When You've Done All You Can Do, God Is Not Done!

A substitute Sunday School teachers was upstairs struggling to open a combination lock on the supply cabinet for some supplies for her students. She had been told the combination but couldn’t remember it. She went and found her pastor to see if he could help. He went upstairs and began to turn the dial. After the first two numbers, he paused and then looked heavenward while his lips moved silently. Then he looked back to the lock, quickly turned to the final number, and opened the cabinet. The teacher was amazed and said, “Wow. I’m amazed at your faith, Pastor.” To which he responded, “It’s really nothing. The combination is on a piece of tape on the ceiling.”

Of course, the analogy is, when all else fails, look up. Christmas is a season of hope. And hope is a predominant theme in the Scriptures. Time after time, God shows up and works in miraculous, though sometimes mysterious ways.  To people whose situations seem hopeless, God moved on the scene and transforms their hopeless situation. It was in the midst of one of these hopeless situation that David declares in Psalm 42:5 “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God....”

However, out of all the hopeless situations in the Bible where God moved into a downcast, disturbing situation, none appear more hopeless that the one Ezekiel finds himself in in Ezekiel 37. In chapter 37, Ezekiel is transported by the Spirit of the Lord to the middle of a valley. God wants to show him, and us,  how to have hope in a hopeless situation. In Verse 11, the words from this valley are: “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone…” Their spirits were shriveled up inside them. Have you ever felt that way? Do you feel that way today? While this chapter is dealing specifically with God bringing the nation of Israel out of Babylon and putting them back in the land of Israel, there are at least four things that we learn from Ezekiel's experience that we should emulate when we feel hopeless. But before we explore anything we should do, let's emphasize the main point of Scripture...When you’ve done all you can do, God is not done! That is why we can "put our hope in God...."

Joy To The Word...And You Too!

This week I have been talking about the gift of joy. I began the week talking about the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on what happens to us. Joy is a Divine dimension of living that is not influenced to by our circumstances but by the Spirit of God within us.

Happiness is a reaction to events. Rejoicing is a choice. Actually, it’s more than a choice, it is a command repeated twice in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Let me share a few choices we can make to help us rejoice. First of all, recognize God as joyful. Our joy will increase if we view God as a Creator with a smile on His face rather than a taskmaster. Listen to how God feels about you according to Zephaniah 3:17: “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” God delights in you and breaks out into song when He thinks about you! That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? I love how the Living Bible paraphrases this verse: “Is that a joyous choir I hear? No, it is the Lord himself exulting over you in happy song.” 


Another choice you can make is to become actively involved in sharing your faith.  Philemon 6 says: “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”  Luke 15 reminds us that heavenly rejoicing takes place when people who are spiritually lost discover Christ. When the lost sheep is recovered, verse 5 says that the owner “joyfully puts it on his shoulders” and then goes home and calls his friends and neighbors together and declares in verse 6, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep. I tell you in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…” Jesus reminds us in John 4:36 that we can be filled with delight when we participate in the process of evangelism: “Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” 


So as we wrap up our look at the gift of joy this week, let me just remind you of the words the angels proclaimed to the shepherds in Luke 2:10:" I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." This is a message of great joy for the entire world. But the angel also adds in verse 11: "Today...a Savior has been born to YOU...." This is also a personal message. Corrie Ten Boom once said, "If Jesus were born one thousand times in Bethlehem and not in me, then I would still be lost." While it is the season we proclaim joy to the world, it is also a season that we ultimately need to be reminded that a Savior is born to YOU!

Glad Tidings of Great Joy

Luke 2:10 says that the angels told the frightened shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people". This was news “of great joy.” The word great here is the word megas in the original language. It has the idea of mega joy or super-sized cheerfulness. This good news is exceedingly exciting because God is bringing about the solution to the sin problem. They went from total terror to mega joy.

In Galatians 4:15, Paul asked a very penetrating question: “What has happened to all your joy…” That question needs to be asked many churches today. Do we as a people of God demonstrate super-sized joy? What has happened to all our joy? Perhaps the great evangelist from the last century, Billy Sunday, helps us answer that question. He once said, “The trouble with many men is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable. If there is not joy in religion, you’ve got a leak in your religion.” A pastor once said to Groucho Marx: “Mr. Marx, I want to thank you for bringing so much joy into the world.” To which Groucho replied, “I want to thank you for taking so much out.”

We tend to equate “happiness” with joy but they are two totally different ideas because they each spring from a different source. Happiness comes from external sources and events. Joy originates directly from the Holy Spirit. Happiness is dependent upon what is happening to me. If people treat me nicely, if things are going well in my life, then I’m happy. If my circumstances aren’t favorable, then I’m unhappy.

Joy, on the other hand, is a divine dimension of living that is not influenced by circumstances. The Hebrew word means, “To leap or spin around with pleasure.” In the New Testament the word refers to “gladness, bliss, and celebration.” 


The message of Christmas is one of gladness, a season of bliss, and a source of celebration. Could it be possible to have more leaping and spinning with pleasure in our services?

Fear Not!

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11). 


The darkness of the Jewish hillside was reflective of the darkness that fills our world today. Spiritual darkness and spiritual deafness had covered the earth for centuries. But the long night was about to end. The glory of the Lord was about the light up the sky.

As the angel of the Lord appears, the glory of the Lord fills the darkness with a blinding light. And according to verse 9, the shepherds were terrified! In the original language of the New Testament, the word terrified literally means alarmed or agitated. Any one who has ever been frightened can identify with those terms. And the thing about being terrified? It is impossible to experience joy while you are terrified.

So the angel tells the shepherds, "Do not be afraid". For the shepherds to experience "good tidings of great joy", they first had to have their fears calmed.

The same is true for us today. If we are going to experience the joy of the Christmas story, we must cast our cares and fears on Him. Someone has said that the words "fear not" appear 365 times in the Bible, one for each day of the year. The message of Christmas is we do not have to be afraid, we can experience good tidings of great joy!

The Gift of Joy

This past week, I ran across two letters written by children to Santa. The first said, “Dear Santa, there are three little boys who live at our house. There is Jeffrey; he is two. There is David; he is four. And there is Norman; he is seven. Jeffrey is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. But Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman.”


