A Love That's Understandable, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: John 1:1-14

1.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

2.  He was with God in the beginning. 

3.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. 

4.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

5.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6.  There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 

7.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 

8.  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9.  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 

10.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 

11.  He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 

12.  Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God — 

13.  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

                               

          An excerpt from a story by Dr. Suess goes like this: "And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

          The famous Danish philosopher from the mid-1800s, a Christian theologian named Soren Kierkegaard, once related this story about how God made Himself understandable to us.  As the story goes, a prince in a far country wanted to find a maiden suitable to be his queen. One day while running an errand in the local village for his father, he passed through a poor section of town and as he glanced out the windows of the carriage, his eyes fell upon a beautiful peasant maiden.  In the days that followed he found reason to often pass by the young lady and he soon fell in love with her.
          But he had a problem.  How would he go about seeking her hand in marriage?  He could order her to marry him, but even a prince wants his bride to marry him freely and voluntarily and not through coercion.  He could put on his most splendid uniform and drive up to her front door in a carriage drawn by six horses.  But if he did that he could never be certain whether the maiden loved him or was simply overwhelmed with all of his royal splendor.
          The prince finally came up with a suitable solution. He would temporarily give up his royal robes and position at the palace.  He moved into the village, entering not with a crown but in the clothing of a peasant.  He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language.  In time the maiden grew to love him, because of who he was and because he loved her first.
          This very simple story is what John is describing in today's scripture -- God came and lived among us, for the sake of love.  He had to reveal Himself and His great love for us in an understandable way, and this is precisely what Jesus did.  He became flesh just like you and me.  He made Himself understandable.

          What was that from the Grinch?  "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

          The Biblical author John had a great love for his Lord, and it fairly glowed in his writings.  To him, Jesus definitely meant "a little bit more."  More than 90 percent of what  John writes is unique to his Gospel; not containing a genealogy, any record of Jesus' birth, childhood, temptation, transfiguration, appointment of the disciples, nor any account of Jesus' parables, ascension, or even the great commission. And yet of the eight miracles he records in his closeness to Jesus, six are found only in his writings, as is the "Upper Room Discourse" (chapters 14-17).

          John's whole purpose throughout his writings is to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Son of the Living God.  For in believing, we have eternal life.  Knowing Jesus as he does, John is anxious that we understand who Jesus really is.  In fact, the key verse of his entire book of John is found in chapter 20, verses 30-31: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." 

          This comes from the son of Zebedee, brother of James; together they were called the "Sons of Thunder."  John had an appreciation for life, and therefore who and what Jesus represented.

          Again and again we see John documenting Jesus' use of "I am," as He affirms His preexistence and eternal deity; "I am the bread of life" (6:35); "I am the good shepherd" (10:11, 14); "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (14:6); and "I am the true vine" (15:1). 
          John makes it perfectly clear that Jesus is the eternal son of God, not just a man.  And because He is God's son, we can perfectly trust what He says.  By trusting Him, we gain an open mind to the great love that came to us as a baby in a lowly manger for animals in the nowhere town of Bethlehem.  He came in the flesh, beginning among us as a helpless child, growing, playing, walking among us to help us understand the Father's message and fulfill His purpose in our lives.
          And yet even as He grew among us, walking where we walked, eating what we ate, Satan continued over Jesus' life span to take a run at Him, to attempt to undercut His influence with us, to remove Him as the bridge to God He came to be.  And yet such great love stood the test of power then, the power of love over evil, grew and spread and became part of the human race as God created it to be. 

          But why come into our lives as a child?  Why wait 30-some years for Jesus to grow to manhood in order to teach and heal and perform miracles?

          In growing to manhood among us Jesus left his fingerprints upon history, upon the hearts and minds of those with whom He came into contact.  He was known to those around him.  His earthly father was known, his mother was known, those with whom He grew up and played, studied, worked, were known.  Jesus did not simply drop out of the sky one day and announce, "Hi y'all, I'm the son of God."  His entire life had context.

