Small and Powerful

C. S. Lewis spoke about God being able to make Himself small enough to enter our world, our lives and our mess.  As we move to Pentecost Sunday (June 5th) I think about this statement, because I am notorious for my smallness.  I have small dreams that limit what God can do.  I have small expectations of people, while God sees possibilities of "greater things (John 1:50)."  I worry while God makes big plans for His Bride, the Church.  Yet ... God entered the small!

In Acts 2 God enters and indwells the Church, all gathered in one place ... a small room in a pretty small city called Jerusalem.  Yet, God made Himself small enough to come into that place and fill disciples that gathered and waited.  Then, something happened.  The little room wasn't big enough to hold the people who, moments before, were timid, tentative and terrified.  The power of God's Spirit couldn't be held in that little room.  The voice of God's Spirit couldn't be bound by languages or even by the intellect of simple fishermen.  The life of God burst forth and ran out into the streets.  All heard God's Good News in their own language and they were amazed!  The City and the Nation of Israel couldn't contain God.  God filled the world and time with His beauty, His grace and His life.  And we are here to proclaim that God!

Maybe that is what is happening in the Church.  We see small, dream small and fear big.  We hear tongues of negativity and doubt, while God is proclaiming His power and Lordship with tongues of fire.  Listen!!! Do you hear it in between the voices we have chosen instead of God?  "I am here!  You cannot become too small for me to forget you or abandon you.  I come in ways and people you cannot and would not expect.  But greater things are still to come, and greater things are still to be done, even in this city.  You cannot contain or limit me.  For I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end ... the first and the last.  Your imagination and your fear cannot and will not limit me.  I am here ... and I will be here to the end!"  AMEN

What Did He Die For?

Twila Paris writes this about her song, "What Did He Die For."  I thought the song, and the recurring question, were appropriate as we remember Memorial Day, sacrifice and "amazing love."  Here are her words:

"I remember sitting there in my living room, and it hit me. I saw these young guys are like 18, 19, 20. So many of them never came home, and ended their lives in horrible ways there on that beach and, of course, in other places, and then other young men, and even other young women in other wars. But D-Day was the catalyst for me to sort of begin to get that. I thought, "they did that for me." They never knew me. I wasn't born yet, and yes you could say well, they did that for America. They did it because they love their country, but my answer is then, “Yes, but I'm an American, and on some very real level they did that for me.” What in the world did I do to deserve that? Why would I ever deserve that? I just broke down and started weeping. I had never made that connection before, in such a personal way. So then the obvious question that the song asks is, “What did He die for, when He died for me?”

The first verse is about the American soldier. But the second verse!? As a Christian you immediately think well, there was another young man who also gave His life so that I could be free… so that I could have eternal life. What do I do with that life that He has given to me? What do I do with that freedom that He's given me?"

Romans 6 tells us that Jesus died so we could be released as slaves from sin ... so we could live a life of serving Him ... so we could experience life in holiness ... so that we could be brought into eternity with Him.  Grace, forgiveness and love all become real and personal, as we ask this soul-piercing question ... "What did He die for, when He died for me?"

What Did He Die For?  Twila Paris

He was 21 in 1944. He was hope and he was courage on a lonely shore.

Sent there by a mother with love beyond her tears. Just a young American who chose to rise above his fears.

And as I watch him struggle up that hill, without a thought of turning back, I cannot help but wonder.

What did he die for when he died for you and me? He made the sacrifice so that we could all be free.

I believe we will answer each to Heaven, for the way we spend a priceless liberty.

Look inside and ask the question, what did he die for when he died for me?

To the darkest day in A.D. 33, Came the mercy and compassion of eternity.

Sent there by a Father with love beyond his tears. Blameless One, the Only Son, to bear the guilt of all these years.

And as I watch Him struggle up that hill, without a thought of turning back, I cannot help but wonder.

What did He die for when He died for you and me? He made the sacrifice so that we could all be free.

I believe we will answer each to heaven, for the way we spend a priceless liberty.

Look inside and ask the question, what did He die for?

He died for freedom. He died for love.  And all the things we do to pay Him back will never be enough.

What did He die for when He died for you and me? He made the sacrifice so that we could all be free.

I believe we will answer each to Heaven, for the way we spend a priceless liberty.

Look inside and ask the question, what did He die for, when He died for me?

In The Midst, Don't Forget!