The second one read, “Dear Santa, you did not bring me anything good last year. You did not bring me anything good the year before that. This is your last chance. Signed, Alfred.”


Patience is not an easy virtue when we are expecting something really exciting, is it? At Christmas, most of us are longing for something that we feel we don't have. And most of would secretly say, "If I only had...I would be happy." We are in search of the elusive quality of joy. Far to many of us have misplaced the merry in our Christmas.

Our focus this week is the gift of joy. In Isaiah 61:1-3, Isaiah looks prophetically to a time when glad tidings of great joy will be shared with the sad, broken-hearted, and discouraged. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair….”


This is a prophetic promise of joy. The year of the Lord was the celebration of jubilee. The garment of praise will replace the spirit of despair, the oil of gladness with replace mourning. The Israelites are about to be overcome, led into captivity, and spend years in oppression by the invading armies of Babylon. Yet God gives them a powerful promise of something good to come. It reminds me of a story about a woman who, at the last moment, frantically bought a box of 50 identical Christmas cards so she could get them in the mail on time. She hastily opened each card and signed her name without bothering to read what was printed inside. Several days after they had been mailed, she came across one leftover card and discovered to her dismay that the inside had these words: “This card is just to say, a special gift is on the way.”


This passage from Isaiah is fulfilled in the Christmas story. Jesus Himself says that this passage refers to Him (Luke 4:18). Isaiah prophecy was a Christmas card to all people, to us that a special gift is on the way...the oil of gladness, the garment of praise, comfort for those who mourn.

The Impact of Sin on the Absence of Peace

As we continue our study about the gift of peace, we come to a really ironic twist in Isaiah's discussion of Christmas peace. Isaiah 11:3, 4 says, “and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”

The irony is that before we get to the predator and prey lying down together, we actually see a little bit of violence. Verse 4 says, “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” Before peace prevails, there is some pretty strong actions against sin. Because the truth is, peace can only prevail with the eradication of sin.

It reminds me of the words of Paul in Colossians 3. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."


Because we identify ourselves with Christ, we should "put to death" whatever belongs to our earthly nature. Is this a test of our salvation or acceptance with Christ? No. However, we can never experience the full peace of God until sin is eradicated in our lives. Paul challenges us to "rid yourselves of all such things...." Again, this is not the means to acceptance with Christ. So how do we rid ourselves of these things. The next verses provide the answer: "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...." (verses 12-15). We rid ourselves of the former characteristics, by putting on the latter qualities.


The removal of the earthly nature and the putting on of the godly nature results in what? "The peace of Christ" ruling your hearts! There is a direct correlation between our willingness to put to death whatever belongs to our earthly nature and the peace of God in our lives.

Celebrating The Character of Christ

Isaiah 11:1-2, reads: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—"

Isaiah give us tremendous insight into the secret of peace in spite of our circumstances or the affairs of our lives. In these two verses, Isaiah gives us several characteristics of the coming "shoot...from the stump of Jesse". Obviously, the prophecy begins with a prophetic promise of the coming Messiah. And he gives a really interesting description of the coming Messiah.

The Holy Spirt's role in the Christmas story is the anointing that He brings to the Messiah. According to Isaiah, the Spirit will anoint the Messiah with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. What is he saying?

I believe that when we understand the attributes and character of Jesus, we begin to think  differently, which in turn, causes us to live differently. When we reflect and meditate on the character of Christ, our thought processes are transformed. And when we begin to think differently, our own character and behavior changes as well.

For most of us, when we experience difficult or trying circumstances, our thoughts focuses on the difficulties, the pain, and the struggles. We wonder why we are experiencing the event or maybe if the unfairness of the experiences.

But when we trust the wisdom and understanding of the Messiah, we are confident that His wisdom is greater that ours and He knows what He is doing. When we trust that He is able to counsel us during those events, we can also trust that He has the might to accomplish good, even in the midst of our pain (Romans 8:28).


So the first secret that Isaiah shares with us concerning our experiencing peace in spite of our difficulties is to focus on, elevate, and celebrate the character of Christ.

The Gift of Peace

As we begin our new series on Christmas Gifts, we started by looking at The Gift of Peace. In the book of Isaiah, we discover that Holy Spirit moves into the Christmas story with a sense of peace. Isaiah 11:6-9 refers to the predator lying down with the prey. "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. It is a picture of supernatural, Divine peace.

It is important to remember that Isaiah did not live in a peaceful time. He was preparing the people for the invasion of the Babylonians which would eventually lead to the exile of the Hebrews. Yet, peace is a major theme in Isaiah, and specifically in the Christmas prophecies. The word peace that Isaiah uses means more than just our English word peace. It carries the idea of the coming of wholeness and fullness. The prophecies of the coming Messiah is one that will bring wholeness and fullness to mankind. And as I said earlier, it is theme that is closely related to Christmas.

 In Isaiah 9, we are told that one of His names will be the Prince of Peace. In Isaiah 2:5, we find Micah (a contemporary of Isaiah) prophesying that the Christ child will be born in the town of Bethlehem. And he goes on to say that He will be the source of peace. We flip over to Luke and read about Zachariah's prophesying about his son John the Baptist, how his son John will point to Christ, and how their ministry together will lead to a path of peace. Then Luke 2 describes the angels coming to the shepherds, and proclaiming "Peace on earth, goodwill to men." 

However, the Christmas story is actually anything but peaceful. Angels show up and scare the shepherds to death. A teenage girl is told she is going to be the mother of God and conceive a child even though she is a virgin. Mary and Joseph live with the stigma of raising a child born out of wedlock. They are living under a period of Roman occupation and brutality. The king is a paranoid egomaniac, who has all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of two killed to prevent this newborn king from living. Nothing about this story is peaceful.

And for many of us, the Christmas season is not peaceful. We go home are places of conflict. Our shopping centers make the news daily of brutality and attacks during the holiday shopping. Conflicts and war continue to ravage our planet. Hunger and poverty continually plague many of the children of our planet. Peaceful? Hardly.

So how do we have peace when the events and circumstances of our lives do not lend themselves to peace? How do we experience peace when the lamb is being stalked by the lion? Mark Batterson says it this way, "Peace has less to do with the state of affairs we live in than the state of being we rest in."  The events and circumstances of our lives (our state of affairs) might be filled with chaos and conflict, tension, and strife; however, our spirits (our state of being) can be at rest. Peace is not so much about the state of affairs that we live in, but the state of being that we rest in.

