Building the Kingdom (Stewardship)

I have here in my hands four sermons...

a $100 sermon that lasts five minutes,

a $50 sermon that lasts fifteen minutes,

a $10 sermon that lasts a full hour,

 and a coin sermon that lasts till noon.

"Now, we'll take the collection to see which one you want."

Or how about this story…

There were two men shipwrecked on this island. The minute they got on

 to the island one of them started screaming and yelling, "We're going to

 die! We're going to die!  There's no food!  No water!  We're going to

 die!"

The second man was propped up against a palm tree and acting so calmly

 it drove the first man crazy. "Don't you understand?!? We're going to

 die!!"

The second man replied, "You don't understand, I make $100,000 a week."

The first man looked at him quite dumbfounded and asked, "What

 difference does that make?!?  We're on an island with no food and no water!

 We're going to DIE!!!"

The second man answered, "You just don't get it. I make $100,000 a week

 and I tithe ten percent on that $100,000 a week. My pastor will find

 me!"

We laugh, but I think some of us have this feeling about church and stewardship. The idea that the church is only interested in you for money. That thought goes through your mind…oh the church is talking about money…imagine that. While the church needs money to stay open it’s not why we talk about money throughout the year.

Why do we focus on stewardship?

How we handle our resources is a window to our spiritual lives. The Bible tells us you can’t serve 2 masters.

Think about it, money is the root of most of the evil in our country and in our world…the current financial situation-greed…love of money.

And although some of us may dislike stewardship sermons, it has become one of my favorite sermons of the year. Stewardship is a time when we get to reflect on all of the blessings we receive and continue to receive from God and explore ways and challenge ourselves to give back to God and the work of God’s Kingdom.

Ultimately, we give to build the Kingdom-to do something greater as a whole than we can do by ourselves. Let’s take a look at a couple of parables about the Kingdom in Matthew.

This chapter is the centerpiece of Matthew’s gospel…pivot point of the gospel…small stories but this is what it’s all about…Jesus isn’t saying this is all about me-he’s pointing the way to something greater…when we say we want to be part of the kingdom it’s asking a lot…it’s asking not just for some or most, but all/everything…

it requires the best of who we are to be the kingdom builders God wants us to be…when you catch a glimpse of the Kingdom through Bible study, worship, outreach…you want more…seeking the kingdom is not meant to be casual or a cathartic thing, but active and participatory…

Matthew 13

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

I think we would all agree that when the Bible talks about the Kingdom it describes what it’s going to be like or if we go one step further what Jesus says it should like here on earth. In other words, when Jesus describes the Kingdom he is telling how it’s supposed to be here and now as well how it will be one day.

And when we encounter the Kingdom, even the smallest amount, it brings about a reversal of values leading to the crucial action that obtains the new.

It is this action, puzzling and out of step with those who live by the old values that is central in each of these parables.

In the stories how is the kingdom discovered?

The first one stumbled on it by accident…they found it in their normal work. When our everyday act of giving becomes a normal part of what we do…isn’t forced…we can find great reward and joy in that. It’s in those moments that we come closer to God, closer to the Kingdom.

Usually there’s something deeply personal that connects us and that’s why we give. My friend Lisa was living her life-got married had a son. But then discovered her son was autistic. Now she and her family are deeply committed to autism research. Her passion for giving was discovered in the ordinary.

If we have a loved one who has cancer then we are more apt to give to cancer research. If something happens then we become generous to that…Week of Compassion. Like person working in the field

In the second story the merchant was looking for great treasure. In the ancient near East pearl was a symbol of the highest good. You have the person who is a diligent soul searcher. If you’re looking for something you’re eventually going to find something

I think about a new member or a new Christian they have the enthusiasm we don’t usually have as we have been here longer…so giving and serving can become old hat-just doing my same old thing so it loses impact for you…The new ones are going to find value in things that others aren’t…we have to continue to push ourselves to keep it alive…being more like the man in the second story discovering the treasure in our every day.