I wonder if we are living lives that are so busy, so self-focused, so stressful and so "important" that we forget to think about those people who can easily be forgotten?  Fred Craddock tells a story of being at an important Bible conference.  High topics, great scholars, lots to learn and important discussions.  When the conference was over, an unexpected snow storm trapped them all in a northern city, and Fred found himself in a crowded diner with people from all walks of life.  While he was eating a bad version of soup, a poor woman (poorly dressed for the cold) walked in and asked for a glass of water.  The proprietor responded, "No order, no water.  Order, or get out!" A working-class woman stood up and said, "If she can't stay, none of us will stay!"  All eyes were on the owner, and he said, "All right, she can stay."  Fred looked at his gray soup, and took a bite.  It had somehow become better ... even good.  Fred remembered he had had something that tasted like that before.  It tasted a little like bread and wine!

In Nehemiah 5, people had it rough.  Food was scarce.  People were mortgaging their land to buy food and their leaders and powerful businessmen were loaning money at interest.  Nehemiah was angry!  He said, "You are charging your own people interest!? (Nehemiah 5:7)."  "What you are doing is not right! (Nehemiah 5:9)."  What has happened in this story that brings the Jews to this place of economic oppression?

First, people (Christian people, Jewish people) forget who they are and who they are called to be.  They have become businessmen, people-managers and leaders that have convinced themselves they are making hard, but necessary decisions.  They are like the restaurant owner who thinks his business is all about the bottom line.  The "bottom line" says to fill every seat with paying customers.  But what would Jesus do (the same thing I asked seniors at graduation)?  Micah 6:8 says, "Do what is right" and the Hebrew words are all about being just to other people.  Nehemiah says, "What you are doing is not right!"  They/we are to be blessings to others (God tells Abraham, "to all the nations").

Second, people in leadership sometimes forget others, especially those in great need.  It is easy, when caught up in "important" matters, to forget those people who have nothing.  We are busy ... I think too busy ... to remember God-things.  Did you know Jesus talked about the poor, the hurting, the sick, the widows and the oppressed, far more than He talked about doctrine, judgement and the end times.  Yet we focus and dwell on the nuances of "The Revelation."  We found a compelling video that caught our attention and entertained us.  We heard a speaker that pushed our conspiracy buttons, and now we are looking for more of the same stuff.  And Jesus says, "Who are you, when you forget the poor, the ones in prison and those in need?"  Nehemiah, in pointing out the plight of the poor, changed lots of lives.  Every one of those "changed" people were able to become a living stone that shouted, "God did something good here!"  Nehemiah was a blessing to those people who could not defend themselves from their own authorities.

Finally, we forget that the oppressors are part of those in need.  It isn't just about the poor, though they are important to God.  Jesus "preaches" to leaders, those in authority and those with power, so they can change.  Jesus goes to the house of Zacchaeus and leads his to reconsider his life.  The people have it exactly right calling Zacchaeus a "great sinner."  He was good at cheating people and taking money from those who had nothing.  The restaurant owner was good at moving people along for profit.  Zacchaeus is changed by Jesus' visit, and he makes recompense for his past behavior.  Jesus says, "salvation has come to this house today (Luke 19:9)!"

We are too busy, I think.  The urgent and the exciting "fodder" of life has replaced the meat of life.  We run, and we get worn out.  We walk and walk, and become faint.  We process "customers" that we encounter, and we fail to relate to them!  We say, "Move along ... I am busy with important stuff!"  Look closer ... relate ... sit down and have supper with them.  For, when we give them the cold glass of water or refreshing relationship and the sacrifice of our precious time, we might find that the supper (and the fellowship) is transformed into something holy and good ... bread and wine.  

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Some of you might have noted that the door entering the Northeast side of the Family Life Center has been replaced.  The project has been in the works for a long time, but now it is fixed, replaced and operational.  None of this is remarkable in itself, but (as things go in church and life) nothing is as simple as it looks from a distance.  The replacement of the doors was a tedious and difficult effort.  The opening isn't exactly square.  The hardware (according to Tim, Bill and Jason) was manufactured in one country, assembled in another, the instructions were written in another, and then it was sent to little Abbeville, Alabama.  As you might guess, there was something lost in the process (and translation) along the way.  But that is how things go now.  Nothing is simple, easy or predictable.  And this story of the doors can be played out in small projects (cleaning the steps, moving items to their proper storage location) and larger projects (doors, the restoration of carillons, the building of the youth facility).  Nothing is simple anymore!

But, that has been the case for all of history I think.  For Nehemiah, he prayed, got permissions, made plans and assigned the work (spelled-out in Chapter 3 of Nehemiah).  And now that the work is beginning (yep, you guessed it) he receives opposition.  