This week, we are going to look at two really important concepts that will enable us to experience the supernatural peace of God in spite of our circumstances. The first is the character of God? Secondly, we are going to look at some practical things we can do to experience peace in spite of our circumstances. I hope you will read all these post. In a world filled with stress, anxiety, and pain...God promises us a supernatural peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

When Life Throws You A Curve

Three nations aligned against Judah and her king, Jehoshaphat. They met in a place that should have been Judah's ultimate destruction. The people of God were out-numbered, out-gunned, and were staring annihilation in the face. But as God often does, the valley that should have been their destruction, became the valley of their greatest blessing. 2 Chronicles 20:26 says, "On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today."


Judah didn't have to fight the battle (just as God had promised). All they had to do was enjoy the spoils of God's victory. The Bible says that it took three full days to gather up all the plunder left on the battlefield! I just want to say it again! The place of that should have been their ultimate defeat became the valley of their greatest blessing.


This was something the people of Judah would never have gone after themselves. The weren't the ones scheming to attack and conquer. They weren't devising plans to rob the Amonites, Moabites, and Meunites of their goods and supplies. They were minding their own business. But when these enemy armies conspired to do evil against them, God said, in effect, “You're not taking anything from my people today. In fact, you're giving to my people today.” And the army of Judah spent three days gathering everything.  Proverbs 13:22: “The sinners' wealth passes to the godly.”

So let me conclude this week, and this sermon series by giving you three things to remember when you face what appears to be overwhelming odds. First of all, you can outlast your problems. Even if can't conquer a problem in your own power, you can choose to outlast the problem. Many situations are able to resolve themselves, if we just allow them the opportunity to run their course.  That doesn't mean that you do nothing and wait for the problem to fix itself. It does mean that you continue to pray, you continue to trust, you continue to praise, you continue to put yourself in position for God to work a miracle. So remember, when life throws more at you than you can handle, stay faithful, stay consistent, keep walking with God, and you'll find yourself outlasting the enemy.

Secondly, the valley of blessing should be a valley of praise. Judah praised Him when they sought His help.They praised Him when they were stepping out in faith. And they praised Him when He's gave them victory. In everything situation....Praise Him! At every stage of a crisis, the stage of despair, the stage of faithful obedience, and the stage of victory,remember that praise and worship and thanksgiving play a vital role. 

Finally, when battles are public, remember that public battles lead to public victories. Public victories not only bring honor glory to God, they bring a proper amount of honor and respect to you, as well. You'll be able to make a difference in people's lives, because they will have witnessed the power of God at work in your life.  That's why, when we've been to the Valley of Blessing, we need to do what the people of Judah did. We need to march around with harps and horns, making as much noise as possible, proclaiming to all who will listen, "God has given me victory."

Valley of Blessing

As we conclude our series entitled Trouble Is Coming, we focused on how God accomplished an amazing miracle for King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. As a recap, Jehoshaphat was a godly king who tried to lead his people into a period of spiritual restoration. While doing what was right, he faced a tremendous crisis. Three kings aligned their armies for the sole purpose of annihilating Judah. You see, living for Christ does not automatically grant us immunity from struggles. Even though he was terrified, Jehoshaphat began to seek God (2 Chronicles 20:3). We discovered the first of three over-arching principles at this point: Because it is God's heart to have an intimate, personal relationship with us, He orchestrates the events of our lives to cause us to seek Him.


God told Jehoshaphat that He was going to fight this battle for the people of Israel (verse 15, 17). But He did command Jehoshaphat to lead the army of Israel into a face-to-face confrontation with the approaching enemies. He informed Jehoshaphat to position himself against His enemies. We discovered that the singers of Judah led the soldiers into battle. The second over-arching principle from this story is that if we want to God to fight our battles, we much get ourself into the right position...a position of praise and worship.


Today, we discover that "At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped." (2 Chronicles 20:22-24). 


The armies of Judah began to plunder the riches of these three conquered armies. It took them three days to collect their prize. Then we read in verse 26: "On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today."  


Do you see it? The third over-arching principle of this story: The very place that the enemy is waiting to conquer us, can become the place of our greatest blessing. God told Jehoshaphat to position himself face-to-face with the invading armies. The armies thought they were gathering in this valley to eradicate the people of Judah. But this place that was intended to be the Valley of Judah's destruction became the Valley of Judah's blessing.

Whatever is causing you the greatest amount of stress right now, whether it is a financial problem, a relational problem, a physical problem, an emotional problem, or a spiritual problem; that thing that the enemy has designed to be your valley of destruction will become the source of your greatest blessing, if you seek God, fill your heart with praise and worship, and believe His promise to deliver you. Your valley of destruction can become your valley of blessing!

God Will Show Up And God Will Show Out

We have been looking at an exciting story found in 2 Chronicles 20, where King Jehoshaphat was facing a problem where he didn't know what to do. Three of his enemies had aligned their armies for the sole purpose of eradicating Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. We saw that Jehoshaphat began to seek the Lord (verse 3) and God told him that the battle was not his, but God's (verses 15; 17). During our first week of this series, we discovered that every event of our lives is orchestrated by God to cause us to seek Him

This week we have been looking at the challenge God gave Jehoshaphat to go face-to-face with his enemies. We have discovered that God wants us to meet our problems face-to-face because He wants to give us victory in the presence of our problems. We have also learned that the time to confront our problems is now.

As we conclude this week's posts, we are going to discover the overarching principle of this entire story: If we want God to fight our battles, we must position ourselves in the proper place.  "You will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory." (verse 17). What was the position that God told Jehoshaphat to take? The same that you and I should take when we are faced with problems where we don't know what to do.

“After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” (verse 21). Then the Bible says in verse 22: “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.” Did you catch it? At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the enemy self-destructed. Last week we talked about how praise and worship are an important part of seeking God. They're also an important part of confronting your problems, and they're crucial to experiencing victory.

The difference in confronting your problems and complaining about your problems is praise and worship! People who complain about their problems act as if their problems are the biggest in the world. People who confront their problems with faith and praise know that God is bigger than any problem they will ever face. 