The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else we can have, and a person must be willing to give up everything to obtain it.

And stewardship is about sacrifice.

Are we willing to sacrifice anything for a relationship with God?

Each person found something significant and they were willing to give their entire life to that…

Is that how you are with the church or with your relationship with God. Are you willing to sacrifice for the mission of the church?

Some of you have read Not a Fan. Stewardship is a divider between fan or follower. We say that everything we have belongs to God and that we owe everything to God because it is the gifts, talents, and blessings from God that give us the opportunity to work and earn money…but does it really? Are you a fan or a follower?

I promise that the sacrifice is worth it because of what comes of it…

You may think that your gift doesn’t matter…but look at what we accomplish as church together…LOGOS…CARE…Mission El Reno…camping fund…other things we give to that are worthwhile-Lord’s Harvest, Blessing Baskets, Mobile Meals, Ministerial Alliance, Heifer, Youth and Family Services, Women’s Crisis Shelter, 4H group, Phillips Seminary..

in total we gave almost $40,000 away last year…In 5 years of ministry here we have shared in ministry for almost $200,000. Everyone makes a difference. I can say that 100% of your gift goes to ministry. We each must push ourselves to sacrifice more for the Kingdom.

The last question I want to ask is what is your attitude towards giving? Is it one of open handedness or tight fisted? One of joy or one of dread? In the parables both respond with purity of heart. In both stories the value of possessing the Kingdom outweighs the expense of discipleship.

Good things are happening through this church. Children are learning of God's love. Food is being provided for those who are hungry. Missionaries are sharing the gospel of salvation and grace.

Youth are discovering their God-given gifts and talents. Bible study is getting offered and people are learning how to manage their money.

Prayers are being spoken and care is getting rendered.

Yes, much ministry is being done -- in the name of Jesus Christ!

What will you give, what will you sacrifice to ensure the work of the Kingdom continues?

Mother's Day Sermon by Shana

I put my slides at: https://www.facebook.com/FCCElReno

This is my fifth year to be a mother on mother's day and for the last 4, every time, the only thing I can think of is how grateful I am to be a mother. I think that, to me, every day is mother's day, because I get to be a mother every day. I think about seeing my son's smile every day and how much I love him. I think of my friends who have tried for 10, 15, 20 years even to have children and all their disappointments, my friends who lost children during their pregnancies or that delivered a child that wasn't alive. And I am just so grateful that I get to be a mother - especially to a little boy that I am just crazy about. That's why I chose this scripture from Psalms that children are our greatest gift. I tell Max, "You are my very favorite gift from God," and I loved when Julie Reuter shared at a MOPS group this scripture saying that children truly are one of our greatest gifts from God.

And for some reason, I felt like God really wanted me to speak on mother's day. And I thought, what would I say because I don't know that I have any fabulous things to say about motherhood. But then for some reason, all I could think about is what the perfect gift for a mother would be. And that for me, and I think most mothers, is what I tell Max often, that he will be healthy and happy. So today, I thought I would talk especially to those under 18 since you don't get lots of talks directed your way.

So, to start, I am going to say what my idea of being happy is. I don't mean a fake, "I'm so happy and everything is ok" happiness. I want my child to be the kind of happy that doesn't change, no matter what happens - good or bad - in his life. I want him to be able to deal with difficult situations and not crash and burn. I want him to know what makes him happy  - and for the long run, not something that will just bring him happiness for a short time. This is a happiness that we can't produce on our own, but we can only access it through the love and grace of God.