          The God-man who willingly gave up His life amidst the cruelty of crucifixion was known.  He was somebody within the larger community.  The reality of Jesus who is the Christ has stood against unholy temptation, against assassins,  blasphemy, lies, against imposters, against mockery, against every realm of evil.

          It's also worth mentioning that Jesus did not come merely to "teach and heal and perform miracles."  True, he did all those things.  But He was very specific about why He came; such purposes as to seek the lost (Luke 19:10); to save the lost (Matt. 18:11); to fulfill prophecy (Matt. 5:17-18); to do the will of the Father (Heb. 10:9); to destroy the works of the devil (1st John 3:8); to bear our sins (Heb. 9:28); and many more.  In fact, Pastor Roger Congdon has compiled a list of 21 reasons why Jesus came to be among us, found at http://www.teachinghome.com/EM-Elements/Christmas/21reasons.cfm.

          Many times over Jesus can be found saying, "I came not to ...", citing why He did come.  And at the base of why He was here is a love at which we can only marvel, and offer ourselves as a vessel for this great love that comes near.

          I will never forget a defining moment in my life when one night when I felt led to offer a few dollars to a thoroughly dejected, rejected, disheveled homeless person who looked at the money in my hand, looked at me and asked, "Are you Jesus?"

          Then there was Julio Diaz, on his way home from work in the Bronx, getting off the subway at a different station than usual so he could go to a restaurant, mugged at knife-point for a few dollars.  But before the incident was over, Julio was sitting in that restaurant with his attacker across the table from him eating dinner, the knife in Julio's pocket.  What would Jesus do in a mugging?  Now you know.  The love of Christ really does have a power that conquers all; a love we don't fully understand in its power, but what we do understand of it comes from a Jesus we know.  We know Him because the God-man came to us as a babe born not into royalty, but into a stable, threatened and stalked, and yet survived to fulfill His Father's purpose.  For us.  It was, is, all for us.  It is all through the personal commitment of a down-to-earth Jesus in spiritual majesty; a far-reaching affection that is both beyond us and yet understandable, because from newborn babe to crucified Christ, He was here in the flesh, in love.  Amen.

Week of Worship

December 11-18, 2011

Invocation:  Thank You, my God, for the Good News which awaits my coming to You today, and always.  Thank You for the grace and mercy which promise to set me free of all the sins and disappointments of life which yet hinder me on my journey toward Your kingdom.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 80

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Mark 13:1-13

Tuesday               Luke 21:25-36

Wednesday         Revelations 1:1-8
Thursday              John 1:14-18

Friday                   Ezekiel 34:11-16

Saturday               Acts 1:1-11

Sunday                 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:46b-55; 1st Thessalonians 5:16-24; 

                              John 1:6-8, 19-28

Reflection: (silent and written)

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Hymn: "Blessed Be the God of Israel"

Benediction:  And now, my Lord, send me from this quiet place to be a living oracle of Good News for all persons i will meet who are yet lost in darkness and who cry in despair.  Amen.

Is It About Sin?, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  2nd Peter 3:8-15a

3:8  But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
3:9  The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.
3:10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.
3:11  Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness,
3:12  waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire?
3:13  But, in accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
3:14  Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish;
3:15a  and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him. 

          Recently, Pope Benedict, in his address to U.S. Catholic Bishops, reflected on the concerns they voiced to him in private discussions about the "growth of intolerant secularism in the USA."  Pope Benedict said he sees the attempts to the silence the voice of the Church as one sign, among others, of the breakdown of western society.

          "Many of you have shared with me," he said, "your concern about the grave challenges to a consistent Christian witness presented by an increasingly secularized society. I consider it significant, however, that there is also an increased sense of concern on the part of many men and women, whatever their religious or political views, for the future of our democratic societies. They see a troubling breakdown in the intellectual, cultural and moral foundations of social life, and a growing sense of dislocation and insecurity, especially among the young, in the face of wide-ranging societal changes.

