. [4:27] 'Leprosy' was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

“The Frontier Within” – Dr. C. David Matthews from RLBC Media on Vimeo.

The westward expansion of the United States during the 19^th century seemed an endless opportunity for exploration and growth. The vastness of the continent was overwhelming to people whose homelands had been the comparatively small countries of the Old World. It was felt that “Westward, ho!” would be the permanent cry of eager settlers. Eventually the movement reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean, however, and the frontier disappeared. Since then we have found new frontiers.

Nazareth was an insignificant little agricultural town in Galilee. Jesus came from Nazareth, but this was generally thought to be a mark against him. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” people asked, as if it were the back side of nowhere. When Jesus returned to Nazareth, he was well-received. It made sense that he would begin his ministry there, just as candidates for public office often begin their campaigns in their hometowns. On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the synagogue in Nazareth, and was asked to read the lesson from Isaiah 61 [show]Isaiah 61 The Year of the LORD's Favor [61:1]The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;(1) he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;(2) [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.(3) [4]They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. [5]Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; [6]but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. [7]Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. [8]For I the LORD love justice; I hate robbery and wrong;(4) I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. [9]Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the LORD has blessed. [10]I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. [11]For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. Footnotes 1. [61:1] Or 'afflicted' 2. [61:1] Or 'the opening' [of the eyes] 'to those who are blind'; Septuagint 'and recovery of sight to the blind' 3. [61:3] Or 'that he may display his beauty' 4. [61:8] Or 'robbery with a burnt offering'
: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor . . . release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” When he sat down, he said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The people were impressed with the “gracious words” he spoke. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked in wonder.

Then things exploded! Never has the mood of a congregation changed more quickly or drastically. They went from praising his “gracious words” to chasing him out of town! This requires an explanation. What Jesus did was like Clarence Jordan stepping into the pulpit of a Baptist church in Georgia in 1950 and saying. “God loves black people as much as God loves you. So why aren’t they here?” Jesus knew the prejudice that existed in Nazareth. At that time many Jews understood being God’s chosen people as meaning that Gentiles (non-Jews) were accursed by God. The Jews’ treatment of Gentiles was cruel and inhumane, and this was thought to be God’s will. So, Jesus said, “You will ask me to do the mighty works here that I did in Capernaum. But, no prophet is acceptable in his own country.” Then Jesus referred to two episodes, one from the life of Elijah, and the other from the life of Elisha, when the prophets had actually bypassed their own people to help Gentiles. The congregation in Nazareth heard Jesus say, in essence, “God loves Gentiles as much as God loves you. So why aren’t they here?” In his own home town, Jesus dismissed the people’s flattery and challenged their most ingrained prejudice.

It is hard to imagine our own spiritual ancestors, the Israelites, believing they alone were objects of God’s love. How could they be so foolish and so blind? The most challenging frontier for all of us is the one we are least likely to see. It is the frontier within. It is the frontier of the open mind. The absurdity of a closed mind is obvious when we see it in someone else. When our own minds are locked down with regard to an individual, a group, a race, or a nation, it is much more difficult to see. Jesus once asks, “Why are you looking for the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Mt 7:3) We cannot dismiss this as a problem only for the primitive and uneducated. We must not think of closed-mindedness as a relic from the past. It is a phenomenon that exists at the highest levels of academia, government, business, and religion.

The first church I served in a staff position was the First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, Florida. While I was there the church voted to exclude black people, not just from membership, but from our public worship services. Today, of course, the church is fully integrated racially. When I was pastor of the Seventh & James Baptist Church just off the Baylor campus, a group of deacons came to explain to me that while they believed women would some day serve as deacons in our church, now was just not the right time. I thought I understood the dynamics involved in these situations. But I didn’t, because I did not see how afraid these people were. And, as it turned out, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Am I suggesting that we should capitulate on all fronts, forfeit our convictions, and embrace every new idea that comes down the pike? I am not. I am suggesting that we need less fear and more faith. Am I advocating that we be so open-minded that we become empty-headed? I am not. I am advocating that we be open-minded enough to be open-hearted, else we cannot love our neighbors as ourselves. A part of our being created in the image of God is that we are uniquely equipped to transform both the inner and outer aspects of their lives. This has been confirmed by all sorts of disciplines. William James, in the early days of psychology, said, “The greatest discovery in our generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” (The Principles of Psychology) We alone, of all the creatures of the earth, can change our own patterns and become architects of our own destinies – - if we will.

In World War I, a Catholic priest stopped to minister to a wounded soldier. The boy looked up and said, “Padre, I do not belong to your church.” The priest replied, “No, but you belong to my God.” One by one, the walls that divide people in our world are coming down. The challenges of the frontier within will not go away.

O God, open our eyes. Open our minds. Open our hearts. Amen.

C. David Matthews  /  Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, TX  /  1.31.10