I can't help but to think about the teenage years - really from 5th grade to 10th grade and how hard they are. Everybody tells you to enjoy growing up - that it is the best time of your life; but no one wants to go back and do them again. If we could do them the first time with the knowledge we have now, it might have been better, but I don't think any of us would want to take chances. When I was in 5th grade, the cool thing was swatch phones. Do you all know what I'm talking about? They gave the user the ability for 2 people to be on one handset and listen to conversations. So girls would get on them and call someone and try to get them to say something bad about the other person. Kids are cruel and growing up isn't for the weak of heart. But in spite of all the bad things that happen, I think there are a couple things that can give you hope.

1 - First of all, I would just encourage every person 5th-10th grade that doesn't feel liked or doesn't like themselves to realize 2 things… 1 that everyone else feels the same way you do and 2 - you are the only one that knows all the bad things about yourself. You may think that some of your friends feel good about themselves or are more well liked, but I can guarantee you that they have insecurities and feel like people don't like them. Even if out of 200 people, 180 people like them, they will know the 20 that don't. Most of us are so hard on ourselves because we know all the bad things, but other people know a little bit here and there. So we can beat ourselves up instead of seeing ourselves how others do. I think the most determining factor is really confidence. I didn't feel like I was well-liked, but after a year of college, I came back and the most popular girl in my class suddenly thought I was cool. I was the same person, but I didn't have as much confidence before - and maybe we just didn't spend time together.

One time I was leading a group and I said to a person I respected, "I always say the stupidest things" and she looked at me and responded, "Oh, everyone feels that way." It was a revelation to me at the time that everyone thought they said stupid things.

We all think that situations that happen to us are unique, that it is a special situation. Whatever is happening to us that is difficult, we think it is unique to us. But the Bible tells us that all our temptations and our problems are what are common to all people 1 Cor 10:13. Really, no matter what you are facing, there are probably millions of people with the same problem. Stop yourselves from believing this at a young age. Your problems are not unique, they are problems your friends face or if not, that millions of others are facing elsewhere in the world. It's a big world and lots of people have gone before us. Realize that your problems are common and there has to be a good way to deal with them. Search for solutions until you find them; find others who you can trust to help you. God wouldn't give you a problem that is unique to you; He will put someone else out there for YOU who has faced your problem because he loves you. When you reach out to the other person it is a gift to them, too. Don't deny someone else the gift that God prepared for them.

I also think if you spend enough time with just about anybody, you will find things you like about them. Most people having redeeming qualities if you look for them. If you are kind to the popular people (even if you don't like them) and the unlikable people, you will win friends. As Jamie Gray told me, "No one will want to know about God from someone who is grumpy." I can say that looking back after 20 years, I don't really know how much I was liked or not. I know it's hard to see yourself how other people do, but I just want to encourage you that everyone feels the same way you do, and if you choose to be confident and happy, people will like you.

2 - My 2nd main point I recently read in an article from relevant magazine titled "Can Rejection be good for you?" It talked about how rejection results in "more negative feelings and reductions of self-esteem." Rejection literally changes our brains - when we face it too often, our brain learns to protect us. We can become afraid of trying again. We've been rejected by that guy or girl. We've been turned down for jobs, didn't get into the school we wanted, didn't get the raise, the kiss or the invite to a friend's event. We feel separated. The fact is, we need other people to survive. Rejection threatens this basic need, so our bodies literally process it as pain. You may wonder what the point is in this - a point I haven't ever thought of, but consider that we MUST feel rejection to somehow relate to Christ. He knew what it felt like to be rejected, didn't he? By every one he knew - and didn't know, for that matter. But Jesus' rejection became other's salvation. As disciples, we're called to imitate Jesus, to take up our crosses and perhaps turn even rejection into compassion - for ourselves and others. Pain is not evil and rejection should not be feared. We can reject the rejector or we can have compassion on them instead.