          "Despite attempts to still the Church’s voice in the public square, many people of good will continue to look to her for wisdom, insight and sound guidance in meeting this far-reaching crisis. The present moment can thus be seen, in positive terms, as a summons to exercise the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry by speaking out, humbly yet insistently, in defense of moral truth, and offering a word of hope, capable of opening hearts and minds to the truth that sets us free."

          Is the head of the Catholic church correct?  You know that he is.

           If  as Peter writes, "all these things are to be dissolved in this way," then does it make any difference "what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness"?  I'll bet you know it does, even amidst the societal disarray around us.

          Is our society really facing a breakdown?  There should be no doubt in anyone's mind.  Mental, physical, economic, ethical, moral, on all fronts, the barriers to the barbarians are coming down.  Sexual promiscuity, crime, and even the efforts to excuse sexual promiscuity and crime, are at an all-time high.  This nation has become an open hunting ground for those who deal in drugs, violence, and human slavery.  People who never gave a thought to owning a weapon to protect themselves are now taking classes to qualify for not just the purchase of a weapon, but for a concealed carry permit.  Among those opting for personal protection, the popular saying is "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away."

          What can be at the base of such widespread societal disarray that decent people feel they must take steps to be responsible for their own safety?

          We are living now in very desperate economic times, and in such times burglary, theft, and violence run rampant.  Those who consider themselves among the "have nots" take it upon themselves to force the sharing of scarce resources.

          All of those, of course, are well-known to all, but we have not mentioned  -- and the Pope did not mention in his speech -- what it is that is at the genus of all this "forced sharing", this lust, desire, this abuse.  It's called "sin."  Simple as that.

          Oh, there are many philosophical arguments and terms that might be applied here to assuage the guilt and excuse the perpetrators, but at the base of it all, is sin, and the natural sin nature of mankind.

          It's very much like the great cathedral of a church that had invited a popular old preacher to speak to the congregation that morning.  Little was known of him to the selection committee except that wherever he spoke, he drew thousands to Christ.

          On that Sunday morning, as the elderly preacher arrived, one senior Elder greeted him and, somewhat nervously, asked what the guest speaker would preach on.

          "Sin," replied the preacher.

          "And what, sir, will you say about it?" asked the Elder.

          "I'm ag'in it!" said the preacher and marched to the pulpit.

          It really is that simple.  And yet we would complicate the matter of sin with justifications, excuses, and sentimental feelings, none of which, according to holy scripture, a holy God recognizes.

          What is sin?  Really, have we considered what sin actually is, can we identify what is sin?

          Sin is no more than going against the will of God; the will of God for us, for our lives, for who and what He intends us to be.  The will of God for us is obedience.

          A friend of mine, Pastor Bernard Lutchman, recently noted to me that "In the absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia, until ultimately we become enslaved by it." 

          We do that, don't we?  We have a good idea what God wants from us, but rather than obey Him, we lose ourselves and our time in the details of life.  There is nothing wrong in the daily rituals of living, eating, drinking, meeting our obligations.  Jesus went about the earth living, eating, drinking and meeting the Father's obligations as much as His own.  The main difference is that in doing so, Jesus was glorifying God.  We are usually glorifying ourselves, making sure other see how hard we are working, bringing honor and definition to our own lives.  That isn't the Father's will for us.  Yet we go against His will.

          This approaching Christmas season is such a mixed blessing for so many of us.  Yes, it is a time of giving and getting, a time when the birth of the Christ child is celebrated, when the love of Christ is seen and amplified among those who need His love so.  Yet it is also a time of unbridled greed, desire and debauchery.  Old pagan customs and rituals have been dragged into Christianity and dressed up to look presentable.  But they are still in pagan worship of nature, of the creation, and not the Creator.

          We lose ourselves in the merriment of it all, and give scant attention to the tiny figure in the manger, or held in the arms of a statue to Mary.  What we don't want to think about is the fact that the God who comes into our life in a cradle, also walks a path that leads to a cruel death nailed to a cross of shame.  And why does He do that?  To release us from ... what?  Oh yes, from sin.

