This is an age, we’re told, when the unsaved, who are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1), are not only seeking after God, but are desperately desiring Him.  We’ve invented “seeker sensitive churches”, basic theology courses with dinner and desert for those hungry to know more about God, and pleaded with the lost to make a decision for Christ.

But what says God?

When Adam and Eve sinned, they instantly died spiritually and began the slow descent into physical death.  Did they seek after God?  Genesis 3:8 records that they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God.

Job, the most righteous man in the world at the time (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3) said of the wicked, They say to God, ‘Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’  (Job 21:14-15).

And in Romans 3:10-11 Paul draws from Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3; and Ecclesiastes 7:20: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God.

We are good at giving sinful man more credit than God ever does!

Instead of sinners seeking God, Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost  (Luke 19:10).

So what of the passages where God and His prophets urge the audience to “seek” God while He may be found?  In each instance, if you read, God is speaking to people who are already in relationship with Him.  He calls His own people to “seek” Him; the lost He came to seek because they are hiding in the bushes with Adam and Eve.

Scripture Readings

• Psalm 23
• John 10:14:30

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

We begin a new series of sermons following the Gospel of John. There are certain very distinct themes in the Gospel of John:  there is light and darkness, life and death, the truth and the lie, being blind and being able to see, and others.

In the next few weeks we will look at the theme of life and death, as we follow our Saviour from closely before He was arrested to the end of his ministry.

Towards the end of his Gospel, John explains the purpose of his Gospel in these words:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31, NIV)

As we hear the Word of God speak to us from John’s Gospel chapter 10 and what follows, this stated purpose of John will be our guide.  So, we pray that God will enlighten our minds as we read and hear the Word preached, that we will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing we will receive life in his Name.

Our theme for this sermon is:  The Christ lays down his life to give eternal life those the Father gave Him.

We will open the Word of God under these headings:

• Who is Jesus Christ?
• What was His mission?
• Who belongs to Him?
• What does He give to those who belong to Him

Who is Jesus Christ?

He is the shepherd, his Father the watchman – or the owner of all the sheep

John 10:3 talks about the watchman who opens the gate for the shepherd.  The picture is something like this:

At night time the shepherd in ancient times would bring the flock he is responsible for to a communal place where other shepherds also had their flocks.  During the night a watchman guarded the gate which provided entrance to the different pens.  In the morning the shepherd would ask the watchman to open the door to his sheep.  He would then call those sheep belonging to him and they, knowing his voice, would follow him.  Through the day he would walk in front of them and lead them to places where they could find feed and water.  At night time he would bring them back again.

Through the Gospel of John the theme of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son helps us to understand that Jesus is sent by the Father to seek and to save the lost.  The Father knows who belongs to them, because He gives them life through the work of the Holy Spirit.  He becomes their Father, because all who

did receive Him [Jesus Christ], to those who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12–13)

In verse 29 of our chapter Jesus declares:

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29, NIV)

Jesus also says in verse 17-18

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17–18, NIV)

In John 4:34 our Lord declares:

“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4:34, NIV)

So, in John 5:19 our Lord declares:

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19, NIV)

And in verse 26:

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. (John 5:26, NIV)

Jesus came into this world to seek and save the lost.  There were and are some with the name of God on them, lost in their sins, yet held by the Father in his eternal love, who have to be saved by the blood of his Son, their Good Shepherd.  His Father is the watchman, keeping save those predestined for eternal life, and He will not have anyone snatch them out of his hand.

There were people, especially the blind leaders of the day, who could not understand this.  They wanted to stone Jesus for blasphemy because He called Himself the Son of God.

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:33, NIV)

Jesus then, taking them to the Old Testament (Psalm 86).  Jesus says, remember, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (something they also understood very well);  in that Psalm God accused the leaders (the princes and rulers were referred to as “gods”):

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. (Psalm 82:5, NIV)

So what did they do? They did no defend the cause if the weak and the fatherless, neither did they maintain the rights of the poor and the oppressed. They did not rescue the weak and the needy, and they did not deliver them from the hand of the wicked.  So, Jesus pointed out to the people their own leaders stand accused before God.  But their Father set One apart (John 10:36):

what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. (John 10:36–37, NIV)

If they would believe the Father then they would believe Him, because “the Father is in Me and I in the Father.”  Everything Jesus had done up to that point proved that He was from the Father, the promised Christ.
Our battle in this world is to convince the lost that Jesus is from the Father and that what He does is what the Father sent Him to do.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1–3)