And lastly, I tell my son, I want him to be healthy. Yes, healthy as to make wise dietary choices, to exercise, brush his teeth and take care of himself. But healthy in the way he thinks about things and especially in his relationships. Relationships are some of the things that make growing up the most difficult, and I don't know how many of them are healthy in junior high and high school. I would suggest to you NOT to worry about having girlfriends and boyfriends in junior high and high school. I know it is everywhere - you can't watch tv or movies from a young age without learning that you should have a girlfriend or boyfriend. But what I propose is this, date as many people as you can and don't feel badly about it. I am especially a fan of just hanging out and not making commitments. There are so many reasons why, but I don't think you would ever regret it. You will find your high school years much more fun to hang out with your friends and not have the drama of pleasing someone else. Dating lots of people helps you know what you like and what you don't like. Because chances are, you are not going to marry out of high school. I can name 3 couples I knew in high school that are still married and the rest that got married are divorced. Most broke up in college. So why cause yourself the drama. I knew from a young age that I was young and didn't want to commit to anyone until I was older and I didn't want to put that on anyone else either. I wanted the guys I dated to be seniors in high school, to be freshmen in college and have fun. I truly believe if it is meant to be it will work out later in your 20s. Let me say, you will get slack for it. My mother and grandmother called me regularly at college and asked if I had a boyfriend yet. But don't take dating so seriously. Live your life, be a friend to your friends, have peace about it knowing you have the rest of your lives to be married. It is work to be married, enjoy your youth without it.

But when you are in your 20s and you think about marrying, I have a couple thoughts. I think you have to separate your idea of marriage with what marriage is. A question I recently heard is "Do you want a romance or do you want a marriage?"  They are different things. A romance might be fun for a while, but any relationship in the long term takes work. Marriage is hard work. I would say almost everyone I know has seriously thought about divorce or couldn't stand their spouse. The people who remain married for a long time do so because they are committed and they work at it. So you can't base marriage on having a "connection" with someone (like you hear on every tv show, which is why those relationships don't work out).

Think about the other person that God is preparing to marry you. What kind of choices would you like that person to make? Be that kind of person. I once heard from Beth Moore once and I have always found it to be true. Junk attracts junk. Whatever amount of junk you carry (anger, bitterness, selfishness, etc) that you face, you will attract someone with an equal amount of junk. It will probably be a different kind of junk, but the same amount of junk none the less. Think about it - look at couples you know. You will see that it is true. So deal with whatever it is that really gets to you and work through it BEFORE you consider dating someone seriously or get married. Because if you don't, you will most likely get divorced. Why do you think over half of people get divorced? Because they don't deal with it first and then they expect someone else to make them better. No one will ever make you feel better and you can not make someone else better. If you think about most movies, there is a character, let's say a boy (but this situation could be opposite with a girl) who gets into all kind of trouble and then he falls in love with a girl and he completely changes and everyone is happy. Think about it. About 90% of movies go this way. But real life doesn't. You can't change the boy, no matter how much you love him or he loves you.

My mom gave me a book in college and it gave several questions you should ask yourself when you are considering marriage.  One was "Would you want to marry this person if they NEVER changed from the way they are today." Not, if they just stop drinking, or if they just wouldn't put you down or talk to you in a certain way, but completely, as they are right now - never change. Another question, similar, but more pressing, "How would you feel if you had a child that acted just like this person." Would there be anything about that that would drive you nuts? I would encourage you to think about it and not fall into the idea of a relationship.

Finally, try not to focus on the things that make you upset, sometimes you may literally have to force yourself to think about something else. My dad told me last year a doctor told him, "Your mind is not your friend." It's not always. You have to train your mind sometimes to be happy and to choose what is healthy for yourself. But it is worth it and no one else can do it for you. But know in all things and all circumstances - good or bad - you have the choice. The choice to become closer to God more happy and more healthy or not. God gave you the choice. Sometimes you will make the wrong decisions. It doesn't make you a bad person. If it did, we would all be bad. Recognize it is just a bad decision. Tell yourself tomorrow will be a better day, the sun will come up again and you will have a better day. Most of all, don't waste your youth. Don't get so caught up in the petty, crazy things that happen that you don't allow yourself to have fun or be happy. God wants you to enjoy your life, have a sense of humor and love other people. I can guarantee you that no matter what happens, there is nothing you could ever do that would make your mother or God love you any less.