          Sin is natural with us, but not with God.  Holiness is His nature, and Jesus Christ comes to reunite us with the Father, clothing us in His righteousness, taking away the sin.  It is THE gift of this and every other Christmas, but the world is too busy with the giving and the getting to see that.

          Is our society coming apart? 

          Look at the abuse of innocent children, the abortion and murder of infants, the removal of God and His influence from schools, from Government, from everyday life, then look at the rape, the murder, the lying.....the sin, and answer that for yourself.

          What is sin?  Simply that which goes against the will of God.

          Can we say that this life we see about us reflects the will of Almighty God? 

          What we see about us reflects an ignorance of the tragedy on the cross, a tragedy that involved the Father, the Son, and you and I.  A tragedy that purchased, through the blood of our Savior, a future for all who will believe.  It all begins with the virgin birth of a child born without original sin, a child born of God's love for us, born into our world; it all begins with God's will for us.  Our part begins with obedience.

          Amen.

Week of Worship

December 4-10, 2011

Invocation:  Gracious God, Who sent Your own Son to prepare the way for our salvation, give us the grace to heed His word and accept His forgiveness of our many sins.  In the name of Jesus Christ who lives with You and with us, now and forever.  Amen.

Read: Psalm 62

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                Luke 1:5-25

Tuesday               Luke 1:57-80

Wednesday         Matthew 3:1-12
Thursday              Isaiah 62:1-12

Friday                   Luke 12:35-48

Saturday              Isaiah 51:1-8

Sunday                 Isaiah 40:1-11; 2nd Peter 3:8-15a; Psalm 85:8-13;

                              Mark 1:1-8

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Reflection: (silent and written)

Hymn: "My Soul Gives Glory to My God"

Benediction:  And now, my God, send me to prepare the way for others, that they, too, may gladly accept the coming of Jesus Christ into their life situations.  Amen.

GIVE Us!, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: John 6:30-34

          So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?   What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

          Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

          “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

         

          Where have we heard this plaintive cry recently?  This "give us"?

          Perhaps on Wall Street?  In Oakland, California; in Seattle, Washington; in New Orleans, Louisiana; and even here in Nashville, Tennessee.

          "Give us.  Give us.  Give us."

          My grandfather would have said they are among all those who want to swallow but they don't want to chew.  They want instant gratification now.  They believe they deserve it.  They want what others have spent a lifetime working and sacrificing for, not sitting on their hands waiting for it to be given them.

          Paul responded to such people when he wrote to the Thessalonian church in his second letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 3, verse 10, " "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."

          The elements of thrift, pride and conscience are usually enough to provoke most men to want to work for what they receive, to not want a handout.  But as evidenced by  today's society, that is not always the case.

          The responses to these "sit-ins", or "occupiers" as they call themselves, has been varied.  Some feel the "occupiers" should occupy a job.  After all, their parents have scrimped and saved in many cases, and in most cases paid their way through a college education.  Now it's time to put that education into motion, even if they have to lower their expectations for entering the job market.  There is work going on, jobs to be had.  Perhaps here in Nashville we are more fortunate than in many places; we will have a great deal of construction going on, selling, trading, marketing still going on.  There are ads in the newspapers, signs in business windows, advertising work.

          There are also those who feel empathy for the "occupiers", those who have worked hard toward high expectations upon graduation, and now find that the downturn in the economy has cut the legs out from under their dreams.  They see executives and corporate officers earning huge salaries, and even bonuses, while they cannot seem to get their foot into the door.  And their supporters agree that even without jobs, these "occupiers" credit cards laden with student debt should be paid, their debt forgiven, by someone.

          The "someone" everyone has in mind is the federal government.  But the federal government is us.  The federal government is made up of all the men and women we elected to represent us in the House and the Senate, and the Oval Office.  It is made up of ordinary citizens such as you and me, those hired to manage the day-to-day business of this nation.  If there are bills to be paid, money to be spent, that money comes from us.  And in these economic hard times, that money is very hard to come by.