In this story, the army of Judah was preceded by praise, and, as a result, they never had to enter the fight. God fought the battle for them. If you and I will precede our battles with praise, we won't have to fight our battles either. And as my friend Sandy, who is battling stage 4 cancer often says, "God will show up and God will show out!"

First Steps Can Seem Strange

King Jehoshaphat is in one those places that we all sometimes find ourselves in...he is faced with a situation that he didn't know what to do. Three enemy armies had aligned themselves for the sole purpose of crushing Jehoshaphat and his people. The numbers, man-power, and weaponry greatly favored the alliance. And Jehoshaphat was terrified. But rather than running from his problems, he began to "seek the Lord" (verse 3). 

This week, we are exploring what God told Jehoshaphat, because in His instructions to the King, we find directions for those times in our lives when we don't know what to do. Yesterday, we explored how God told Jehoshaphat to confront his problem rather than run from them. The second command God gave Jehoshaphat was to confront his problem right away. In verses 16, 17,  God said, “Tomorrow, march out against them...Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”  And in response to God's command, we are told in verse 20: “Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa.” 


Too many people, when faced with a problem, want to put off a confrontation as long as possible. But God told Jehoshaphat to go out into the wilderness the first thing the next morning. H. Jackson Brown, the author of Life's Little Instruction Book, said, “Where there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it any smaller.” Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton, in their book Hard Facts, quote former San Francisco 49's head coach, Steve Mariucci, as saying: “I never wear a watch, because I always know it's now, and now is when you should do it.” 


Here's the deal. You do not have to wait another minute before facing your problems. You do not have to wait another minute before taking the steps to make your life all that God intends it to be. You do not have to wait another minute before you experience God's power in your life. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:2: “Indeed, the 'right time' is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 


It begins with a first step that sometimes may seem laughable. Cross the Red Sea on dry land because Moses raises his staff? Ridiculous! Cross the Jordan River on dry land because the priests take the first step into the water? Laughable! Slay an armed and armored giant with a slingshot and five smooth stones? Are you kidding me! Cure a deadly skin disease by dipping in the Jordan River seven times? Lunacy. But when we are willing to take the first step, no matter how strange, God will notice, and He will show up.

God told the Jehoshaphat's army to move into position right away. He said, “I will be with you, I will protect you, I will fight for you, I will give you victory ... but you need to take action right away, so that I can begin to bless you.”  God is telling us that we need to be willing to face up to our problems, and we need to be willing to do it now.

Tomorrow we will look at the overarching principle of this week's message...if we want God to fight our battles, we must position ourselves in the right place.

Rest On Every Side

We have been looking at the story of King Jehoshaphat. He had been a good king, trying to do what was right, trying to lead his people into a spiritual and national renewal. But while he was trying to make Judah more spiritual and stronger, three enemy nations around him formed an alliance to try to destroy Jehoshaphat and his people. It is a classics story of, What do you do when you don't know what to do?"

We discovered last week, that although Jehoshaphat was terrified, he began to seek God (2 Chronicles 20:3). And God told him in verse 15, “Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.” Last week we discovered that every event of our lives is orchestrated by God to cause us to seek Him. And the result of seeking Him can be found in 2 Chronicles 20:30: “Jehoshaphat's kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.” Isn't that what we all want? Rest on every side. The spiritual side, the financial side, the physical side, and the relational side! Rest on every side.

This week, we are going to look at God's instructions to Jehoshaphat. In verses 15-17, God told him:  “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”


God gave Jehoshaphat three important things that he needed to do when he didn't know what to do. This week we are going to explore these three things.  The first is that you must confront your problems. God could have said to Jehoshaphat, “You just stay where you are. I am going to take care of your problem without you doing anything. But he didn't. In fact, He seldom does.

To trust God with our problems does not mean that we ignore them. In fact, Jehoshaphat was told to go face his enemies. God wanted to give Him victory in the presence of His enemies. Why? Personally, I believe when we face our enemies and realize how great the odds are against us, we are forced to recognize that God is bigger than our problems.

In fact, the over-arching principle of this week's study is this...If we want God to fight our battles, we must position ourselves in the right place. Later this week, we will find what that position is. Until then, don't deny your problems! Don't ignore your problems! Confront them face-to-face and realize that our God is bigger than your biggest problem!

What Is Involved In Seeking God?

We have been looking this week at an amazing story in 2 Chronicles 20 where King Jehoshaphat is confronted by three armies that have united to try to destroy him and his people. We have discovered that God orchestrates every event in our lives to cause us to seek Him.

Though Jehoshaphat was terrified by the surrounding enemies, he knew exactly what to do: “Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord...” (verse 3). When we say that we should seek God, sometimes it is a pretty vague term. But Jehoshaphat's prayer provides us with five things that are involved in seeking God:

1. Transparency (verse 9). When we are confronted by things that we can not handle by ourselves, we lay aside our religious facades and openly admit our weakness to God. 
2. Sacrifice (verse 4). Jehoshaphat declared a fast among the people. Our willingness to sacrifice reveals the depth of our need.
3. Listening (verses 13-15). When we begin to earnestly seek the Lord, we need to listen for a "Thus saith the Lord." He will speak and His words will provide hope, encouragement, and strength.
4. Trust (verses 15, 17). There are times in life when we don't have all the details, we don't know exactly how God is going to work through a situation, and, truthfully, we don't need to know. We just need to trust him and do what he says. We need to know that every event in our lives is designed to cause us to seek God.
5. Praise and Worship (verses 18, 19). The people fell to their faces in worship and they stood to their feet in praise. This is how we seek God. Here's what I want you to consider. If the only time you engage in praise or worship is on Sunday when the band is playing and the words are on the screen, you're not doing it enough. Praise and worship needs to be a part of your daily life,  a part of your private life. If you want to get serious about seeking God, make it a point to spend time alone each day, bowing before him in worship, standing before him in praise.

Jehoshaphat took the right steps when trouble appeared on the horizon. He set himself to seek God. He prayed, he fasted, he listened, he trusted, he worshipped. If you could summarize these five words in one word, I guess it would be surrender. Jehoshaphat surrendered himself to God so he wouldn't have to surrender his nation to the enemy.

