A Vision Worthy to Embrace

This is part of a talk I gave recently on
encouraging educators to "hang in there" in their
ongoing endeavor to make a difference in young people’s lives.

Vital to society are women and men who are committed to the vision of providing quality education for today’s students.

Now I do not use the term vision lightly. I believe that in any endeavor – whether it be in business, sports, parenting, teaching – without a vision of some greater good to be accomplished, without a vision of a better or preferable future, then the sustainability of that endeavor diminishes with time.

Novelty, freshman enthusiasm, excitement at the beginning of the journey will eventually wane. Although mountain top experiences, renewal conferences, and rewards for jobs well done are all very important, it is the vision of what you want to accomplish with your life or your career that keeps you in the game until the job is done.

The challenge for many people is that they do not have a vision big enough to sustain them long-term. Most people are living too shallow a dream, so no wonder they’re frustrated when the initial enthusiasm wears off. A big vision will answer that challenge.

You’ve heard this quote. The saying has been attributed to Victor Hugo, "Dream no small dreams. They have not the power to stir men’s souls." The bible puts it like this: "Without a vision, the people perish."

I want to make the case that assisting in the maturation process of young adults into healthy, well-rounded, individuals who can better society because of the skills you as a teacher handed down to them is a worthy vision to embrace.

Let me repeat that. Assisting in the maturation process of young adults into healthy, well-rounded, individuals who can better society because of the skills you handed down to them is a worthy vision to embrace.

For three reasons...

Number 1 - It's a vision that goes beyond one's self. Some people dream big dreams, but it's all about themselves. They're building their own little kingdoms. But when the goal is simply personal accomplishment or advancing up the career ladder or enlarging a resume - as wonderful as these things might be - the end result doesn't ultimately satisfy.

Why? Because once the goal is achieved, the champagne is gone, and the party is over, then what? You're back to square one. Have to set a new goal in order to capture that winning feeling again. Otherwise we end up living in the past. Do you think the Green Bay Packers are still celebrating their victory over Kansas City in Super Bowl 1 in1967? No. That would be crazy. Notice I didn't ask if the Chiefs were still nursing their loss!

But you get what I'm saying. For a vision to truly satisfy and sustain a person throughout his or her career, it must go beyond one's self and impact others. And helping transform young kids into mature adults is a worthy vision because it does just that.

Reason Number 2 - It's a vision that requires the help of others. Any worthwhile effort is a team effort. If you got there alone, it probably wasn't very challenging or notable. Leadership guru John Maxwell describes this as the Law of Mt. Everest. The bigger the mountain to climb, the more help you need to get to the top.

Helping young people grow into productive citizens is not a one person job. Can't be done. Without meaning to sound political here, it does take a village to raise up a youth. That is why parents have entrusted into your care a portion of the education of their children. And we are all stewards of that trust.

Whether you're part of a church, or an extended family, or coaching a sports team, or sponsoring an after-school club or activity, or simply fulfilling your role as the 3rd hour shop teacher - you are a vital part of that child's success in life. And so is the 4th hour teacher next door or the youth director at church or the tennis coach at school. We're on the same team, friends, working together to fulfill the same vision.

The vision of raising up successful young people is a worthy vision - one that I believe will sustain a person throughout his or her career - because, Number 1, it goes beyond one's self, its focus is on helping others; Number 2, it requires the help of others, it is such a grand task that it can not be accomplished alone; and Number 3 . . .

Number 3 - It is a vision that creates an impact that will last beyond our lifetime.

Pursuing an ideal - the ideal of getting better at teaching and impacting more and more students and making a difference with our lives - will keep us going when the going gets tough. Or at least should keep us going.

For without a vision the people perish. And so to be a part of a vision that will last generations is a wonderfully fulfilling thing. What a refreshing, sustaining endeavor. To be a part of something that will have a potentially eternal impact on a student's life.

And you know what I'm talking about. How many of you can remember from your high school days that one key teacher in your life. That person who was a mentor, encourager, and friend. You remember! She believed in you. He told you you could do it. She was there when you needed a shoulder to cry on. He was like a father-figure to you.

My mentor, encourager, and friend was Mr. King. He was my high school history teacher but I don't even remember him for that. I remember him as the man who was there to help me come into my own. You see, he taught all 6 of my older brothers and sisters. Three of whom got straight As and went on to get their PhDs in Computer Science, Nuclear Physics, and Physical Chemistry. I'm okay on the computer, nuclear anything scares me, and the only physical chemistry I experienced in high school was in the back seat of my girlfriend's chevy.

So I grew up thinking I had a long way to go to measure up. He put me at ease. He encouraged me to be myself. He assured me I'd make it to the college of my choice. He celebrated with me when I won some awards. And, oh yeah, he taught be a bit of history. I got a B in his class, but he helped turn me into an A+ individual.

And you have a similar story. What's more, just like that teacher had an impact in your life, you are that person to some of your students. You're changing lives. You are making an incredible impact. Even on those darkest days when you think the kids could care less! But you can make the difference. You are making the difference. That's why you teach.

So keep your eye on the prize - keep striving for the ideal, the vision of helping transform young adults into healthy, well-rounded individuals who can better society because of the skills you handed down to them. That is a worthy vision to embrace. And it will sustain you for the long haul.

On The Road to Easter

Can You Hear Him Call?
A Sermon from Mark 10:46-52

Although it is truly the path to abundant living, the way of Christ is difficult.

Traveling heavenward requires a different mind than the way of the world. It is a life marked by service and humility, not greatness and control. This is a hard message to hear for modern day followers of Christ. Jesus would indeed have us experience a vibrant, wonderful life, but first he beckons us to follow him to the cross and die to ourselves so that we can take hold of the new life he offers.

The Season of Lent is coming to a close, we are on the Road to Easter. As we examine one of Jesus' final encounters and miracles before his death, let us ask the timely question, "Can you hear Jesus calling you?"

The Story

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He had told his disciples repeatedly that his purpose for this trip was to die. The religious leaders would beat him, mock him, and hand him over to the gentile leaders of Rome to be crucified. Then three days later he would rise from the dead.

The disciples, however, did not understand. They couldn't see why Jesus had to die. Within a few weeks they would for they were almost at the end of road to Easter. When they came to Jericho they were within 15 miles of the City of Jerusalem, within 15 miles of the climax of history.

Jericho was the welcome center of Judea, especially during the Passover celebration. Religious pilgrims on their way from across the Jordan to the City of David stopped at Jericho before completing their trip.

Now a large crowd had gathered to wish these travelers well. Many of them joined Jesus on his way. It was the custom back then to follow along with a teacher, or rabbi, who then used the occasion to teach. So in all likelihood Jesus was teaching the multitude as he walked up the road.

"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging." (Mark 10:46)

This man somehow had lost his sight; he was not blind from birth. But, because of his blindness, he could no longer work for a living and had to depend on the charity of passersby. When he heard that the messiah was near, Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, pity me."

The term "Son of David" is a title that refers to the messiah, the anointed one of God to rule over Israel. Many people pictured the messiah as a conquering king who was going to over throw the Roman forces currently occupying Israel. This, of course, was not the mantle Jesus would don. He came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. The crowds, however, thought of Jesus as a king.

Bartimaeus wasn't any different. He considered Jesus to be the messiah, the conquering one, but he also had an important personal need, which maybe the king would take time to meet. So when the messiah came close he said simply, "Pity me, have mercy on me." He was blind, but he could see with the eyes of faith that Jesus could help him. We're like that to a certain degree. We might not have the full picture of who Jesus is, and may even misunderstand his purpose as messiah, but we know he can help us in our need. He's a king, but he's loving and kind.

"Pity me," was all he asked. It was a beggar's call, really. Maybe Bartimaeus only wanted some money with which to buy bread. So he cried out loud for Jesus' attention. To the crowd, though, it was an interruption. Jesus was teaching after all. He couldn't stop in the middle of an important lesson to toss a few coins to a beggar.

Those near him said, "Hush up, blind beggar." How sad, for it sounds like us at times. Do we, without thinking, tell others who are crying out for God to hush up because they aren't going about it the way we would? Some times people are turned off from the church and from God because of our attitude toward them. How tragic that is.

Fortunately, Bartimaeus paid no attention to the crowd and he shouted out all the more. He was determined that Jesus should hear him. And what does Jesus do? He stops. The parade comes to an abrupt halt. And Jesus says to those near, "Call him."

You know, Jesus specializes in the art of stopping. He doesn't minister on the run. He stops, serves, and through his actions says, "You count. You're important."