          Since the debt of this nation only this past week topped $15 trillion dollars, that money is very, very, very hard to come by.  Our individual gasoline bills are higher, the cost of bread is up because the cost of flour and salt are up.  The interest we are paid on money we saved has dropped, but the interest on our bills has shot up.  Winter is upon us, and the cost of fuel oils for heat is up.

          And it's not just us here in America.  As we have seen around the world, when America sneezes, the rest of the world gets pneumonia.  There is increasingly bad economic times resulting in civil unrest around the world.

          America's youthful "occupiers' and the angry people around the world have one thing in common.  They lack the faith that will put "hard times" into perspective for them.

          In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said "You cannot serve both God and money."  Their minds are stayed on money, on what they don't have.  There is no room for faith in what God will provide.

          In today's scripture, Jesus has just made a great claim, that He was sent of God, that the true work of God was to believe in Him.  This being a claim to be the Messiah, the Jews shouted, "Prove it!"  And being human their first thoughts turned to their stomachs.  Essentially they said, "If you're the Christ, then feed us, give us bread the way Moses gave the children of Israel bread."

          In very close comparison, we see the "occupiers" saying, essentially, if America is good and capitalism works, then prove it.  Take away our debts, feed us, and meet our wants."  But like the ancient Jews, they miss the point, a very crucial point about life itself..

          Jesus corrects the misconception that the manna Moses distributed came from Moses.  It from God, a supply of manna prepared just for them.  And for whom was the manna prepared?  For those who believed and were worthy of eating it.

          But the manna for the Jews, and what the occupiers considered their "bread of life" -- debt payment, wealth distribution -- is only a symbol of what is important.  The real "bread of life" is Jesus Christ who comes down from heaven and gives men, not just simple satisfaction from physical need, physical hunger, but life; eternal life.

          True satisfaction, true forgiveness, true fulfillment comes not from what is man-made or man-designed, but can only be found in Him.  They are looking in all the wrong places, for the wrong thing.

          The life we live on this earth, in this society of men, is not intended as a contest to see how much we can accumulate.  Take note that when we die we leave it all behind.  It then belongs to someone else.  Why spend the short life we have collecting what we cannot keep?

          At the very end of our scripture verse today, Jesus tells them of Himself, "For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

          They in turn respond, hopefully in all sincerity and understanding, “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

          Are you spending your life working for the bread that molds, turns hard, and is thrown away in the trash?  Or are you working for the bread of God that is Jesus Christ, which causes you to grow in ways you never imagined possible?  Please, God, please Sir, always give us this bread.

          Amen.

Week of Worship

November 20-26, 2011

Christ the King

Invocation:  Almighty God, as You have given Jesus Christ to be Savior and Lord grant us now grace to accept and rejoice in our salvation and in His lordship.  Amen.


Read: Psalm 44

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday                John 1: 43-51

Tuesday               Luke 8: 22-56

Wednesday         Acts 17:1
Thursday              Luke 19:28-40
Friday                  1st Corinthians 15:1-28

Saturday              Matthew 26:1-29

Sunday                 Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 23; 1st Corinthians 15:20-28; 
                              Matthew 25:31-46

Prayers for the church, for others, for yourself.

Reflection: (silent and written)

Hymn: "I Am Thine, O Lord"

Benediction:  Go forth to serve in the strength, love, and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  
                          Amen.

Expecting God to Be God, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

1:7 Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.
1:12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, "The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm."
1:13 Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.
1:14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.
1:15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
1:16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
1:17 I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

          There is a phrase I often hear that makes me smile at the sheer human ego and brass it takes to say it, replete as it is with a monumental misunderstanding of God.  That phrase is "let God be God." 

          On the one hand it is often meant that the object of that statement should not undertake those means that are the purview of Almighty God.  In other words, they should back off and let God take care of those things only God can have an impact upon.  But at the same time, it assumes that whether or not we allow God to be God, whether or not we "let" God be God, makes any difference to God. 

          If we refuse to rely on God, to stand upon His word, His promises to us, it's possible God may withhold His work in our behalf.  But in the long run, God is going to do what God is going to do.