  1. Sanballat the Horonite rose up in opposition to the rebuilding of the walls.  His name means "bramble bush" and he was a thorn in the side of Nehemiah.  Sanballat lived in Samaria and was upset that the welfare of the Jews would be under the blessing of the king.  He and his confederates challenged Nehemiah at every turn.  When we do something meaningful for God we are opposed from outside our camp.

  2. Tobiah the Ammonite conspired with Sanballat to oppose the rebuilding of the wall.  He is known for poking fun at Nehemiah's efforts, saying, "a fox climbing over the wall would break it down."  When we work for God, some will ridicule and demean us.  It comes with the territory.

  3. Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs and the Ammonites gathered troops to physically confront the Jews, so Nehemiah had to post a guard.  The work became so dangerous the men slept with their clothes on and with their weapons.  Half worked while the other half guarded the workers.  Some opposition will take physical form and will make working for God dangerous.

  4.  The people complained that the work was difficult and dangerous.  Some said, "we are tired and worn out!"  Others said, "wherever we turn they (the opposition) are trying to kill us."  When you work for the Lord or lead workers for the Lord, people get disheartened and down.

Preachers hear some of these complaints.  So here are some of the answers I would like for you to consider:

1. "We have enemies outside of our camp!"  Remember David who said, "You come to me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies."  God knows our plight.

2. "They are making fun of us and ridiculing us."  Remember Jesus on the cross, who said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do."  God shares our persecution.

3. "They are hurting us and placing their hands on us."  Remember Paul and Silas in prison.  They, in the face of opposition and imprisonment, prayed and sang hymns to God.  And their chains fell off!  God opens our prisons.

4. "We are too tired!  Our people are worn out!"  Remember Nehemiah's crew.  In 52 days, they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem, in spite of all forms of opposition.  God powers our people.

We are singing a song called The Blessing as our closing song this month.  The bridge of the song says,  "May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you, and around you, and within you, He is with you, He is with you."  This is truth.  In a world that opposes and punishes good things, do you believe that our God can bless us in the midst of opposing forces?  Do you believe Jesus when He said, "I have overcome the world (past tense)?"  Do you believe that those who wait upon the Lord will mount up with wings like eagles?  I do!  For His word is true and His promises are sure!  Randy

Plans, Permission and Problems

Dave Ramsey, the financial advisor, describes two kinds of people.  He says, "either life happens to you or you happen to life!  It's your choice which one you want to be!" Ramsey then goes on to describe plans, structure and practices that are healthy to those who want to "happen to life."

God said, through Jeremiah (29:11), "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future!"  Jeremiah describes the best method of formulating a plan ... find out what God's plan entails!  This is precisely where Nehemiah rested his hopes.  Twice (Nehemiah 2:8 and 2:18) he says, "the gracious hand of God was on me."  Nehemiah was convicted by God that there was a problem, convinced by God that action needed to be taken and consecrated by God for the work ahead.  Here's what happened!

1. Nehemiah had a plan.  Before he approached the king, Nehemiah had thought about the project.  What would he need?  If the king opened the door, what could Nehemiah reasonably ask?  To rebuild, he would need materials and a place to live while the work was done. Nehemiah found God's plan!

2. Nehemiah needed permissions!  Local governors needed to know that Nehemiah was not a self-appointed crusader that wanted to insert himself into the governance of the area.  Nehemiah needed safe passage from where he was to where he was going.  The country was rough and dangerous, so the king (obviously having respect for Nehemiah) sent officers and horsemen for protection.  Nehemiah found God's provision!

3. Nehemiah needed to see the problem, first-hand.  Judges will tell you that eyewitness accounts are notoriously inaccurate.  So Nehemiah travelled to Jerusalem and walked the wall.  He observed the destruction.  He assessed the need.  Then, he set out to make the work happen.  Nehemiah focused on God's problem!

What are the God-problems and issues we need to work on?  We might all give some different answers to this question, but we can learn from Nehemiah's leadership and God's word.  So let's ask ... what does God most care about, right here at our little congregation?  What can we "structure" that is connected to God's plan?  Who do we need to include, so that we can all get "buy-in?"  And, what does the problem look like when we actually take a close look?

In Nehemiah's story, he has endured a painful realization, a scary encounter with the king, some serious planning and soul-searching, some focused "asking," and a long, uncomfortable trip.  He has seen an overwhelming problem first hand.  Now, it is time to get to work!  One of Nick Saban's quotes comes to mind as we move to the next part of the story ... "There are two pains in life.  There is the pain of discipline and the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, then you'll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment!"  Good words I think!  Randy