It will work the same for you. Surrender yourself to God, so that you don't have to surrender your family to the enemy. Surrender yourself to God, so that you don't have to surrender your finances to the enemy. Surrender yourself to God, so that you don't have to surrender your future to the enemy. God is ready to lead you into victory, if you'll take the first step of seeking him with your whole heart.

God Orchestrates The Events Of Our Lives

This week we are looking at the ancient story about King Jehoshaphat found in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat was a godly king who led his people in a period of national and spiritual renewal. However, in 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat is approached with alarming news...three nations have united their armies for the sole purpose of destroying Jehoshaphat and his people. Jehoshaphat was terrified. But 2 Chronicles 20:3 says, “Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord...”

There are a couple of very important principles found in this story. On Monday, we discovered this truth: Obedience to God does not provide His personal guarantee of a trouble-free life. Yesterday, this story reminded us that whenever you are surrounded by problems, you are in a prime position to experience God's miracle-working power.

However, the overarching principle is this story maybe one of the most important truths we will ever learn about God. He is sovereign. He is in control. He orchestrates the events of our lives. Why? Every event in your life is designed to cause you to seek God. Whether you are living for Him or not, whether you are being obedient or not, whether you are living right or not, every event in your life is designed to cause you to seek God.  He loves you so much and His heart's desire is to be intimately involved in your life. Therefore, He orchestrates the events of your life to draw you closer to Him

Jehoshaphat prayed what we could call a prayer of despair. That's where seeking God usually starts. It usually begins from a place of tremendous need, or hurt, or fear. That's because, when we are confronted with pain, we are more likely to cast off the religious façade and really began to seek Him.

What does it mean to seek Him? Tomorrow, we are going to look at five things Jehoshaphat did to seek God.

When You Are Surrounded...Seek God

When Jehoshaphat was given the news that three nations had combined their armies to destroy him and his people, the Bible says he was terrified. He knew he was in over his head. In verse 12 Jehoshaphat prayed to God: “We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do...”

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever been at a place where you knew you were in over your head? That's where Jehoshaphat was as he faced this attack from multiple enemies. But through this event, he learned that when you are surrounded by enemies, you are in a prime position to experience God's miracle-working power. You are in a place to witness deliverance. And if we can learn the same lessons that he learned, we can experience the same deliverance that Jehoshaphat experienced.

Through this series, we are going to see three things that Jehoshaphat did to experience the deliverance of the Lord. We are going to focus this week on the first thing he did. The Scriptures teach that Jehoshaphat began to seek the Lord. Verse 3 says, “Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance.” The King James Version says “Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord...” The first lesson that Jehoshaphat learned was that when you find yourself surrounded by enemies, the first thing you should do is seek the Lord.

The remainder of this week we are going to look at an overarching principle that reshaped Jehoshaphat's fear. And then we will discover five steps he took to seek God. And if we will follow them, we may discover, that like Jehoshaphat, we too can "...can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us."  (2 Chronicles 20:9)

When You Don't Know What To Do

This week, we began a new series called Here Comes Trouble. For the next three weeks we'll be looking at an Old Testament story about a king named Jehoshaphat.  Jehoshaphat was a good king. He tried to do what was right and tried to be obedient in following the Lord.

Even though Jehoshaphat was a good King, he found himself in the same kind of situation that so many of us find ourselves in from time to time. There is a modern myth in the American branch of Christianity that implies that if you are obedient ot God, you won't have any problems.  But is simply not true. Obedience is not a guarantee to a trouble-free life. Their is a major over-arching principle that we will discover this week that is much more important than our personal comfort.

Jehoshaphat was in a really serious situation and he didn't know what to do. But in this story, we discover how he was able to get out of it. If you've ever had problems, I think you'll like this series.

So, what was Jehoshaphat's situation? Let's take a look at his story. The Bible says in verses 1, 2: “After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.’”

They were saying, "King, here comes trouble." Three nations formed an alliance for the specific purpose of conquering Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel. Together they made a vast army and a formidable, some might even say undefeatable, opponent.

Has that ever happened to you? Your just trying to do the best you can, tried to be faithful on your job, tried to have a good marriage, tried to raise good kids and yet it seems like every negative thing in the world has come against you? Financial problems, health problems, career problems, and relationship problems form an alliance to attack you all at once, and together they're just too big for you to handle on your own. Has this ever happened to you? Is it happening right now?

This week we are going to look at "What to do when you don't know what to do?" But more importantly, we are going to discover an over-arching principle about why good and bad things happen to us.

An Attitude of Servanthood / A Spirit of Hope

In the town of Port Hope, Canada, there is a monument erected, not for the leading citizen who just died, but for a poor, unselfish working man who gave most of his life and energy to help those who could not repay him.

Joseph Scriven was born in Dublin 1820. In his youth, he had the prospect of being a great citizen with high ideals and great aspirations. He was engaged to a beautiful young woman who had promised to share his dreams. But on the eve of their wedding, her body was pulled from a pond into which she had accidentally fallen and drowned. Young Scriven never overcame the shock. Although a college graduate and ready embark on a brilliant career, he began to wander to try to forget his sorrow. His wanderings took him to Canada where he spent the last forty-one of his sixty-years.  He became a very devout Christian. His beliefs led him to do servile labor for poor widows and sick people. He often served for no wages.

It was not known that Mr. Scriven had any poetic gifts until a short time before his death. A friend, who was sitting with him in an illness, discovered a poem he had written to his mother in a time of sorrow; not intending that anyone else should see it.  His poem was later set to music and has become a much loved Gospel song. It is said to be the first song that many missionaries teach their converts. In polls taken to determine the popularity of hymns and Gospel songs, his poem set to music is always near the top. What was his poem?

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.

Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." But an important sidebar is that the context of this hope is discovered in verses 1-2 of the same chapter: "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." The connection? An attitude of servanthood produces a spirit of hope. They are intertwined. You can't have hope without a willingness to please [our] neighbor for HIS good. Once we become a member of the family, our goal is always the good of others. It should never be "What am I going to get out of it."

So as we close this week looking at the Gospel of Hope, let's endure the difficulties of life, find encouragement from the Word, and seek not to please ourselves, but our neighbor.

The Encouragement of Scripture

Romans 15:4 tells us that another way to gain God’s kind of hope is through the encouragement of Scripture. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE."