The same is true today, friends. Jesus is always willing to stop and serve. Are we? With our busy lives it's hard to stop and live and love one another with our actions. After all, we have a schedule to keep. We rush here and there all because of our schedule. Maybe we should take a course from Jesus in the art of stopping.

Once Jesus stops and calls for Bartimaeus the crowd suddenly becomes happy for the man. "Cheer up," they say, "he's heard you! Up on your feet, do you hear him calling? Go to him." Now that's the right kind of attitude to have. Encouraging others to listen for Jesus' voice and then encouraging them respond to him.

If only we realized that every person we meet is a man or woman for whom Jesus died and is now calling. We would never tell people to "hush up" by our words or attitudes. Instead, we would share with them unabashedly the good news that they count, that they matter to God, and that Jesus is calling their name.

What do you think our non-Christian friends and family members would say to that? I think they'd respond. Maybe even respond like Bartimaeus did. Back to the story, the Gospel writer Mark uses some very descriptive words here; it's action packed and full of energy. "Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus."

Can you imagine? A blind man throwing his only possession away. The cloak in that day and age served not only as an outer garment by day, but as a blanket by night. It was a valuable item. So important was it that the law stated a cloak could not be taken away from a person, even if that person literally owed you the shirt off their back.

But that's what happens when we come to Christ. We suddenly realize that nothing compares to a relationship with the Son of God. All worldly possessions pale in value when set along side the love Christ has for us. If we could let that truth grip us we too would jump up and rush to Christ. So often we like to look before we leap. But when Christ is calling, that is the time to respond. Leap up, friends, and run to Christ.

Bartimaeus is probably bursting with excitement and expectation. Still, he doesn't demand anything from Christ. Rather, he waits to receive what Jesus has to offer. We discover that Jesus initiates the conversation. "What do you want me to do for you?"

It's practically the same question Jesus asked his disciples James and John earlier on this road to Easter (see Mark 10.35-45). But there is an obvious difference in the context. The two brothers have a preset specific request for self-aggrandizement. Bartimaeus simple asks for pity. I don't believe he has a preset agenda. Yet when Jesus asked how he should take pity on him, Bartimaeus is honest and to the point.

The blind man says, "My teacher, oh, to regain my sight." Bartimaeus is specific, but he realizes that any answer from Christ is a gift of grace and can not be earned.

Compare that with how James and John approach Jesus. The two brothers simply call Jesus "teacher," then they lay our their request. Bartimaeus, on the other hand, calls him, "my teacher, my lord." Even though he was blind, he could see that Jesus could not be manipulated.

Stands in stark contrast with the attitude of James and John, doesn't it? It's interesting, but these two opposite requests exemplify the types of prayers we often bring to God. Don't we, at times, want God to answer some preset selfish plea? We treat God like a Service Merchandise store. You know how it works. Type your order into a computer and then wait at the conveyor belt for it to come down from the warehouse.

Why not enter into prayer with a little bit more humility like Bartimaeus. We know God is gracious and merciful. Bank on that and then when you hear the Spirit ask, "What do you want me to do for you?" tell him. Share your heart's desire. But at the same time, acknowledge that God is sovereign, all seeing, all knowing, all loving, all wise. God knows what is best for us.

That's what faith is, trusting God to give us his best. And what we'll find is that our faith will make us well. That's what Jesus told Bartimaeus. "Go, your faith has made you well." And immediately he regained his sight. But instead of going his merry way, Bartimaeus becomes a disciple, a follower of Jesus. All because he heard Jesus calling him and responded with faith.

Can you hear Jesus calling you? Will you respond and regain your sight? Or will you remain in the dark, like James and John were during their exchange with Jesus, unaware of all the great gifts God has to offer you as his child?

One fascinating aspect of this story is that it is the second miracle recorded by Mark where a blind person is healed. Jesus' first encounter with a blind man is found in Mark 8:22-26. These two stories serve as bookends for Jesus' thrice repeated message about having to die. But unlike the two blind people who were given sight, the disciples still couldn't see the truth.

And because they couldn't understand, they weren't listening for their savior's voice. Folks, let us understand, let us know, let us see Jesus for who he really is. Then let us listen carefully for his voice. Jesus is calling, he wants to heal your hurts, cleanse you from sin, and restore you to wholeness. Leap to your feet today and come to him. Follow him down the road to Easter.

Words from the Cross - Need

Note: As we are in the Lenten Season of the Church calendar over the next few weeks I'd like to reflect on some of Jesus' Words from the Cross. This reflection is a sermon titled Need and is based on the phrase, "I thirst" - the fifth Word from the Cross found in John 19.28.

Need
We need a new coffee maker. We've had it almost 9 years and it's starting to leak. We need to replace it because we use it practically every day, can't live without it. Needless to say, we are avid coffee drinkers. Not just Starbucks, either. We buy the flavored gourmet style beans: Mocha Almond Java, Chocolate Irish Cream, Vanilla Cookie Wafer. Coffee flavors are getting about as ridiculous as ice cream varieties. Double Peanut Butter Brickle Fudge Brownie. At any rate, we need a new coffee maker if we're going to continue this admittedly extreme habit.

What do you need? A new washer, dryer, refrigerator, furniture, carpets, curtains, car, trailer, apartment, house? Or are your needs less tangible, more qualitative? Like friendship, family, companionship, care, understanding, acceptance, love and forgiveness. These are basic needs, to be sure. Emotional and spiritual needs.

Yet for many in the world, there are physical needs which are even more basic. Items, events that we take for granted. A night free from bombing, a day released from terror, shelter, clothing, food and water. Millions of people live without these most basic needs. But not for long. Some survive, many do not.

Hmm. I guess by way of contrast we don't really need a coffee maker. We can live without it. You don't need a micro-wave, mini-blinds or a new mattress. Not that these things are wrong to have. Just realize they don't fall into the category of needs. Wants, wishes, or wise purchases, maybe, but not necessities. Strip away all the packaging and we begin to realize that there are actually very few things that humans need.

We mentioned a few already. Friendship, acceptance, forgiveness, meaning. Shelter, sleep, food, water. Basic human needs. Every person who has ever lived has acknowledge these necessities. It may or may not surprise you, then, that Jesus had needs - physical, emotional, and spiritual needs because he was completely human. Yes, completely divine as well. But don't let that throw you. Jesus knew what it meant to be stomach-grumbling-hungry, dog-tired and emotionally drained.

And thirsty?! Jesus knew thirst. Probably the most fundamental ingredient in the recipe called survival. Water. H2O. Wet, refreshing, life-giving water. So important to our existence, it has become, for many, the symbol of life. To an alien race, water might even symbolize humanity. In one episode of "Star Trek, The Next Generation" (a science fiction TV series that used to rank in my top 5 need-to-watch list) humans were described as "ugly bags of mostly water." It's true. I don't know about the ugly part, but 70% of our body is water. A 5% loss results in fuzzy thinking, a 10% loss leads to death.

Jesus knew thirst. After a brutal beating and whipping which broke open the skin - that thin layered bag that holds our vital liquids inside - Jesus' body was an ugly mass of mostly water, blood-dripping, life-giving water. It's no wonder, then, that he speaks this 5th word from the cross. "I'm thirsty."

I'm thirsty. Has there ever been a more poignant statement of need - of human, physical need. It compliments, and may help explain, the word of anguish we heard last week, "My God, why have you forsaken me." While that 4th word from the cross spoke of spiritual alienation and abandonment due to the world's sin that Christ took upon himself, this phrase, "I am so thirsty," shouts out loud and clear that the divine Son of Man had needs.

Don't doubt it, friends. Jesus was fully human. Some early Christians, in order to protect Christ's divinity, were tempted to think of him as mere spirit in a phantom body. Some claimed that when he walked he never left any footprints. Balderdash. In John 8 we see him scrunch down and scribble in the dust. Can a phantom do that? No. Jesus had a body and it was subject to the bodily functions that mark us all. He ate, drank, burped, used the privy. He slept, cried, was tired, and was thirsty.

This should encourage us. It puts a stamp of approval on all that is truly human. It is not wrong to be in need, to hurt, to emote, to feel pain, depression, anguish, or thirst. Just as it is not wrong for us to exult, shout with joy, or soar to great heights. Humanness is good. In Genesis 1 God pronounces his blessing upon all of creation, especially his masterpiece, Adam, Man, Humankind.

It is not our humanity that gets us into trouble. It is the inhuman sin nature that infests and corrupts God's good earth that is the problem. Our sin nature, that hideous birth mark which we've adopted and fed and treated as something precious, that sin nature which has taken over our flesh needs to be rejected, destroyed, cleansed, and forgiven.