          Then there are those who claim that if you say certain words, if you take certain actions, then God "must" do this or that.  That sort of mumbo-jumbo really, really misunderstands the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever present God and Creator of the universe.

          So, how do we know then, what action to expect from God?  How do we get a handle on what may cause God to react in certain ways?

          Actually, it's easy.  Just pay attention to what God has told us.

     For example, God is unchanging (Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8).  He does not change.

     According to inspired scripture, God is also eternal. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Jeremiah 10:10; Psalm 90:2); God is infinite (1st Kings 8:22-27; Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 102:25-27; and Revelation 22:13); God is self-sufficient and self-existent (Exodus 3:13-14; Psalm 50:10-12; Colossians 1:16); God is omnipresent (present everywhere)  (Psalm 139:7-12); God is omnipotent or all powerful (Genesis 18:14; Luke 18:27; Revelation 19:6); God is omniscient  or all knowing  (Psalm 139:2-6; Isaiah 40:13-14); and God is sovereign. His attributes constitute a long list, including wise, holy, righteous, faithful, true, and more, all based upon scripture.

     But in connection with our scripture today, let us concentrate on unchanging.

     And consistent with that scripture, how will God respond if we "rest complacently on our dregs," if we say in our hearts, "The Lord will not do good, nor will He do harm."  How will He respond if we sin against Him?

     Seven of the eight verses in today's scripture describe exactly how he will react.

     All across this nation and the world, Christian churches are being persecuted simply because they worship the Christ.  The Bible, God and all reference to Him is being excised from modern education.  In His place we allow the discussion of false religions and false gods.

     Children are no longer taught the love of Christ in their homes, and their parents no longer set the example by going to Sunday School and church with them.

     Christian ethics are no longer the expected norm for children and adults.

     Moral excess and sexual depravity have become common in the American society.  Not only common now, but exalted and protected.

     False religions which exalt and demand violence have become threaded into our society, indeed welcomed by many, some of whom claim to be ministers of the Christ.  And Sharia Law, replete with injustice and violence, has already become a subject of reference by some judges in America's courts.

     In the second book of the Bible, Exodus 20:1-17, the law as given to Moses by God, the Ten Commandments, begins with "You will have no other gods before Me."  And yet ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, understanding that Christ was the fulfillment of the Law, so that Christians are now under grace, yet they have brought the supposed writings of the Islamic god Allah, the Quran, into their places of worship and have read aloud from that book, some in heretical agreement with the Islamic claim that Allah is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

     How, then, do we who claim to be His Church, avoid His discipline?

     Zephaniah was prophesying the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, but many scholars believe his prophesy goes beyond his own time, as well, to that period of God's judgment on the nations followed by a millennial reign of peace.

     What is clear in Zephaniah is that God hates sin, and His righteousness will react to it.  What is also clear is that if sin is the cause of God's discipline of the nation, if the cause is removed, the effect is removed. 

     God's anger toward our sin of contempt for His life-giving love is triggered by our sin, our individual sin and our sin as a nation.  God does not change.  He will not countenance sin, contempt for His righteousness.  His corrective action against a people who seek their own pleasures despite His warnings is predictable.  God predicts it, again and again, in holy scripture which He Himself has inspired. 

     To ignore God about God, to ignore His warnings, to sin against Him and expect that God will not be God, is to deal in the death of the soul.  There is no future in that, not for a person, not for a nation.  God is going to do what God is going to do.  Will you do what God has told you to to?  Love God and live.  Amen.

Don't Miss the Moment, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture:  Matthew 25:1-13

25:1  "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
25:2  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
25:3  When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
25:4  but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
25:5  As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.
25:6  But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
25:7  Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.
25:8  The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
25:9  But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'
25:10  And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.
25:11  Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'
25:12  But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'
25:13  Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

          Some say the Lord is returning quickly, returning soon and we must watch day by day, even minute by minute.

          Others say there is much to come first, and that we are about as close to the end of days as Paul and Silas were close.  Still, "the heathen rage," the nations war, and evil seems to multiply by day by day.