Psalm 119:43 reinforces this truth: "Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws." Verse 74 also says: "May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word." Verse 81 adds: "My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word."

We receive hope FROM His word. The Word of God fills us with hope because it gives us examples of the faithfulness of God and the way in which He can and will work in our lives.  Whether we are reading about the Israelites deliverance at the Red Sea, David's conquest of Goliath, or Daniel's battle in the lion's den, those stories remind us of the faithfulness of God in the lives of people, who, at the time were leading pretty ordinary lives.  Yet for these ordinary people, because of their willingness to endure and remain faithful through broken relationships, fallen heroes, and crushed dream, God acknowledged a great experience for them.

When I read about His faithfulness in those stories, I am reminded of how I can trust God for the Red Seas, the Goliaths, and the lions of my life.

Struggles...Then Perseverance...Then Character...Then Hope

Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE." Note that one of the ways we gain hope is by endurance. Those are to amazing terms that Paul juxtaposes with one another: endurance and hope. We don't normally associate the terms together.

But it makes perfect sense. We should know that it is God’s good pleasure to give you the desires of your heart. But, it is also God’s practice not to always give us what we want when we want it.  Thus we learn to wait upon God and learn endurance.

Why would God delay fulfilling that which we hope for? One possible reason would be so that we would gain an appreciation for what He gives when it arrives. When you have to wait for something really good, it makes it even more appreciated (think Christmas as a kid and waiting to open the gifts).

Another possibility would be our need for purification and strengthening. Romans 5:1-5 tells us: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." 

I personally think verses three and four provide great principles for child-raising. Notice that Paul again says that perseverance (endurance) produces character and character in turn produces hope. When we give our children everything at their whim, we deny them the opportunity to develop character. It seems as though we are giving our children more and more, yet so many of our young people are hopeless! Why? Could it be that our unwillingness to not allow our children to persevere and wait for things has created a lack of character? Could it be that our attempts to protect them from suffering is in fact blocking the ability to produce character in their lives?

Let's work the formula backwards for a moment to get a clearer understanding. We are not disappointed...because we have hope. We have hope because we have developed character. We have character because we have persevered. And we persevere because we have struggles. So we have hope when we are willing to endure struggles rather than run from them, rather than being protected from them, or rather than avoiding them.

God’s delays serve to prepare us to handle the responsibilities of our desires and the gifts we receive from God.

We Have This Hope

Robert Darling, a 56-year-old panhandler from Bradley Beach, NJ, travels once a week to Manhattan in search of a wife. His multi-colored cardboard sign reads: "I'm looking for a wealthy lady to be my wife." And he really does mean "wealthy", as in a net worth of at least $750,000, although he does add that "Ladies not yet rich but very well off will be considered." After ten years of trying, Darling hasn't had any offers yet. But he's not discouraged. "The odds may be great," he said, "but I'm still hopeful. I'll never give up." 

Hopeful...it is a really important emotion. Hope is vital for our day-to-day survival in life. In Romans 15:4, we are told: "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have HOPE."

This is not the kind of hope that says things like, "I sure hope __________________ happens"; or "I sure hope ________________________ doesn't happen." God's kind of hope could best be described as an attitude of confidence, expectation, and trust.

In Job 6:11-13, Job says: "What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?" Job was saying that if he had godly hope, he could be confident and he could live life with the expectation that things would be okay...in spite of how they are now. The thing is, a President, in spite of campaign promises, can't give us this kind of hope. Our bank account can't give us this kind of hope. Our family or friends cannot give us this kind of hope. This kind of confidence and expectation can only be rooted in God.

Hebrews 6:17-19, tells us: "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the HOPE offered to us may be GREATLY ENCOURAGED.  We have this hope as an ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL, firm and secure...." Hope provides encouragement and is the anchor for our soul in times of difficulties and struggles. Our hope, as Christians, is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ.

First Corinthians 13 tells us that the three greatest gifts God gives us is "faith, hope, and love". So if hope is such a valuable gift from God, how can we experience it? This week we are going to zero in on Romans 15:1-4. In these four verses, Paul tells us three ways we can develop this kind of hope in our lives.

Ignoring The Undeniable; Hung-up On The Unexplainable

Today, we are going to really dive into the amazing healing found in John 9. It is such a fascinating story. It provides so much relevance for our church culture today. 

John 9, tells the story about Jesus and his disciples passing a blind man in the street. The disciples immediately want to have a theological discussion about why he was blind. Jesus basically draws them away from the discussion to the need at hand...this man is blind, he can't see, and all they could do was debate why he was blind. Was it his own sin or the sins of his parents that caused this blindness?

Are you kidding me? Why can't they see his need and recognize His power? Verses 6 – 7 says:  “Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”  The man is healed, his life is transformed, and an argument ensues.  Verse 8-9:  “His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”  But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”  His neighbors are arguing because they don’t understand how a blind man can see.  

In verse 10, the religious people join the fray, “How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.”  I think the former blind guy is thinking, “Who cares? I’ve been a blind beggar all my life and all you want is an explanation?  I’m thinking I might get a little attention, we might have a little celebration, maybe a party, and all you want is an explanation!” Everyone else wants to discuss the theology of the healing; the blind man wants to celebrate the healing.   Verse 11 he says,  “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”  But who cares?  “I can see!”  

Verse 12:  “Where is this man?” they asked him. He can see, and all they want is answers.  He then gives the catch-phrase for the whole chapter…“I don't know”" he said.”  “I don’t know who He is, I don’t know how He did it, I don’t know where He is…but I can see! Would somebody please celebrate with me?”

Then things really begin to heat up.  Verses 13-16:  “They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”  This can’t be God because this does not match our paradigm about God; therefore, we know it wasn’t God.  We read that and go, “What a bunch of narrow-minded, ego-centric, arrogant people! To think that they know so much about God, that beforehand, they know everything about what God would or would not do, could or couldn’t do.” You see, it didn’t make sense to them, they couldn’t explain it; therefore, they refused to believe it. 

But are we much different today? When God begins to work in ways that we are unaccustomed to; when other people begin to experience God in ways that are different from the ways we experience God, don't we often refuse to believe as well?