This is the point of contention.  When those in darkness see the light of the Gospel regarding Jesus Christ, something marvellous happens:  they see the Kingdom of God, they worship the King and adore the Shepherd who came to seek and save them from the clutches of the wolf who had no other purpose but to kill and destroy.  But before this happens, there is darkness, there is enmity, and our battle is fierce. It is because of this very reason that they killed Jesus by hanging Him on a tree.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:6–8, NIV)

He is the shepherd of his sheep

Unlike the leaders of Israel, who proved to be bad shepherds, Jesus is the good shepherd.  They are described in Ezekiel 34:

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. (Ezekiel 34:2–6, NIV)

In John 9 they are pictured as blind leaders who are leading the blind.  They enter the pen not by the gate, passing the watchman who owns and protects the sheep, no, they climb over the wall.  Their purpose is not to tend the flock, but to destroy the flock.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10, NIV)

It is so different with Jesus, the Son of God.  He is both the gate and the shepherd.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9, NIV)

He is the only way to the Father, salvation is in no one else.  Acts 4:12

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV)

He is the gate where his Father is the Gatekeeper.  His Father knows Him to open the gate when He calls for his sheep.  When his sheep hear his voice they know that going through that gate following the Shepherd they will have life:  He will take them out to the pastures where He will see that they are fed and nurtured.  He, the Gate and the Shepherd in one, is life.  His intention in only good:

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:11–16, NIV)

What was his mission?

Verse 11:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11, NIV)

In the next verses we see a picture of the enemy, the wolf who attacks the flock to destroy it.  The hired hand runs for his life, but the true shepherd put himself between the danger and the flock to guard them from the attack.  The hired hand cares nothing for the sheep.  Not so with Jesus, the good Shepherd:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:14–15, NIV)

He lay down his life for his sheep.  This was the command from the Father:

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17–18, NIV)

This was the purpose of the Father sending his Son into this world:  to lay down his life for his sheep.  Those who are of his flock understand it for they know it.  Those who are not of his flock do not understand or know it.  They can’t hear his voice, and they don’t understand Him calling.

but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:26–27, NIV)

This takes us back to John 1:

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. (John 1:11, NIV)

And we understand the words of our Lord in John 3:3

“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3, NIV)

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. (John 3:19–20, NIV)

On the other hand:

Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12–13)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16–18, NIV)

Who belongs to Him?

In short, those who listen to his voice.  He lays down his life to bring them into the pen:

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:16, NIV)

The Gospel about Jesus Christ is preached to those who do not believe, and God the Father will, by the work of his Holy Spirit, open the hearts of those whom He will draw to Himself to hear his voice and come to Him, never to be snatched from his hand.

When Jesus told them these things, the people had two reactions:

Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” (John 10:20, NIV)

Others, on the other hand said:

These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10:21, NIV)

There were two men on Calvary’s Hill that morning when they crucified our Lord; one mocked Him, the other pleaded for forgiveness – and got it.

What does He give to those who belong to Him?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27–29, NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The difference is is great as the difference between life and death:  eternal life or eternal death.  He died (laid down his life) so that those who believe in Him can live.  Those who do not belive in Him stand condemned to eternal death.

Conclusion

This Gospel has been preached – even today is it preached.  It is the Word of God “which cannot be broken”.  It was God’s eternal plan for us to hear it.  Why?

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31, NIV)

Did we hear his voice?  Do we believe? Did we enter through the only gate?  The reason why we heard this message today is to hear his voice – and believe unto eternal life.  Let’s thank God.

AMEN.

Sermon preached by Rev D Rudi Schwartz on Sunday 7 April 2013

]]> http://timfall.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/lesbian-and-gay-relationships-a-repost-from-the-archives/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:45:05 +0000 Tim http://timfall.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/lesbian-and-gay-relationships-a-repost-from-the-archives/ http://weewaapc.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/living-by-faith-7/ Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:47:25 +0000 Wee Waa Presbyterian Church http://weewaapc.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/living-by-faith-7/ The Lord will fight for you; be still

Scripture Readings:

• Exodus 14:13-21
• Hebrews 11:29-31

Introduction

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted.  Over 400 million Christians live under 66 governments which restrict religious freedom and persecute believers. Every year an average of 220,000 Christians are killed for their Faith.

As recently as 1st of October heavily armed Muslims attacked the off-campus hostels of the Federal Polytechnic State University, College of Health Technology and several private residences of Christians in the Tudun Wada Wuro Patuje area of Adamawa state. The assailants demanded to know the names of each student. Those with Christian names were shot, or stabbed. Their bodies were left in lines outside the student hostels.