Fruits of the Spirit: Patience, Kindness, Generosity

Fruits of the Spirit

Patience, Kindness, Generosity

Galatians 5: 16-22

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Last time…

Love joy peace…Everything hinges on love, joy isn’t that giddy happiness, but rather acknowledging and experiencing God as the source of our delight and the satisfaction of our life, and finally, last week we talked about peace admitting that we can all use a lot more peace.

But before we continue I need to say this, we can’t respond with love, joy, peace or any of the other fruits of the spirit if we are still living in the flesh, there’s two ways to live. And I want to show that video clip from the movie Tree of Life starring Brad Pitt again. (Clip) I had some requests to show it again.

"There are two ways through life:  the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things. The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end."

The way of grace is living the fruits of the Spirit, this week we’ll be looking at our next three patience, kindness, and generosity.

Patience

Regardless of where we are at we can all use more patience. There are lots of occasions we need to be patient…if you have ever dealt with a teenager, if you have ever dealt with your parents, the DMV, the government, dealing with healthcare, making a customer service call to any company, but sometimes our patience is in need of something more serious…sometimes our inability to be patient gets someone hurt, or we embarrass ourselves or our friends and family. Our anger or impatience can get the best of us and we become unable to show love and compassion.

Here’s the definition: bearing provocation, annoyance, misfortune, delay, hardship, pain, etc., with fortitude and calm and without complaint, anger, or the like.

The first part of patience is easy it’s the second part we have a hard time with.

And Patience is an interesting one in our spiritual lives. We have all been known to pray for or had someone ask to pray for them for patience in given situations. But then someone will warn us, don’t pray for patience! And why not? Because God will put you in situations where you need patience. Someone challenged me to do some research on patience in the Bible and that’s when I realized that we already have the gift of patience. We don’t need to ask for it. We already have access to it at any point. We just have to claim it.

Kindness

Is simply the desire to do good to others…pretty simple right?

What does kindness look like? Does kindness mean being a doormat?

If you are being bullied or abused…Jesus did not take it…when his authority was questioned…he stood up for himself. Not in a violent, confrontational way, but in a way that shows a desire to do good to others…responding out of love with patience and kindness…

As I was preparing I was reminded of a recent hospital visit…the RN was rude…ready to kick the person out of the hospital to a rehab facility…claiming the patient had refused treatment and rehab…pain…myself and the other friend in the room were about to explode…you could just feel the tension building…but the patient showed love through her patience, kindness, and generosity. Spoke with respect, spoke with humility. She effectively diffused the situation with the fruits of the spirit.

Like the saying… “Kill them with kindness” actually scriptural…

Proverbs 25

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;

   if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

22 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,

   and the LORD will reward you.

Matthew 5: 43-45

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Have you noticed what happens when you respond to a situation with kindness? It diffuses the tension and catches the person off guard. Some people are just looking to pick a fight. ‘Those looking to pick a fight, probably aren’t in one.” Some people are like the garbage truck and just looking for a place to dump. Regardless of who you encounter claim the fruit and kill ‘em with kindness.

Generosity

Defined: freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character. Have you ever thought of someone who is not generous as being small of mind and character? And that makes sense. I’ve notice that those who are generous with their resources understand that their gifts are part of something greater…a part of God’s plan to bring heaven to earth.

Another definition of course is:

Liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish

We talk often about generosity. That’s because, how generous you are is a window to spirituality. This is an excellent way to measure how much you are living in grace v. living in the world. And generosity is a lot harder to fake. You can fake most of the gifts of the spirit, but you can’t fake generosity. You either give of your resources or you don’t. People notice a giver.

We are actually hard wired to give…recent study $100…

Generosity can take other forms…teaching Max to be last in line.