Verse 16 continues:  “But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.”  Meanwhile, the healed blind guy has got to be screaming, “I don’t care!  Can we get a little celebration going here! Would somebody be happy for me for just a moment!”  Finally in verse 17:  “Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”  "I don’t know, I haven’t even seen Him yet.  I don’t even know what He looks like.  I went home to have a celebration and your asking me for theology.  I don’t know what happened.  I don’t know who He is.  I don’t know where He is.  I don’t know if your suppose to heal on the Sabbath.  I don’t know…but I can see!  I can’t explain all of that, but you can’t deny the fact that I can see! Why are we so hung up on explaining it? Why can’t we just celebrate the event?  I can see?"

Why do we have a hard time celebrating the undeniable...he is healed. Why do we get so hung on over the unexplainable...does God work outside my paradigm?

Verse 24 continues:  “A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”  How do they know that?  I’ll tell you how they thought they knew that.  They thought they knew what God God does and doesn’t do.  He’s right there in their box, and what has happened is an out-of-the-box experience; therefore they thought they knew that it was not of God. 

Then the former-blind guy gives the punch-line.  Verse 25:  “He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”  It doesn’t really matter to me if God is suppose to act that way or not.  And it doesn’t really matter to me whether Jesus is of God or not.  It doesn’t really matter to me what day it happened.  Don’t ask me anymore theological questions because I don’t know and frankly, I don’t even care. What is undeniably true for me is that once I was blind, but now I see.  

Philosophical or Experiential

In John 9, there is an hilarious story that begins with a great miracle and concludes in a theological debate. But in the midst of the story, we discover a struggle that is as relevant for the 21st Century as it was in the 1st Century. The players in John 9 discovered a truth that is really easy to miss: "You don't have to understand everything to believe in something." In other words, we don't have to have all of our questions answered to believe in something.

In John 9, we discover that there are some things that are unexplainable, but they don't disqualify some things that are undeniable. The problem is, when we focus on the unexplainable and avoid facing the undeniable, we will never have faith or trust in God. However, as you begin to embrace the undeniable, the unexplainable won’t shipwreck your faith as often times it does when we get focused on the questions that we can’t answer.  Listen to this story as it begins in verse 1:  “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”  


The story begins with a debate that was confusing the disciples as Jesus went throughout the region. It is expressed in the culturally-accepted belief that pain, disease, and suffering are a direct result of someone's sin.

So, as this blind man was listening, the disciples asked Jesus, "Who's the sinner, this man or his parents?" Isn't it amazing they totally ignore the man's needs? They are so busy being philosophical that they missed the experiential needs of the man.  He needed healing; they wanted to debate. They wanted answers, the blind man wanted to see.

What is the unexplainable in this story: Why is this man blind? What is the undeniable: The Healer is present! Is it really important why he is blind? The One who can give him sight is here!

It is important to remember that, theological revelation is important, experiential revelation is equally important. In fact, they are not mutually exclusive, but actually work hand-in-hand to bring us to a clearer revelation of who God is.

The blind man had an experience; the crowds and the Pharisees wanted to have a debate. So they debated about the debate. But we as we will see later, this wasn't the biggest debate of the day.

God Is Greater Than Our Preconceived Ideas of Him!

A defining moment is that moment in time when either a new truth or an old truth is brought front and center in our lives. And suddenly, we are forced to view all of life through this new truth, and life looks different and eventually becomes different.

The Bible says that one of the reasons why Jesus came to this earth was to present God in such a way that could not be missed and could not be denied. He wanted to present God in such a way that we would no longer be deceived into thinking God is who we want God to be rather than who God is.  You see, for most of us, we have a very difficult time letting God be something beyond our paradigm of who we think God is. Read that last statement again. When we limit God to our box of who we think He is and how we think He works, we have a difficult time letting Him be anything greater that what we can imagine or we can think.

The challenge for us is, when we are confronted with new truths about God, will we embrace it?  Or will we, as so many do, retreat to what we are accustomed to, so we can be comfortable? Will we allow our imagination to be stretched, or will we confine God to our perception of who He is.? Will we allow Him to be bigger than our preconceived ideas, or will we continually restrict His working in our lives to that which we are accustomed?

And if we only allow Him to work in the arenas with which are familiar, in the ways in which we are comfortable, doesn't He cease to be God, and simply becomes an idol that we have created?

We are going to look at a very familiar story this week which will challenge us to grapple with the truth that God reveals to us. It is an amazingly humorous story that challenges our pre-conceived notions of God and forces us to re-evaluate the limitations with which we place on Him. But if we are willing to grapple with these truths, we can experience true freedom. Jesus said in John 8:32:  “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

He Can Rewrite Your Life Story

As we conclude our look at the Pharisee and the Prostitute in Luke 7, listen to the wonderful words of Jesus to the the woman in verse 50: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” This woman enters the room experiencing scorn, rejection, and ridicule. When she entered the room, the future of her life story looked much like the previous chapters...abuse, brokenness, and loneliness.

But an amazing thing happens during the minutes she spends in the Pharisees house as she kneels at the feet of Jesus. Jesus re-wrote the ending to her story... “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” She may have entered the room in humiliation; she is leaving in peace. She entered the room broken and lost; she is leaving saved.

Hebrews 12:2 encourages us: “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.” When we look at the story of our lives, Jesus is the Author. And when He has the editorial rights to our lives, He is a master at re-writing the script of our lives. Just look at a few examples in the Gospels:

John 5 tells about a man who had been lame for over 30 years. Everyone knows how his story will end. He will die an invalid, begging for a meager existence to survive. Men who are lame for three decades don't start walking...unless the Author of our faith shows up! One command from the Author and this man's life story was rewritten for ever!

Luke 7 also tells the story of a funeral procession where a widow had lost her son. Everyone knows where this story is headed. The final chapter of funeral processions end up in graveyards...unless the Author of our faith shows up! Jesus touches the casket, and the boy comes back to life. The mother and the son's life story was completely rewritten!

Remember the thief on the cross. He has committed a crime worthy of death. He is paraded through Jerusalem as a horrible criminal. He is nailed to a cross. This story will end in shame and humiliation...unless the Author of our faith shows up! One promise of eternal life and the thief's story is rewritten for eternity.

As we conclude this week's study of the Gospel, the Good News is this...Jesus wants to rewrite the story of your life. Whether broken relationships, financial turmoil, physical infirmity, or spiritual gloom, the Author is ready to take pen in hand and rewrite the script of your life! Will you let him?