That is the reason for the cross. Jesus, the God-Man, hangs between earth and heaven as a space-time portal to filter out the parasite of sin so that all who enter will be pure and holy. And one day, one day we will experience our humanness as it was meant to be experienced, free from sin and death, free from pain and suffering. True humanity in resurrection bodies.

But on this side of heaven, there is need. Physical, emotional, spiritual need, which, although not wrong to have, nevertheless, by its very presence points to a future time and place where all needs will be met. Why did Jesus cry out, "I thirst?" Because he had a physical need. And the message from the cross: If it is okay for God the Son to be human and in need, then it is okay for us as well.

This passage in John gives another reason why Jesus said, "I thirst." John 19:28, "Knowing that all was now completed . . . so that the Scripture would be fulfilled." Here, once again, we see that Jesus is not a victim of circumstance. He chooses to speak these words because of who he is and what he is doing. He is fulfilling Scripture, in this final act he decides when the curtain is dropped.

But the question arises, what Scripture is Jesus fulfilling? The exact words, "I thirst," appear here alone in the Bible. So we aren't looking for an exact quotation. There are, however, a few possible references that Jesus may have had in mind. He could have been reflecting on Psalm 63:1, "O God, I earnestly seek you; my soul thirsts for you. . ." If so, then his longing seems to be more spiritual rather than physical. Or, it could be that Jesus is thinking of Psalm 69:21, "They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst" which soon happens.

Both of these verses are possibilities. Yet I have a sneaking suspicion that Jesus is still meditating on Psalm 22. As we discovered last week, this Psalm begins in human anguish and concludes in divine victory. So did Christ's day on the cross. After nearly 6 hours of agonizing silence, Jesus nears the end of his life and cries out "My God, my God, why have you left me?" a direct reference to Psalm 22:1.

The Roman guards, however, would not know Hebrew poetry, they would miss the allusion to Sacred Scripture. Instead, they thought Jesus cried out for Elijah. "Eli, eli" which means "my God, my God" sounds like the shortened name of Elias which is the Hebrew word for Elijah. That is why, in Matthew 27:48, when one of the guards ran and got a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine and lifted it to Jesus' lips, the rest of the crew said, "Leave him alone, let's see if Elijah comes."

Everyone knew the popular myth of Elijah's return. It was commonly held that, during times of great personal distress and need, Elijah would appear and comfort the one going through trial and tribulation. It was a fable, but this Jesus, he was special somehow. Maybe, the Roman guards thought, Elijah just might make a showing for him. So the kind, thoughtful soldier who was going to give Jesus a drink lowers the stick and sponge and puts it back in the bucket of wine.

I can picture Jesus ready to receive the drink, he leans forward just a bit, and then this guy turns around. "Hey, I'm thirsty." An expression of need. A fulfillment of the Psalms, maybe from the 22nd Psalm, verse 15, "My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth." So yes, Jesus fulfills prophecy. But I get the feeling that since no one text is clearly quoted, Jesus is fulfilling more than a piece of poetry. Jesus is fulfilling the whole thrust of the Old Testament.

Jesus is fulfilling his mission as God in the flesh. This mission is referred to throughout the Law and the Prophets, that the Messiah would come and save Israel, indeed save the whole world and bring about God's reign on earth. But to bring about this salvation the Messiah had to die a suffering servant's death. He had to drink a bitter cup of pain and sorrow.

That is why Jesus rebuked Peter the previous night when the temple police came to arrest him. Peter wants to prevent an ugly scene, but instead creates one by taking his sword and chopping off the ear of an innocent bystander. Jesus performs his last pre-resurrection miracle by healing that ear. He then says to Peter, "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

Shouldering the sin of the world is that cup, and Jesus knows that drinking it is the only way to reconcile the Holy Creator with sinful creation. And so Jesus, "knowing that all was now completed" (John 19:28) says, "I'm thirsty." Give me that cup, I'll drink the dregs down to the bitter last drop. No more, let sin or sorrow reign, no more. It's over. The Scripture is fulfilled. The Messiah has come. The Suffering Servant has endured. God is glorified. Humanity is free.

So this guard turns back around with a sponge-full of cheap sour wine, drawn from the same barrel the Roman soldiers dip into as they watch the criminals die. This man holds the reed up to Jesus' lips and lets our Savior taste and swallow his last. It's not Ernest and Julio Gallo, but it will do.

By the way, this drink was not the wine mixed with myrrh offered to Jesus right before they drove nails through his feet and hands. That was a drug intended to deaden the pain. Jesus refused that drink, he wanted to die with an unclouded mind. In fact, the vinegar-like liquid Jesus did drink revived him. It cleared his mind for one last shout. But before we hear that shout, let's look closely at something we might have missed.

Notice in verse 29, the soldier soaked a sponge in wine vinegar and put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant. Did you catch that? A reed, a sprig of hyssop. The same type of plant used during the original Passover when the blood of a sacrificial lamb was used to mark the doors of the families who placed their trust in God. The Angel of Death would then pass over that house because of the blood of the lamb, painted on the doorframe with a brush of hyssop. You can read it for yourself in Exodus 12:21-23.

The Apostle John knew what he was writing when he describes this scene. He wants us to see the connection between the stalk of hyssop and Jesus, the Passover Lamb. Jesus, self described as the door to heaven, a doorway marked with blood, sacrificed for the world so that eternal death would pass over those who place their trust in him.

That is why Jesus cried, "I thirst." Knowing that all was now completed and so that the thrust of Scripture would be fulfilled, so that his saving mission as God in the flesh would come to an end, Jesus said, give me that cup, I'll drink it all. And with a renewed clarity of mind, finally shouts out, "It is finished." It's accomplished. Completed. The Sacrificial Passover Lamb of God has been given up on behalf of sinful, prideful people whom God wants to save.

It's a victory for the divine Son of Man. No doubt about it, Jesus leaves this world with a smile on his lips. And it wasn't the wine. He lays his head back, as we'll see next week, with a contentment of mind and soul knowing that he triumphed over his most bitter enemies, sin and death. He also smiled because that victory extends to us. It is our triumph as well. We share in the win.

Remember when Bonnie Blair stood upon the top of that three-tiered stand at Lillehammer? Twice she took the gold. All the training and time and patience resulted in victory. But it wasn't just her victory. Her family, that large crew from Champaign, Illinois, shared in the joy as well. They danced and laughed as if they'd won the gold themselves. And well they might have, after all they were intimately wrapped up in Bonnie's life and success. When Bonnie won, so did they.

But not just her family, either. Blair's speed skating victory was our victory, too. All of America took the gold when she did. On that platform, when our flag was raised and the national anthem was played, we stood with her, a medal around our necks. And so it is with every Olympian. He or she represents his or her country. Their triumph is their people's joy.

And so it is with Christ. His triumph over sin and death extends to us. Christ drank the bitter cup and shouted, "Done." No more Sin, no more Death, no more Suffering, no more Thirst. Yes, we still have examples of lower case sin, death, suffering, thirsting. But these are residual effects, leftover scars from Satan's real yet ultimately unsuccessful attack on God's good creation. When Jesus died and rose again, he sent Satan home defeated.

And when Jesus comes again all these lower case expressions of corruption will be completely erased. Erased and replaced with a renewed creation, resurrected bodies, healed souls. A great substitution will occur, we will exchange, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, our perishable selves for the imperishable. We share in the victory now, but one day we'll wear the gold our-selves. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the perfect substitute for us, won the victory so that we could stand with him before the Father as victors ourselves. Won't you trust in that triumph? Won't you accept him as your Conqueror and Lord?

Copyright 1994, 2007 Lyn Perry
First preached First Baptist Church, Ellwood City, PA
Permission granted to reprint with acknowledgment of copyright.

How to Pastor Your Pastor

A Message from 1 Thessalonians 5.12-15

Thank you for having me here this morning. I’m in a great position right now. I get to preach from a text that encourages the congregation to respect and care for their preacher. Now I can get away with that since I am only a pulpit supply; a hired gun, if you will. And no, your pastor did not pay me to preach this message. I picked the passage myself. You can read along in your bibles, 1 Thessalonians 5.12-15.

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”

So the Apostle Paul writes to the church.