          I think perhaps in every age the rigors of daily life seem such that people think the Lord must be returning at any moment.  When I was a child I recall hearing people say "I'll do this, or I'll do that ... if the Lord tarries."  They were always prepared to do one thing or another, to go here or there, but only "if the Lord tarried."  For the world seemed in such a state that surely the Lord must return at any moment and save them from the craziness they saw around them.  Everyone loves a good ending to a story, and in the minds of many people, "enough is enough."

          A quote attributed to Marcus Tullus Cicero reads, "The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.  The mobs should be forced to work and not depend on government for subsistence."

          Sound familiar?

          How about this one ... "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."  It's a quote attributed by Plato to Socrates.

             And then there is this one: "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond

words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint," a quote from Hesiod in the 8th century B.C.

             Some things don't change very much, certainly not human nature.

             When I was a youth, these verses from Matthew 25 were scary, downright frightening.  When you're a child it's difficult to concentrate on anything from moment to moment.  You're supposed to clean up your room, and you forget.  You were supposed to take the trash out, and you forget.  Feed the dog, and you forget, do your homework and you put it off, and you forget.

             In Matthew 25 the five foolish virgins, or young girls, were probably told by their parents to be sure and refill their lamps so they would be ready in case there was a long wait for the bridegroom.  But they didn't do that.  

             Somehow as a child I knew there was a deadly seriousness about this story.  If I forgot to clean my room, I got scolded, neglected to take the trash out, again a scolding.  Not feed the dog, leave my homework undone.....there were degrees of punishment, but tomorrow was another day, and I knew my mother would still wash and iron my clothes, feed me, and love me.

             The five virgins would not be so lucky, it was explained to me.  They didn't just get shut out of the party, didn't just miss a night of good food and good times.  Theirs was a story of missing out on eternity.  Follow their example and you were shut out of good times forever, you were shut out from God, forever and even longer than forever.  Even to a young boy, that was frightening.

             Frightening as it was, it didn't seem fair.  Didn't seem fair that something so small should have such dire consequences.  But, as we all learn in growing up, life isn't fair.

             From the very beginning, back in Genesis 6:3, we are told that God's spirit will not always strive with ours.  We have only so many days on this earth, the number of which are unknown to us, to make up our mind to whom we belong.  When God calls us home, there is no time out while we play eeny, mene, miney, moe.  We either belong to God Almighty, accepting the gift of life that His son Jesus Christ bought for us on the cross with His shed blood, or we have lost it all.

             For us there is no second chance while we run off to refill our lives with His spirit.  For there is no "refilling" at the moment of death.  His door is closed and locked to us if we are not one with Christ, and the only message we hear is "truly I tell you, I do not know you."  Chilling words.

             Whatever you do, whatever is going on in your life right now, don't wait.  There is no guarantee of life to us even over the next few minutes.  Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, "And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment..."

             When we get to that point there is no time for comparative decisions, for second chances, for considering the alternatives.  At that critical point the decision -- to not decide for Christ is to decide -- has been made, all other chances disappear, Hell awaits.

             Hell awaits not because God didn't do everything He could, short of abridging the free will He gave us, to keep us out of hell.  In His own Word, 2nd Peter 3:9, we read, "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

             Now, be clear, this has nothing to do with the return to earth of Jesus Christ.  People die every day, and Jesus has not returned yet.  People all over the world worry about Armageddon, about the return of Christ, about the Rapture,  and yet none of this has happened, but eternity has slipped up on us.  According to the calculations of the CIA World Factbook, 155,000 human beings die worldwide each day; eternity slipped up on them when they weren't looking. 

             For many of them, they slipped into eternity without Christ, without the gift of His righteousness, the free gift bought for them with His life, death, burial and resurrection.  Death took only an instant, but in that instant, they missed the moment.

             I urge you not to miss the moment.  Don't let those around you miss the moment.  For the five foolish young women, there was no reprieve, no second chance.  They were not ready for what awaited them.

             Accept the gift of life Jesus Christ offers.  Join with a group of believers in a local church, be ready when the bridegroom returns.  Don't miss the moment.