One of the survivors, Manasseh, reported:

“They asked me to recant my Christian Faith to spare my life. I refused. After my Muslim roommate quoted some Islamic scripture, he was told to leave the room, they said they were only after these infidels who would all die that day. Then they shot me and slashed my back.”

Manasseh was left for dead, but survived, despite the grievous wounds.

And we ask, “Will we be saved?  How will the Christian Church survive and endure when what we see now, is just a prelude to what might lie ahead under global persecution before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ?”

The Word of God wants us to know a few things today. These things are given to us as encouragement as well as comfort.

Our salvation is an act of God

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29, NIV)

Allow me to make this point to start with; it should mean a lot to all Christians, especially if we face difficult times and we start to wonder if perhaps God has forgotten us: my salvation and your salvation is not anchored in what we have done somewhere in the past. The decision we made to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, or the date on which it occurred is important and may be helpful, but our salvation does not rest upon our decisions.

Let’s put it this way: when the call of the Gospel came to you in the first instance and you decided to follow Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, it was a call from God.  It was God in action to seek and save the lost.  It was not us seeking to be saved – and even if that happened, we need to understand that the Spirit of God put that urge in our hearts to seek salvation.  God’s eternal grace found expression in your obedient answer to his call, but ultimately your decision to follow Christ was not completely and ultimately in your hands.

I am not right with God because of my righteousness, but because “the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ” has been credited to me. “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the Fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die” wrote August Toplady in the old hymn. We contribute nothing to our salvation. The name by which every Christian must be called is “The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6)

This therefore means that the source of our security of being saved does not lie with us.  Therefore our circumstances cannot take away from us what God has given us.  In fact, no person or no power can take this away from us.  But most of all, we have to tell ourselves over and over again that no depression, no bad hair day, no external onslaught on my mind and heart can ever tell me that I or something else can undo the miracle of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Because of this we should never stop praying for Christians who are persecuted; indeed we should plead with our Father to burn this truth in their hearts and minds without ceasing.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39, NIV)

Right through all the episodes between the Pharaoh and Moses, God showed Himself to sovereignly be in control.  Every time we hear how He hardened the heart of the Pharaoh.  We read:

The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt.” (Exodus 11:9, NIV)

And now, in Exodus 14, with the israelites at last found their way out of Egypt into the desert, the Lord commanded Moses to alter the route.  Why?

Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this. (Exodus 14:3–4, NIV)

When the Israelites then saw the army of the Pharaoh pursuing them, they lost heart and regretted that they ever listened to Moses:

Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:12, NIV)

Let’s be honest, we have days like that too.  If not because of personal battles we have with the devil, or our own battle with personal sin, then those battles we have with loved ones who just can’t get to answer to the loving grace of God – “It’s too hard”, we say, “they cannot be saved.”

Even in our congregational life we might sometimes just slide back as we wonder how it will be possible to win this town for the Lord?  Are we fighting an uphill battle?  Or what will we say to Elkanah Sarduana,who was there on 1st October when the Muslim gangs descended on them?  He said:

“I was asked to say my name. To which I replied that I am a Christian and that my name is Elkanah. They threw me to the ground and shouted Allahu Akbar! I cried out to Jesus, face to the ground. They demanded that I stop calling on Jesus, but I persisted. The next moment I was shot in the hand, and then slashed with a knife at the back of my neck. They must have thought I was dead, because they left. It was only God who saved me when they came to our room. We were four sharing a room and all of us had Christian names. My three roommates were killed before my eyes.“

What shall we say when this happens to us? What does faith do in such difficult circumstances?

Moses said to the faith-faltering people:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. (Exodus 14:13, NIV)

Something out of the ordinary happened:

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. (Exodus 14:19–20, NIV)

As we have said a few times now, this reference to the “Angel of the Lord” is understood by most scholars to be the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.  When He appears on the scene, there is salvation, there is victory over the evil forces of darkness, there is reason to sing and to praise God for his goodness.  Think of it, Jesus Christ interceding for you at the throne of God in you time of trouble and difficulty, but also He, the One who crushed the head of the serpent standing between you and your enemy; between his church and her persecutors.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

To Abraham God spoke his immutable blessing, now ultimately fulfilled in Christ:

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse. (Genesis 12:3, NIV)

While the Angel of the Lord stood between God’s people and their perusing enemy, Moses, on God’s command, stretched out his staff over the waters of the Reed Sea and God did the impossible:  God drove back the waters through a strong wind so that the waters parted and God’s people crossed on dry land, while the Egyptians died as God allowed the waters to go back to normal.   Even they acknowledged:

Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt. (Exodus 14:25, NIV)

As a sort of a postscript to the drama that unfolded itself before the eyes of the helpless Egyptians we read:

That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. (Exodus 14:30, NIV)

If ever there was evidence against the remotest possibility that man can and should save himself, this chapter provides the proof. It was God in action from the beginning to the last.