The challenge is that one can always find fault with a pastor.
If the pastor is young, he lacks experience; if his hair is gray, he’s too old to relate to the young people.
If she has five or six children, she must be too busy to pastor; if she has none, you wonder if she’s a feminist.
If he preaches from a manuscript, he has canned sermons and is dry; if his messages are extemporaneous, he isn’t deep enough.
If she uses too many illustrations, she’s neglecting the bible; if she doesn’t include stories, she’s too erudite.
If he preaches the truth and condemns wrong, he’s cranky; if he doesn’t preach against sin, he’s a compromiser.
If she preaches all the time, the congregation gets tired of hearing her voice; if she invites guest ministers, she’s shirking responsibility.
If he can’t please the majority, he’s hurting the church and should leave; if he tries to make everyone happy, he has no convictions.
If she drives an old car, she shames her congregation; if she buys a new one, she’s setting her affection on earthly things.
If he receives a large salary, he’s mercenary; if he gets a small one, they say it proves he isn’t worth much anyway.

Quite a dilemma, don’t you think? It’s tough being in ministry today given the many and varied expectations prevalent in a typical congregation. One especially has to be a bold preacher to tackle texts like these. Or a guest preacher. Even then it’s a bit risky – you might never invite me back. Yet despite the dilemma, I want to do just that. And I’m going to apply the umpire’s axiom. I’m simply going to call it as I see it.

Let’s jump right in, verse 12. Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonika. Brothers and sisters in Christ (I’m paraphrasing), here’s a two-fold word of instruction if you want to learn how to “pastor” your pastor. First, respect. Respect your leaders. Second, verse 13, hold them in highest regard. Let’s flesh out what these verses mean.

The term respect literally means “know their worth.” In other words, recognize that leaders are worthy of honor. Now this principle applies to all people in positions of leadership. The office of pastor, moderator, president, chairperson – whatever the title – has a certain amount of inherent authority that goes with it. We are to recognize that worth and so respect those in leadership roles; hold them in high regard.

Paul then describes these leaders in terms of their function. Speaking practically, people who lead the church – ie, pastors, deacons, elders, elected officers – have a three-fold job description. Leaders are those who 1) work hard among you, 2) are over you in the Lord, and 3) admonish you.

First, the phrase work hard. The term here is labor. Hard labor. Strenuous labor. If this congregation is anything like ours, then I would guess that you have some very hard workers in this church. It takes hard work because there’s a lot to do. Most people have no idea the amount of effort and support that goes on behind the scenes to enable weekly ministry. What, do you think the lights go on and the doors unlock automatically every Sunday? Church doesn’t just happen – it is birthed through labor.

I want to take a moment and acknowledge the many leaders in this congregation who invest their finances and personal resources in this ministry. Not to mention the hours upon hours of time donated to the cause of Christ. I don’t know many of you, but I thank you. You are important players in the Kingdom of God. You are building up the body of Christ and are therefore making an eternal difference in people’s lives. Your work is worthwhile.

Church, we are to respect our leaders because they work hard among us. Second, we are to respect our leaders because these godly women and men exercise authority over the congregation. This seems self-evident. Leaders are called to lead. Leadership is based not only on spiritual giftedness, but is, as previously mentioned, inherent in the position itself. Now just because you have a title doesn’t necessarily make you a good leader; but the office deserves honor and respect.

You see, your pastor is not only called to preach and teach, he is called to exercise leadership authority over the other leaders. In a sense, he is the lead elder among equal elders. Here’s an example of what that might look like.

Just over a thousand years ago there was one unified and organized church. Following the administrative divisions of the Roman Empire, the church was zoned into five geographic regions. Now each region, or diocese, was headed up by a bishop who led his particular branch of the church from an important metropolis. The five cities were Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem and the bishops there were called patriarchs.

What’s interesting is that each patriarch had equal authority in the church. They formed a leadership team, in other words. However, one bishop was recognized as the leader of the five. That patriarch was the Bishop of Constantinople and he was called the first among equals.

Gradually, the Roman Empire split politically into the Western Empire, which was ruled from Rome, and the Byzantine Empire, with its capital in Constantinople. And in the year 1054 the church split as well. The patriarch of Rome, who was the leader of Western Christianity, separated from the other patriarchs. He became pope or ruler of what is now called the Roman Catholic Church, while the four other dioceses formed the eastern branch of Christendom and became known as the Orthodox Church.

Today the Orthodox Faith is a confederation of many national churches but is still ruled by a council of patriarchs, a leadership team if you will, who all have equal authority. And the patriarch of Constantinople continues to be “first among equals.”

That phrase aptly describes the relationship that the elders – or deacons – enjoy within the local church. God has called a group of people to exercise authority over the church. The pastor is not a pope, he or she is first among equals, submitting to godly elders but also leading them.

What type of leadership, what type of authority are the elders called to exercise? The word Paul uses carries with it the idea of care-giving. The style of leadership has to be that of Jesus, a servant leader – one who cares for people and shepherds the flock through service. The congregation is to respond with respect. Church, we can learn to “pastor” our pastor and elders by respectfully affirming their leadership.

We are to respect our leaders because they work hard.
We are to respect our leaders because they are over us in the Lord, that is, they exercise authority through a care-giving style of ministry.

Third, we are to respect our leaders because they have been given responsibility to admonish us. To admonish means to rebuke and warn against bad behavior and its consequences. One of the scariest jobs for a pastor is to lovingly confront another brother or sister in Christ about something they are doing wrong. Who are we to point fingers? it might be said. Doesn’t the scripture say to be cautious and take the plank out of our own eye before picking the speck out of someone else’s?

Yes. Exactly. Work on the plank, but admonish one another and speak the truth in love. We don’t judge motives, but leaders are called to discern the implications of someone’s actions and graciously confront what they believe to be wrong or sinful behavior. Your pastor is called by God to do that.

Again, 1 Thessalonians 5.13 reveals our response. We are called by God to hold our pastor and other leaders in high regard in love. Not only because of the hard work they do but also in order that they might do better and more effective work in the future. See what it says at the end of verse 13? “Live at peace with each other.” Leaders and laity, work at living in peace, in harmony, in cooperation with each other. This is the will of God. And it will result in many blessings.

Now does this mean that the pastor is always right and to get along you have to go along? Not at all. I think most pastors would readily admit that we do not have a direct link with God on every issue. Even though the general population seems to think we control the weather, we in fact do not. Have you ever asked your pastor to pray for sunny skies for a special church function? Whenever I’m asked to pray for something like that I always respond, “Hey, I’m just in sales, not in management.”

And as “sales reps” leaders can get it wrong. But so can members of the congregation. We all need to admit our mistakes when we make them, pick up the pieces and move on in love. Live in peace with one another, leaders and laity. How can you pastor your pastor? Show respect and hold him or her high regard.

The Apostle Paul next turns his attention to the relationship that the church has with each other. Verses 14 & 15. There’s a place for pastoral ministry where the pastor is the leader and exercises authority over the congregation. But there is also a place for one-another ministry where brothers and sisters in Christ have responsibility toward each other. Indeed, we are called to pastor one another.

In verse 14 we see three groups of people who especially need the church to help them in their Christian walk. These are folks who seem to have “extra care required” stickers on their luggage. Handle with care. The three groups are the idle, the timid, and the weak. What are we to do with these folks? Not wish that they’d just go away; not hope that they go to another church. We aren’t to ignore them or resent them.

We are to, first, warn the idle. To warn means to show real concern and express it verbally. The word idle implies undisciplined, disorderly even. The idle are people who never seem to “get with the program.” Those who are idle, according to Paul, are the loose canons in the church. They aren’t team players, they refuse to work in a positive, edifying way. They engage in friendly fire, wounding others with or without realizing it.

How do we warn those who seem to “break ranks” with the church body? The answer was given by Jesus and recorded by Matthew, chapter 18.15: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.” (NIV)

The scriptural procedure is to go one on one with that person to verbally warn and gently demonstrate to him or her the damage they are causing by their actions or attitude. Is it easy? Not very often. Is it effective? Many times. Is it the right thing to do? Yes.

First, warn the idle.

Second, encourage the timid. Those who lose heart and are easily discouraged, we are to encourage, comfort, console. Some people need extra care during seasons of their lives – during the death of a spouse, perhaps, or loved one; during the time between jobs; during major transitional periods or emotional/relational trauma. We need to surround this person with love during this season of despair.

Others need comfort and encouragement on an ongoing basis. When I was a pastor in Pennsylvania I would speak with a person in our congregation every week for about 15 or 20 minutes on the phone. This person had a timid soul. It was very draining but that is what God is calling us to do – to care for one another at all times, not just when it’s convenient or rewarding. How do we encourage the timid? That’s a sermon in itself, but some suggestions include spending time with them, praying with them, sharing scripture, phone calls, post cards, occasional meals or evenings out. Be creative.