Let’s think for a moment about the opposite of these 3 things? I think they would be intolerance, cruelty, and selfishness. Who here wants to be known for this? No one-and yet there are times when we find ourselves being all of these, maybe even at the same time, living in the flesh.  But if we allow the negativity or our flesh to rule our lives then that’s how we will see the world. It’s the duality of life Grace v. Worldly. You always have a choice in how you respond.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am starting to notice a pattern for myself. That each one of these pertains to my life and some areas of growth for my own journey. I really need these things maybe in my driving and the personal struggle I have with my driving habits. Shana once told me I am a very offensive driver…I said thank you…come to find out she was not complimenting me on my amazing driving skills…but rather that I was offending a lot of people on the road.

And this week I was put into plenty of situations where I could produce the fruits of patience kindness and generosity…some I did well and some I did not. I’m learning to claim patience, kindness and generosity more and more each day…my horn tends to get stuck…Lynda Fogg…at a light-double tap…

So how do you claim the gifts of the Holy Spirit? How do you claim any gift? Accept it, redeem it, know that it’s there…but you have to trust the source. I’ve been waiting to share this email I got. I am about to be a very wealthy man.

Your ID Won One Million Pounds With BRITISH TELECOM PROMO.With Ticket No:3BTO2012 Send Your Name:......Address:.......Phone:....Country.......To Our Secertary- Rev John via email:(  telecom@tnctr.com ) You are to Copy the secertary email address and send your details to the claims secertary mail address  telecom@tnctr.com

Unlike my million pounds that will be delivered any day, I can trust the source of the fruits of the spirit. God is trustworthy and I can bank on the fruit always being there…I simply have to reach out and pick it.

It’s up to you. You can live your life in the way of grace or the way of the world…intolerant or patient…cruel or kind…selfish or generous… We must live out of the fruits of the spirit because “no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end." When will you begin to claim and use the fruits of the spirit?

Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace

Fruits of the Spirit

Love, Joy, Peace

Galatians 5: 16-22

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Last time…

Flesh… we acknowledged that really bad things can come out of our flesh and we have experience the flesh of others. But we acknowledged that there’s hope for others and there’s hope for us through the gifts of the Spirit.

It’s extremely difficult to respond/live with the fruits of the spirit if we are still living in the flesh, there’s two ways to live. And I have a video clip from the movie Tree of Life starring Brad Pitt.  

(Clip from "Tree of Life" words are below and the link to a video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z28Mi6mUyKo )

I wish I had found this clip earlier…it would have really helped the first week. Again here’s what she says.

"There are two ways through life:  the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow. Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries. Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things. The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end."

The way of grace is living the gifts of the Spirit, we’ll start this week with love, joy, peace.

Love

Love is an overused word these days. I love Shana and Max, but I also love tacos? And love has been misrepresented on television and movies, it’s connections are mostly with the romantic and the erotic. But in the Bible we see love as the sacrificial, self-imparting quality of God’s nature. Does the Bible say “God so loved the world that he felt a warm glow in his heart”?—no, the Bible doesn’t say that. God so loved the world that he plucked out his heart and gave his only Son. That’s the kind of love spoken of here in Galatians and elsewhere in the Bible.

And it’s interesting that Paul should start his list with love. Do you think it’s important or significant?

Of course it is. What passage in the Bible talks about love? Read at weddings and anniversaries.  1 Corinthians 13 is written in response to an argument that arises within the church in Corinth in which the fruit of the spirit is set over and against the gifts of the spirit (1 Cor 12: 8-10) as if the one were better or more important than the other. And how does 1 Corinthians 13 end? What is the most important? These 3 remain-faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is love.

Love is the most important. Now I could do an entire sermon just on love so let me just say this…like in the clip love does not exist to please itself. But in the way of grace everything is guided by our love-love for ourselves, love for others, love for God. All of the other fruits of the spirit hang on, are founded on, depend on, rely on…whatever metaphor you want to use…everything revolves around love.