Your Reaction Reveals Your Attitude

Yesterday, we looked at the attitudinal difference between the Pharisee and the prostitute. Today, we are going to look at the Pharisee's reaction to the entrance of the woman into the story in contrast to Jesus' reaction.

The Pharisee is self-rightous, condemning the woman.  But Jesus immediately begins to defend the woman. Luke 7:39 says, “The Pharisee who invited Jesus says, “If this man [Jesus] were a prophet he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

The Pharisee reduced the woman's entire life to one label...a sinner. There is no attempt to try to see why the woman had become a prostitute. He completely avoids her sexual scars and relational pains. When Jesus looked at her, He saw a little girl that probably dreamed of being a princess when she grew up. He saw a young teenager nervously going out on her first date. He saw the abuse she had experienced, the hurts she had endured, and the scorn she had been shown. Sure Jesus could see who she was, but more importantly, He saw what she could become.

As the Pharisee condemned the woman, Jesus immediately turned to her defense. For the first time in a a long time, the woman a male who was defending her, and more importantly, someone who valued her.

Yesterday we looked at the difference between a religious Pharisee and a redeemed sinner. Today let's look at the difference between a religious Pharisee and Jesus.  People steeped in religion are always writing people off...Jesus is always writing people in. Pharisees focus on the past. Jesus focuses on the future.

This Pharisee said, “A prophet would know what kind of woman she is.” He was wrong! A prophet wouldn’t just know what kind of woman she is. A prophet would know what kind of woman she could become!

Regardless of our past, regardless of our failures, Jesus always focuses on what we can become! That's the gospel!

Are You A Pharisee Or A Redeemed Sinner?

In the story in Luke 7:36-38, we are told about an amazing story that shows the difference between a religious Pharisee and a redeemed prostitute. “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees’ house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Then Luke tells us in verse 39: “The Pharisee who invited Jesus says, “If this man [Jesus] were a prophet he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 


Two extremely opposite people. One pompously religious, the other emotionally grateful. The reality is one of these two extremes represent most of us. How do you tell whether you are a religious pharisee or a redeemed sinner? By how you act in the presence of Jesus. The religious Pharisee thinks they are doing Jesus a favor by being in His presence. They act like their attendance at church ought to be recognized as a sacrifice. Anything they do for the kingdom of God ought to be rewarded. The redeemed sinner enters into the presence of Jesus with broken gratitude, humble appreciation, and gracious thanksgiving. The Pharisee comes to church with the mindset "Do something to bless me". The redeemed sinner comes to church with a heart filled with gratitude and worship, ready to bow at the feet of Jesus, weep in His presence, and offer thanks for His grace.

Jesus then told an enlightening story to the Pharisee in verses 40-47: “Simon, I have something to tell you.”  “Tell me, teacher,” he said.  “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”


Could it be, that for many Christians, the reason why church is so boring to them is because they have forgotten how much they have been forgiven? Jesus gives us the way to tell whether we are a Pharisee or a redeemed sinner...how do you react to His presence?

A Heavenly Re-Write

Hebrews 10:17 says, “Their sins and lawless acts, I will remember no more.”  God doesn’t just forgive our sins, unlike us, He forgets them. He destroys the evidence against us.

The essence of our faith is this: God is in the editing business and He wants complete editorial control of our lives. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, God, in essence, does a video edit of our lives. He removes all the sins, the mess-ups, the poor choices. And if you give editorial control to Him, there is no telling what kind of story He can write through you. He wants to rewrite the script of your life.

Luke 7 tells an amazing story about forgiveness that we are going to focus on this week. Luke 7:36-38 says, “Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisees’ house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”

Mark Batterson makes a couple of amusing points about this story. First of all, I guarantee this woman wasn’t on the invitation list. She crashed this party. Secondly, this was a really awkward moment? You’ve got your straight-laced, religious, church-going Pharisees. Then you throw in a prostitute who starts crying and kissing Jesus’ feet and breaking perfume bottles.

I have a feeling this was a totally lame party before this woman showed up. The words Pharisee party is an oxymoron if there ever was one! Kind of like jumbo shrimp, found missing, Microsoft Works (spoken like a true Apple guy), or handsome pastor. Pharisees didn’t know how to have fun. They didn’t believe in fun. They probably had laws against laughter. How fun can a party at a Pharisee’s house be?

An into this lame party, walks this redeemed former prostitute. That’ll spice things up. And things go from boring to awkward in two seconds. She starts crying and kissing his feet. She breaks open a bottle of perfume that scents the entire house. What a scenario!

Why is she there? Jesus redeemed and restored her life. He re-wrote her story. She no longer was destined to live a life of sexual abuse and relational nightmares. He edited her past and re-scripted her future. And people who have had their life-story re-written are extremely grateful. In fact, do you know how you can tell the difference between religious pharisees and redeemed prostitutes? By how they act in the presence of Jesus. But more on that tomorrow!

Atonement, Forgiveness, And Us

Leviticus 16:29-31 states: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work—whether native-born or an alien living among you-because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance." The Day of Atonement was a Sabbath of rest, but it wasn’t just any Sabbath. It was the Sabbath of Sabbaths. It is a shadow of the move that would occur from religion to Christianity through Jesus. Religion is what you can do for God, Christianity is about what God has done for you. Because of what God has done for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, we are cleansed. He is our day of atonement...perpetually. Our sins are forgiven, not because of anything we have done, but because the sacrifice has been made and the scapegoat has carried our sins into the wilderness, never to be remembered again!

And don't miss the last part of those verses. The day of atonement was a day of rest, and not only for the need to atone for our own sins. Now we have the ability to deny ourselves. When our own natural desires are pushing us to be fulfilled illegitimately (which is the root source of sin), we are not longer dependent upon our resources to control them (we can't do it anyway). We can now put our efforts to rest...we have His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). His righteousness, His atonement, now empowers us!

Verse 34 concludes: "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses." Because of this one day a year, their sins were atoned (amends have been made) for the entire year. That is a great deal. But Jesus took it so much further. He was sacrificed once and for all, for all sin, for all of us, for all time. Our sins have been made right, they have been forgiven, and they have been released into the desert of God's grace. Now that's good news! That's the Gospel!