Warn the idle. Encourage the timid. Third, help the weak. The word help actually means hold fast, hold on to, hug even. Keep safe the weak – the weak in faith, the weak in commitment, the weak who stumble morally and struggle with sin.

Our tendency is to keep sinners like that at arms length. Our temptation is to kick them out and forsake those who’ve blown it. Take a hands-off attitude. Surely, we are to discipline those who persist in sin. But the weak? We are to be a hospital to them.

A young woman in our congregation is getting married to the man with whom they’ve already had two children. This is a good thing. They’ve been together for a few years now and have decided to publicly exchange vows of fidelity. During the wedding shower, this woman, with tears in her eyes, confided in my wife that a number of friends and family members had asked her why they were getting married now? Why go through a marriage ceremony at all, why not just go to the Justice of the Peace? The implication: Getting married in the church with a pastor and bridesmaids and groomsmen and flowers and music – that’s for perfect people. Why are you pretending to be perfect?

It’s been said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. So often this is true. We have wounded people walking among us today and yet we ignore them; we tell them to shape up or ship out. That’s like saying first lose 50 pounds and then you can start a diet. Ridiculous! Don’t scorn them; hug them instead. Hold on to them, help them take those tiny steps of faith, aid them in their weakness. Pastor those in need.

The Apostle concludes this short list of instructions with the command, “be patient with everyone.” The idle, the timid, the weak – practice patience. Be the mature big brother or big sister. Take the hit, receive the hurt, return a hug, practice forbearance, endure.

Verse 15 gives the flip side of the coin. Not only are we to be patient with everyone, we are to actively work for their good. Be kind to each other. Church, we have the responsibility to self-monitor here. When opinions differ, when emotions run high, make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong. Retaliation in attitude or action is sin. It’s not allowed, it’s out of bounds.

Putting it positively, end of verse 15, Paul says we must always make it our aim to advance the best interest of others. The NIV phrase, “always try to be kind” is too weak. Give it the old college try. No. The Greek says “always follow the good in regard to others.” Always be on the look out for ways to practice kind acts.

Now is that an impossible command or what? It sure is . . . if we’re depending on our own strength and resources. It’s only by the grace of God that we can overcome pettiness and bitterness and resentment and jealousy and greed and gossip and every other expression of our sinful nature; and replace it with kindness and gentleness and patience and goodness and love and joy. “Mission: Impossible” if left to our own device. “Mission: It’s Possible” if we rely on the Holy Spirit.

We’re on the same team, dear church. Our goal is at the same end of the field. Our objective: To become like Christ, to become mature disciples of our Lord. We don’t have time for petty squabbles. We’ve got work to do. There’s a lost world at our doorstep that needs to know about the love of Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of God the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

God has chosen us to share the gospel message and to live that gospel message. This means we are to live the gospel in the context of the local church where leaders lead and shepherd the flock and where the laity respects those in authority and is empowered to serve one another in love.

This week, look for one of the four areas in which you can be a pastor to someone else. You’ll probably be in a situation soon where you’ll be able to . . .
- show respect for your pastor or a church leader;
- warn an idle brother or sister in Christ;
- encourage a timid soul or discouraged heart;
- or help, come to the aid of, someone weak in the faith.

Be on the lookout this week for your divinely appointed opportunity to practice kindness, to “always follow the good in regard to others.” To the glory of God. Amen.

Copyright 2006 Lyn Perry
First preached First Baptist Church, Wichita, KS
Permission granted to reprint with acknowledgment of copyright.

Pentecost

There's a rumor afloat.

A strange new group in town is attracting members left and right. Every day people are joining this group and forming what can only be described as a spiritual movement. When I first heard about it all I knew was that it had something to do with a prophecy being fulfilled…

The rumor is that the "Last Day" is upon us. This group is convinced that a prophecy written hundreds of years ago has finally come true. It's a prophecy about everyone being filled up with God. And like I said, this movement is growing.

Why are so many people flocking to this strange new group? Well, just a few weeks ago a crowd of over hundred people took to the streets speaking all sorts of different languages. These men and women were shouting out in tongues not their own. A friend of mine saw it happen and heard the words. He told me he thought they were drunk.

But then this man named Peter took center stage and quoted the prophecy which they claimed had come true. And the people – over 3,000 people! – who heard him speak believed what he had to say. A new spiritual movement was under way and more are joining every day.

I'm the kind of person who gets excited about things like this, but I'm also a bit skeptical when so many people get interested in something so quickly. So I decided to do a little investigation of my own. Here's what I found out.

First of all, I looked up the prophecy itself. It was spoken by the Prophet Joel long ago: " 'In the last days,' says God, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' "

That's plain enough. And according to my eye-witness, these things were starting to happen. He then told me what the spokesman, Peter, had to say. These men and women speaking in tongues were not drunk as the people supposed – it was only 9 in the morning! – they were filled with God's Spirit because a miracle had taken place.

Peter then went on to speak about a man named Jesus the Nazarene who was a miracle worker and went about doing good. About 2 months ago this Jesus was nailed to a cross and executed. And from what Peter said, we all had a hand in it. Some of the crowd actually cried out for Jesus’ blood. Others sat quietly by, afraid to defend him. Others, like myself, didn’t care one way or another. That made us all guilty, I suppose.

But then something spectacular happened. After Jesus – who was called the Christ – was put to death God raised him from the grave and freed him from death’s agony to walk the earth again. Peter said that Jesus appeared to him and the rest of his followers to explain the meaning of it all.

Well, I did some poking around and spoke to several of these witnesses to see if what Peter said was true. I discovered that over 500 people saw Jesus alive after he’d been certified dead. They told me that Jesus visited with them, ate with them, and continued to teach them for about 40 days after his resurrection. Then, in an astounding display of glory, Jesus left them and ascended to heaven, to the "right hand of God."

Before he left, however, Jesus promised to send someone to be a guide and leader to his followers. Someone who would help form a new movement that would spread the Kingdom of God to the whole world. The person Jesus was talking about was the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of the Living God that was promised long ago through the Prophet Joel.

These followers of Christ, it was explained to me, had only to wait and pray to receive this promised Leader. Then, just a few weeks back, it happened. The prophecy was fulfilled and over 100 men and women were filled up with God – God's Spirit – and began to speak in all sorts of languages.

Peter explained all of this to the crowd gathered in amazement that day and then said, "Let all the House of Israel know for certain that God has made Jesus the Nazarene both Lord and Christ – this same Jesus whom you crucified."

When the crowd heard this, many were cut to the heart. They were convicted in their spirits, they knew in their minds that something powerful was taking place and that they needed to be a part of it or else they would miss the opportunity of a lifetime to come close to God.

A few of my friends who were there that day rushed to Peter and the other followers of Christ and asked what they should do. Peter gave a two-fold answer.

First, repent. That is, change the direction you are going and ask for forgiveness for your sinful life. Peter explained that our relationship with God is wrong and we have to make it right. The way to do that is simply by asking God to turn us around so that we can receive, accept God’s forgiveness.

The second part of Peter's answer was to be baptized. What can we do to come close to God? Repent and be baptized. We were all taught that baptism is for pagan converts – a sign that they are leaving their old life and dedicating themselves to God. And this was exactly Peter's point. Baptism is a sign of discipleship and every follower of Christ is baptized to express their commitment to their savior. For when a person goes under the water it signifies their death with Jesus; when a person comes out of the water it is a resurrection – the old person has died and a new person is born.

And just like when a baby is born, with that first spank the baby wails it is a sign of life. So too, the person who is born of God receives the Holy Spirit, the sign of eternal life. This is what it means to be born again.

"What should we do?" my friends asked.

"Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is the promise of God for you and your children and for all who are far off."

Peter then pleaded with the crowd to disentangle themselves from the clutches of a perverse society. And 3000 people received that message and were baptized. As I reflected on what I'd learned, I came to realize that to be a follower of Christ, one needs to accept the message that we put Jesus on the cross and repent of our sin, receive forgiveness, be baptized and receive the Spirit, and then live a new life. This made sense.

But the results prove the message, don't they? I was excited to witness a spiritual wave sweep the city, but I'm also somewhat of a pragmatist. I understood Peter’s message, I saw that the prophecy was being fulfilled in many lives, I see this movement growing, but I want to know if it's going to last.

I've done my private eye work as to who this Jesus is and I do believe he is the Christ. Now I'm looking into this new fellowship that is forming by God's Spirit. Is it for real? Does it have the staying power needed to change this world for the better?