Joy

What is joy? Is it blind happiness? Is it ignoring the injustice and sadness all around us? No, joy is something different. In the clip the way of nature finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. To me joy is the opposite of that…finding happiness when the world around us is dark as night. Let’s look at it this way.

Joy defined: (slide)

a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.

As we go through life we do not go through life without hope. We have a source, something that we can know that brings great delight because that something is good and satisfying. Sounds like an ad for a candy bar…

We can try to find joy in other sources and it might bring temporary joy…things like food, addictions, relationships, people, achievements, work, but those will disappoint, bring heartache. What should be our source of joy? God, the HS. God is a permanent source of joy because God should be the cause of our delight because God is exceptionally good.

Peace

Isn’t that a beautiful word. What images or feelings does that word produce for you? Do you think about peace like a river, or a special place in your home or yard, or that special place to get away like the lake or maybe it’s the mountains, maybe you think about world peace. And we spend a lot of money trying to find peace. Massages, medications, counseling, vacations, special products like lotions and crèmes, Jacuzzi bath tubs, special beds made from memory foam for filled with air or water, maybe it’s the lake and so you have a boat or a camper. What brings you peace?

When you think about it, our lives today are utterly hectic in some way or another. Some of us have health problems with no end in sight to the pills, tests, rehab, treatments, and surgeries, some of us are caring for others with barely enough time for ourselves or own lives, . Shana and I are now beginning to experience some of this as Max is only in a few activities. Keeping it straight is very difficult at times having to bounce from one activity to the next with only minutes to spare, sometimes not even being able to stop for lunch. I dare say that for everyone here our lives can use some peace, a calm to the storms of life.

Is it me or is this list of the gifts of the spirit already something that resonates within me as something I really want?

What would the world be like if we responded with love, joy and peace? If these were the first 3 principles that guided every day and every action we made. Driving example…I…I mean a friend…it’s his mantra…love joy peace…

It’s easy to buy into the eye for an eye principle…you did something to me…I’m going to get you back. But Jesus says turn the other cheek, forgive 70 times 7…in every situation as we live by the spirit and reject the compulsions of our flesh we need to strive to respond with the gifts of the spirit.

And what is the opposite of these 3 things? I think the opposite of these is hate, depression, and discontentment. Who here wants to live that life? No one-and yet there are times when we find ourselves living exactly that.  If we allow the negativity or our flesh to rule our lives then that’s how we see the world. It’s the duality of life Grace v. Worldly.

Even if we’re around people who live by the flesh it affects us. It saps our own energy. I’m not saying don’t hang out with people like this…they need Jesus just as much as we do. What I am saying is that we are never without because we always have love, joy, peace. These 3 help us to battle depression and the negative self talk-things we tell ourselves that bring us down…things that aren’t true. Watch what you say to yourself and others because words create worlds. So grab a hold of the gifts of the spirit and never let go. But how do we do that?

Is a gift a gift if you never use it or claim it? Is a gift beneficial if I never use it? Let’s say every week you drive by our house and witness me fighting with my current lawnmower. It’s smoking, dies every couple of minutes, you watch me as I kick it and beat it. So, being a good Christian person you go out and buy me a new riding lawnmower. One of those zero degree ones with an electric start. But the next week you see me out in my yard with the old lawnmower still cursing it, kicking it, watching it pollute the air. Doesn’t that seem ridiculous? And yet this is how we live our lives apart from the Gifts of the Spirit every day. We go back to the old broken way of life instead of the experiencing the gifts of the Spirit. We continue to follow the way of nature instead of the way of grace.

It’s up to you. You can live your life in the way of grace or the way of the world…hateful or full of love…depressed or full of joy…creating conflict or sewing peace… We must begin everything with love because “no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end." When will you begin to claim and use the gifts of the spirit?