Here are some of my observations. I see some very promising signs.

First of all, I see a people eager to learn. These new followers of Christ are devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching. They're learning all they can about Jesus and how to live in a right relationship with God. Often times, when movements begin the people think they already know all the answers. This new movement is constantly learning about God and how to live for God.

Second, this group shares with each other. Not only do they fellowship together and are becoming friends, they're actually going out on a limb for each other. If one person is in physical need others will help. If it means selling some personal possessions then they do that. These people are really acting like brothers and sisters of Christ.

Third, they're breaking break together in each other’s homes. After worshiping in the Temple, they’ll go back to different houses and share supper together. Part of this meal includes celebrating what Jesus has done – his victory over death. Worship of the Lord permeates everything they do, even meals together.

Finally, these new followers of Christ devote themselves to prayer. This is significant because it means they aren’t relying on their own power to make this thing work. It isn’t just a good idea that they are trying to spread – it is a movement of life change that is based on God’s power.

So do I think this is for real and that it will last? Yes. Yes I do! This growing group of believers are learning, they're sharing, they're worshiping through breaking bread together, and they're praying. All together these are the signs of a healthy spiritual movement.

You may have heard the rumor that a strange new group in town is attracting members left and right. When I first heard about it all I knew was that it had to do with something spiritual. Now I know that is from God who is pouring out his Spirit on all people. And all who believe this prophecy and call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Copyright 2005 Lyn Perry
First preached First Baptist Church, Wichita, KS
Permission granted to reprint with acknowledgment of copyright.

Here Comes the Son ... of Man

Here Comes the Son ... of Man
A Sermon from Mark 10:42-45, Phil 2:5-11 & Daniel 7:13-14

My nickname growing up was Bug. Probably because I pestered my older brothers and sisters. I was the last of seven kids - an afterthought nine years after the last afterthought. So I grew up spoiled, or at least that's what my siblings tell me.

They said I bugged them about everything. I could ask more questions! Where are you going? What are you going to do? When are you coming back? Can I go with you? Why not? If you've got a baby brother or sister, I bet you can relate. They sure can be a pest at times, a bug.

Well, by the time I reached junior high I realized that Bug wasn't that flattering a nickname. I must have been a slow learner. So one year at camp I came up with what I thought was just the coolest name. Brooklyn. Call me Brooklyn. It's no use asking why, I don't know. But everyone else had a handle and I wanted one too. So I gave myself a new name. It didn't catch on.

What was your nickname growing up? Do you still use it? Was it one you gave yourself or did others pin it on you? To pave the way into God's Word this morning, let's play a game called "Guess the Person." I'll give you the nickname of someone famous and you can guess out loud who I'm referring to. Big hint here, they're all presidential-types.

Ready? First person is known as George "Doubya." (George W. Bush)
Next, Slick Willy. (President Bill Clinton)
How about Tricky Dick? (Richard Nixon)
This one was known by his initials, LBJ. (Lyndon Baines Johnson)
Or what about JFK? (John F. Kennedy)
And finally, if you like Ike, who do you like? (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

Had to go to the history books for that one. But it seems to me that throughout history, the public has often bestowed pet names - some not so flattering - on their leaders. Honest Abe is a compliment. Slick Willy isn't.

But it's interesting that, with the exception of Bill Clinton, each presidential candidate in our little game ran for office using their formal name: Richard M. Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower. I think back, though, to 1975 when the governor of Georgia, with a firm handshake and a warm smile, introduced himself to the nation. "Hello, I'm Jimmy Carter and I'm running for president."

Funny how you recall certain things, but I remember some political commentators at the time discussing the appropriateness of James Earl Carter calling himself Jimmy. Hmm, they thought. Isn't Jimmy a nickname?

And aren't nicknames what other people call you? You don't choose your own moniker, do you? Sounds presumptuous. Call me Brooklyn. What is that about? No wonder it fell flat, right? People don't easily latch on to titles they don't own or understand.

Imagine the reactions, then, when Jesus appeared on the scene proclaiming himself to be . . . the Son of Man! The Son of . . . Man. The Son of Man? What does that mean? People must have scratched their heads over that one. For it wasn't a popular title. No one in recent times had used it. And now Jesus lays claim to it. Confusing. At one point, some people even confront Jesus and ask, "Who is this 'Son of Man' you keep talking about?" They just didn't quite get what Jesus was trying to communicate by using such a phrase.

Nor did they warm up to this new name. If Jesus meant it as a handle for himself, it didn't take. Not once in the Gospels do people call him the Son of Man. Sir, Rabbi, Teacher, even Y'shua, Jesus. But Son of Man, no. It was his self-designation, and his alone. As far as nicknames went, it fell flat.

Ah, no matter, the people thought. We have a better one picked out, pre-set with political meaning and power. If Jesus insists on using the enigmatic Son of Man, that's fine. We'll use something better, a moniker that's clear and compelling. No misunderstandings here. We'll help jump start his campaign. People of Israel, get ready to cast your vote. Introducing our new candidate for Messiah - drum roll please - Jesus, the Son of David. Cheers and applause.

Yes, we can see it now. The Son of David. Now that is a title worth talking about. It describes exactly the type of man we want to lead our nation. We're talking Messiah now. Someone like King David of Old. A political ruler who will usher in the Kingdom of God and usher out those Roman aggressors. Don't you worry about your nickname, Jesus, we got it all figured out. You're the Son of David. You just remember that when the time comes to make your move.

Well, looking back on history, and knowing what we do about his life and ministry, it's easy to see that the popular conception of the Christ as a worldly monarch was just plain wrong. The Scripture is clear, Jesus refused to be type-cast as a political messiah. He even shied away from identifying himself as the Son of David. As Craig noted last Sunday, it was his least favorite nickname. Although he accepted it, Jesus never used the term in reference to himself.

Instead, he consistently applied the phrase, "Son of Man." Must have been his favorite nickname for he used it over 80 times. Why? Based on what we've already learned, he was very likely trying to distance himself from the politically-packed phrase, Son of David. But positively, what did he mean by this self-designation, Son of Man? We'll want to look at that question this morning.

As you know, our Advent series is titled, "Here Comes the Son." And we're considering Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of David and the Son of Man. When we very spiritually and pietistically determined who would preach on what topic (we drew lots) and I found out I was preaching on the Son of Man, I got to thinking, "I know very little about that subject."

It's not a topic one often contemplates, am I right? Nor does one typically associate this theme with advent. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard a sermon on the subject, Christmas or otherwise.

So this will be a first for me. Maybe a first for you, as well. A freshman encounter with Jesus, the Son of Man. Sorta like a blind date. We're a bit uncertain as to who it is we're going to meet. We sort of know who he's not - a military figure - but do we know who he really is?

Well, there's one sure way to find out. We have to open the scripture and meet him face to face. Like the woman in the bible who simply wanted to touch part of his coat, we need to work our way through the crowd and reach out to Jesus. Let's do that together this morning, shall we? To help us get closer to the Son of Man, let's start by asking/answering the three questions on the outline about that favorite nickname of his.

First of all, what does it mean? Where did it come from? What is it?

Second, why did Jesus use it? What was he trying to communicate?

And third, how does it impact us? Why does it matter? What does this ancient phrase mean for me at the turn of the millennium?

We can ask these questions of scripture because we've seen over and over again that its message is truthful, relevant, applicable and clear. That's something we discover as we spend time in God's word. The more we read it, the more we learn to trust the bible's take on spiritual things.

Now, I know that may yet be a stretch for some. There may be a number of us here who are, essentially, freshmen at religion. We're beginners and we're not sure what we believe about God, the universe and everything. I see that hand. And let me just say, if that's you, you're in good company. Because the people that Jesus seemed attracted to the most were those who were often struggling through "Spiritual Life 101" the most.

Now he met and loved all kinds of people - religious experts, wealthy aristocrats - but we often see Jesus gravitating toward those with hungry souls, people who acknowledged that they didn't have all the answers. Regular people like you and me. In fact, Jesus chose 12 run-of-the-mill men to become his closest friends. And yet these guys still grappled with spiritual issues.

Think about it. The disciples roomed and roamed with the Truth, capital T, month after month. They ate and drank with Jesus and yet they were, in many ways, religious freshmen, first timers in the way of the Spirit. And like us, they failed many a pop quiz.

We catch a glimpse of one such struggle in the 10th chapter of the book of Mark. (Mark 10:32, if you have your bibles.) Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and he knows he's going to die there. So he pulls the 12 aside and prepares them for what's ahead; he's teaching them about his death and resurrection.

But now look at verse 35. James and John, two of his best friends, approach Jesus on the sly and basically demand, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Can you imagine! Jesus just got finished saying, "The Son of Man will be betrayed, condemned to death, handed over to the Romans. He's going to be mocked, spit upon, flogged and killed. Three days later he will rise."

Yeah, yeah. "Jesus, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Now is that a total disconnect or what? Now they're acting like clueless sophomores, don't you think? (I don't want to just pick on freshmen this morning!) Just goes to show you, you can be the best teacher in the history of the world, but if you're working with blockheads, it's gonna be a challenge.

But wait, it gets better. When the rest of the disciples found out about this audacious request, they almost blew a gasket. Why? Not because James and John are insensitive dolts, but because - and we know this from a similar story in the book of Luke - they were all arguing about who was the greatest among them. They were upset because they thought these two brothers were trying to pull rank on the rest of them.

They just didn't get it. And so Jesus sits them down again, like he does with us, like he does with me. And he patiently explains it one more time. Look at verse 42. (read through vs 44)

Now here's the ribbon that wraps the present. Verse 45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Wow, what a verse. An extraordinary word to linger over and meditate upon these weeks before Christmas.

This morning we can start with the phrase Son of Man. What does Jesus mean when he uses this particular title? Well, on a very basic level, the phrase is simply another way of saying human being. It is used about 100 times in the OT as a synonym for man, humankind. Psalm 8:4 provides an example. (read vs 3&4) The two phrases "what is man" and "the son of man" are parallel in meaning with each other. That is, they're two different ways of saying the same thing.

The phrase is most popular, though, in the book of Ezekiel, where God addresses the prophet with "O son of man" around 90 times. It seems to be God's way of emphasizing Ezekiel's mortality, reminding him to stay humble in light of the astounding and wondrous heavenly revelations he's been privy to.

So one big take-home point derived from Jesus' use of this title is that he identifies himself with humanity. Jesus wants us to know that he is truly and fully human. Son of man, in 99% of the OT cases, simply means human being. That's what Christmas is all about - Jesus born as a real baby, a son of mankind. Now that wasn't too hard. No great mystery there. Son of man means man.

But it gets tricky when we try to tackle a possible exception, that one occasion where son of man takes on a mystifying uncertainty. That single occurrence is in Daniel 7:13&14. Allow me to set the stage a bit. Daniel chapter 7 contains a strange apocalyptic vision of the history and ultimate end of this world. In a vision at night, Daniel sees four great beasts come up out of the sea.

The sea, by the way, is symbolic of this fallen world, full of sin and fear and death. For the ancients, like George Clooney and crew in The Perfect Storm, the vast and wild ocean was seen as the enemy. That's why in the book of Revelation we read, "And behold there is no longer any sea." Doesn't mean there isn't going to be any water in the new heavens and earth, it means, symbolically, there will be no devil or death or dread in God's kingdom.

In Daniel's night vision he saw four great and grotesque beasts come out of the sea. And over the course of history these terrifying tyrants had their day. The scripture says they crushed and devoured and trampled under foot all that was upon the earth. And friends, what a picture of this world at the turn of the millennium. From our perspective, the tyrants are still having their way, am I right? We thought this was the dawning of the age of Aquarius. But with the fall of one dictator and mad man, there arises another.

And so it will go until God establishes his reign. God will have his day in court soon enough, and then we'll see true justice. We have yet to experience true peace and righteousness, but from heaven's perspective, it's a done deal. God wants to assure Daniel and his readers of this. The victory over evil is sure. And so God paints a picture of that future event. Here in Daniel 7:9-14, we have a snapshot of the apocalypse and the victory of the Ancient of Days. (read)

"I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven." Not a beast from the sea. Not even a man from the earth. But one like a son of man, coming from the heavens.

This one occurrence wraps a whole new layer of meaning around Jesus' use of the title, Son of Man. The portrait we have here in Daniel is a heavenly one. The connection between the son of man and the clouds of heaven points to a heavenly origin of the person in question. And so the phrase not only reveals to us the humanity of Jesus, it speaks of his divinity as well. He's a divine being, "being found in appearance as a man." (Phil. 2:8) The GodMan, the only one who can stand as an equal in the presence of the Ancient of Days.

No wonder people scratched their heads around Jesus. There was just enough uncertainty, 1% of mystery, in what, historically, was another way of saying human being. Which leads us to our second question, what was Jesus trying to communicate? Or, as it's posed on the outline, why did Jesus use it?

Short answer: To make an impact. He knows his audience and he's a master teacher. What will grab a person's attention quicker than an unexpected twist to a story or a surprise ending? The unanticipated often piques our interest; we want to find out more. So Jesus startles us with his nickname. What's it about? Why and how does he use it?

Had to cut and edit here, but I think we can boil the various reasons down to three. Jesus uses the title son of man as a personal pronoun, to predict his passion, and as a picture of his apocalyptic return. To cut and edit even further, we'll wait and look at this third expression in two weeks when we study Christ's second coming in "Here Comes the Son . . . Again!"

So briefly, Jesus' use of son of man as a personal pronoun. Often, he simply referred to himself in the third person for effect or to make an impression. It was a way to communicate his authority. Like Bob Dole, when he said, "Bob Dole this or Bob Dole that." Jesus wanted to jolt people a bit so they would hear and remember the message he proclaimed.

Like in Mark 2 when he healed the paralytic and said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Whoa, that's blasphemy, for only God can forgive sins! Jesus knew what some of them were thinking, so he said, "In order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." he looks at the man and tells him, "I say to you, get up, take your mat and go home." You can bet the crowd never forgot that one. The Son of Man had spoken.

A friend of mine here at church told me that it's easy for people to forget his name, but when he introduces himself as Bubba, that's a keeper. You see, Jesus' name in Hebrew is Joshua, very common. So his self-chosen nickname distinguished him from the crowd; a memorable and powerful way of saying, "I, this man, speaks."

But what really set the name apart was the way he connected it to his eventual suffering, death and resurrection. He used it to predict his passion. This is where people misunderstood him the most. They were expecting a triumphant messiah, a Son of David, not a suffering servant of God. When the time came for Jesus to make his move, as it were, he didn't put on a golden crown, he donned a crown of thorns.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." Even though the Son of Man will come with the clouds, in glory and power at the end of the age; even though the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins and heal the broken; even though the Son of Man was with God in the beginning and is himself God; even though all that is true, he decided that he would come, not to be served but to serve and give his life for us.

At the time the disciples didn't understand. A suffering servant king? It was such a different picture than what they saw sketched out in Daniel 7 and in other parts of scripture. So different, so stunning, in fact, that they had to see it for themselves to believe it. And they did. Soon after this lesson on service, the disciples were witness and party to his betrayal. They stood by in silence as he was condemned, handed over, mocked, spat upon, flogged and killed.

They did see it, God's suffering servant. And eventually they did believe, when the king arose. For this was also Christ's prediction. He would suffer and die, but in three days God would raise him from the dead. Their blinders fell off when Jesus appeared to them in person that first Easter morning. The Son of Man was revealed to be the very Son of God. And God was revealed to be a humble servant king.

Looking back on all that Jesus said and accomplished, the apostles did learn the lesson Jesus was trying to teach that day. To be a Christian doesn't mean you have to have advanced degrees in spirituality. When it comes to the school of religion, senior commencement is really more about having the desire to be a Christ follower. It's about choosing, day after day and by God's grace, to pattern our life after Jesus Christ, the true servant of God.

In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul quotes a song, a hymn that the early church probably sang. Although it doesn't use the phrase, it is a meditation on the Son of Man, "Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. . . . to the glory of God the Father."

To the Glory of God the Father!

><>

Outline and Response
Encountering the "Son of Man"

A. What does it _______? (mean)
B. Why did Jesus _______? (use it)
C. How does it _______ us? (impact)

A. What?

1. It's another way of saying ______. (human being)
2. It also points to a _______ origin. (heavenly)

B. Why? To make an _______. (impact) He uses it:

1. As a personal ________. (pronoun)
2. To _______ his passion. (predict)
3. As a ______ of his apocalyptic return (picture).

Response:

C. So what? We pattern our lives of service after Christ.
Do others see you as one who is like the Son of Man?

1. Path to true greatness. (Mk 10:43)
2. Helps us "stay the course." (Phil 2:5)
3. How else does following the Son of Man impact you?


Copyright 2000 by Lyndon Perry
Preached December 17, 2000
First Baptist Church, Wichita, KS

Back from the Precipice

Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
(Proverbs 24:11,12 - NIV)

When teaching from the Book of Proverbs a few years ago, I discovered some amazing gems of wisdom that I had never seen before. Just proves that the teacher learns more in preparing the lesson than the class does in receiving it!

One precious word I rediscovered (from Proverbs 24:11) is God's call for me - for us - to pull back from the precipice those who are tripping toward death. The signs are obvious. A friend's life is spiraling downward. A family member is flirting with disaster. A neighbor is shutting God out of her life. We all know people who are staggering toward the slaughter.

What to do? Intervene. Social workers know the routine: Situation. Phone call. Visit. Evaluation. Drastic measures. Intervention. Someone has to step in and set right what has gone wrong.

We're talking life and death. An issue of eternal significance. And we're to act. Immediately. We are called to rescue those who, if they don't hear and respond to the message of Jesus Christ, will be separated from God forever. We can't plead ignorance. We can't wish it away. We can't opt to do nothing. We are faced with a hazmat disaster and the time to respond is now.

How? Through positive, personal, prayerful, persistent intervention.

Positive. The gospel is good news, full of hope, delivered with joyful hearts and encouraging words. When we share the wonderful story of salvation, disapproving frowns are replaced with smiling faces.

Personal. The gospel is relational, tailored in its presentation to the unique situations of its audience. Our lives are open letters engagingly written by Christ, not forwarded carbon copies of stale and tiresome news.

Prayerful. The gospel becomes effective in someone's life through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we pray for a person's salvation, we're praying for a miracle that only God can perform.

Persistent. The truth of the gospel will stand up under scrutiny. As people explore the claims of Christ we can demonstrate love and patience, confident that God is at work. Our job is to continue to witness with our life and lips.

Have we weighed our hearts? Are they heavy for the lost? Having been rescued, are we now reaching out to others who are staggering toward death?

© 2006 Lyndon Perry
Permission granted to reprint this article.

It's Not About the Bike

The human spirit surprises me.

Aware of the devilish and awaiting the heavenly, I often overlook a simple matter: Our mortal soul is a remarkable thing. Lance Armstrong's battle and victory over cancer, his well-documented racing comeback, and his unfathomable 7 consecutive Tour de France wins is a moving saga, reminding me that courage and struggle are profound human virtues.

Lance's first book, It's Not About the Bike, is not just for dedicated athletes or survivors of the disease. For the race in which we find ourselves is really a metaphor for life; it is not limited in scope to sports or sickness. In fact, it's a human race - full of tragedy and disappointment, surely - but buoyed by triumph and celebration. Armstrong's perspective is a crucial part of the story of the human spirit and I appreciate his candor in sharing it. It inspires me to dig deep and work through some of my daily and often mundane struggles.

But there's more to this story. I pray that Lance will one day experience the next chapter, or sequel, and taste true victory in and through Jesus Christ.

After reading this inspiring book, I get the impression that Armstrong knows that death and defeat don't deserve the victory lap. Yet in life's race and at this point in his personal tour it seems he believes that the best we can hope for is to confront death "straightforwardly, armed with nothing but courage." (p. 272) In the final analysis, any triumph we experience is due to a reliance upon the self.

But if ultimately, in this dangerous race through mortality, it is simply a matter of standing firm in the face of adversity, then I fear our hope is built on something less than lasting. In the end, death wins. Yellow jerseys fade. Courage expires. Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. (from Ecclesiastes 1.2)

Except the eternal. This is the victory that Jesus offers. Life now and life eternal. Yes, as Armstrong states,

"People die. That truth is so disheartening that at times I can't bear to articulate it. Why should we go on, you might ask? Why don't we all just stop and lie down where we are? But there is another truth, too. People live." (pp. 4, 5)

Again, this part of the story - our pursuit of life - is an inspiring story that he tells fairly well. And yet I long for Armstrong to keep reading, keep listening for the rest of the story. The message that, not only do people live, but people Live. This triumph does not rely on self or courage or grit or luck. It comes as a gift, one that can't be earned, for it is a victory over Death that has already been won for us by Jesus Christ.

Maybe I'll be able to talk with Lance about this someday. He already knows it's not about racing; I just want to tell him that it's really about Life.

© 2005 Lyndon Perry
Permission granted to reprint this article.

New Hearts and Frozen Chickens

A few years ago NASA developed a special gun for launching dead chickens at the windshields of military jets in order to test the design and strength of the glass against collisions with airborne fowl.

French engineers were eager to test this gun on their new high speed trains. But when they launched their chickens, they found that their shatterproof windshields were no match for the dead birds. The French engineers sent their specs back to the US for analysis. NASA's response: "Thaw your chickens."

We laugh, but life can serve up some major fast balls. Although we'd like to believe that our personal, family and business lives are shatterproof, we know better. It only takes one hard shot - a death, illness, divorce, or job loss, just to name a few - and we're in a tail spin.

God can rescue us, though. He desires to salvage our broken lives and fortify our "inner man," the secret place in a person's heart that aches and sputters even as we try to maintain a tough and confident exterior.

And, although we like to imagine ourselves as self-sufficient, we know that we need rescuing. The scuds that life launches at us have done some damage. In response to the daily pressures of home and work, our hearts have grown cold and callused. Our inner man has grown faint. We need God to re-engineer our lives in order to withstand the "frozen chickens" that assault our souls.

This is, in fact, God's specialty. God desires, and is able, to re-ignite the fire that once burned in your belly. Or ignite it for the first time if you've never had a fever for life. Maybe you're living life by default. Yet you suspect there's a better existence out there, if only you could discover it.

I'm convinced God has the answer. He is the answer. He says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (This quote from the bible is Ezekiel 36:26.)

Through the person of Jesus Christ, God offers a pulsing, vital heart that is able to weather everything life unleashes. Don't worry, God isn't some divine Dr. Frankenstein bent on controlling his creation. He wants the best for us. And he makes it possible for us not only to survive our home or work environment, but to thrive as well.

How does it all begin? By receiving a new heart. Are you ready for a transplant? Then move a step closer to Jesus Christ. His heart is beating toward you; your strength is in his strength. He can jump-start your soul, pull you out of your nose-dive and set you back on course. Accept God's heartfelt gift today.

© 2005 Lyndon Perry
Permission granted to reprint this article.

Finding Religion

Heard an amusing story, probably apocryphal, about W.C. Fields upon his death bed.

A friend caught Fields, a notorious agnostic, flipping through the bible. "What are you doing?" his friend asked. "Finding religion?"

"Looking for loopholes!" came the reply.

In Luke 10 an expert in biblical law approached Jesus looking for loopholes. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" he asked to test the waters.

Love God; love your neighbor.

Impossible, when it comes right down to it. And this duty to one's fellow man, so inconvenient!

"But who is my neighbor?" he asked, spotting a possible out. Depending on the definition of neighbor, this command might be do-able after all. In response, Jesus tells a story about serving those in need.

" . . . So finally, there was this Samaritan," Jesus concludes in a surprise twist of plot. A surprise, that is, for the listeners who were snug in their relational blankets. For Jesus asked this law expert, "Who played the neighbor in this story?"

Hmm. Well. [Cough, cough] I suppose the Samaritan was the neighbor.

So answer your own question - Who is your neighbor? The plot twist reveals that it is not so much the person in need whom we are to love, it is the alien, the Samaritan who acted neighborly. Our neighbor then is the outcast; the person with whom we wouldn't naturally associate.

This path of service is a difficult path. Especially for us mortals who are bent on securing immortality through self-righteous acts. But if that's what we have to do... So we clarify the question: Will this hard path lead to eternal life? If so, let's buckle down and get to work.

But the bible answers, honestly, no. For even good samaritans fall short of perfect obedience to God's standard of perfect love. Loving one's neighbor will never move us toward salvation. It's merely an expression of it.

This, then, is the real test. Is our relationship with Christ overflowing into every relationship (with those we care for and with those we don't) out of a response to his love? God will place the outcast in our path, will we stop and care for this person? It's a daily take-home exam; and one that I often fail. But there's freedom even then.

No, I haven't found a loophole. I've simply discovered that in Christ I'm set free of the tyranny of trying to secure eternal life through self-effort. You see, at one point, I was that alien on the side of the road, helpless and dying. And the Good Samaritan stopped, bound up my wounds, and soothed my soul. In response to his great neighborly love, I now, imperfectly yet aided by God's Spirit, watch for others who need to receive the healing touch I've experienced.

This is finding religion.

© 2005 Lyndon Perry
Permission granted to reprint this article.