Your salvation, my dear brother and sister, is resting in the hands of God. There it is save and no one will or can take it from you.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27–29, NIV)

Our text says:

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29, NIV)

What then is faith?

What then is faith?  Is it my contribution to the salvation that God provides to make me his child?  No.  Faith is not what God finds acceptable in us. In fact, strictly speaking, faith itself does not justify or save. Faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, have communion with him, and share in all his benefits. It is the object of our faith that matters.

The faith of the Israelites that night at the Reed Sea was no example: they were looking back to Egypt; they faltered badly.  But faith was stepping in to the open road ( and I cannot help but to think of the words of our Lord who declared they He is the only way to the Father) which God created by his wind (and I cannot help but to think of the wind of the Holy Spirit here here); faith was walking where God made the road possible; it was faith to see God fight for us; it was faith that made Moses take his staff and stretched it over the waters.

Faith was the channel, the instrument to see God Almighty powerfully and sovereignly at work for the glory of his Name.  Faith says I want to be where He is, I want to see his Name glorified in salvation and power.
Faith makes one march to see the glory of God displayed and the enemy destroyed

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. (Hebrews 11:30, NIV)

Jericho was the first city of the enemy Israel had to face after crossing the Jordan.  At that stage Israel was not an organised nation with a highly organised and trained army under one authority, other that Joshua. As such they, by human standards, did not stand a chance against those who had been living there.  The city walls were high and strong.

Again, something amazing happened:

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”  (Joshua 5:13–14, NIV)

This is followed by the words of the Lord:

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. (Joshua 6:2, NIV)

And the Lord gave his the command to March around the city for six days, and on the seventh day they had to march around it seven times.  On the seventh day, after the seventh times the marched around the city, they cried out:

Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! (Joshua 6:16, NIV)

The wall collapsed, not because of the sound of music, not because the people marched, not because the people shouted, not because the walls were poorly constructed: they collapsed because God caused them to collapse.  His displayed his glory, and He displayed his favour to his people by giving them the victory.  The only thing they had to do was to trust God, obey Him and destroy what was left after the walls collapsed.

Faith was for them to be there where God wanted them to be when He displayed his glory – even in the face of what was humanly impossible.

We need to remember this very well: by faith we follow to see how God displays his glory over his enemy.  That’s where He wants us – in his army, under his command, marching forward under the banner of the cross of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Faith claims salvation when there is no personal ground for it

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31, NIV)

This verse might sound like it contains a bit of good works as the ground for salvation, “Because she welcomed the spies.” God saved her because she welcomed spies?  Why did she welcome the spies?  We have to go back a few chapters in Joshua.

Joshua sent two spies to check out Jericho and they ended up in an inn, where the inn-keeper, probably unbeknownst to them, was a woman of ill repute.  Her house was part of the city wall (and one have to know that she and her family would certainly not survive that crumbling of the wall.)

What she said to the men she willingly allowed into her house is the key to understand the verse of Hebrews 11.

We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, … When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. (Joshua 2:10–11, NIV)

Rehab was awestruck with the glory and power of God.  She knew she could not resist Him, but she sought rescue from Him – and in Him.  She wanted to be part of the people of whom God was the Commander-in-Chief, for He is “God in heaven and God below.” Because of this she risked her life by allowing the men to escape with a promise to not destroy her and her family on they day of destruction.  She by then knew that God is a God of grace, and promised to save her.

She had nothing to save herself, and her history and life witnessed against her as a person who could not claim salvation.  When the armies of the Lord marched around the city and all hell broke loose over the city, she, by faith, tied a scarlet cord on the window as a declaration of her faith in God’s grace and for them to recognise her.

She was saved by God’s grace in spite of her past.  She was in the line of King David – and as such, King Jesus, who saves without merit on the side of the sinner, because with Him where we come from does not matter, as long as we come when He calls.

Amen.

Sermon Preached by Rev D Rudi Schwartz on Sunday 4th November 2012

]]> http://timfall.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/lesbian-and-gay-relationships/ Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:00:59 +0000 Tim http://timfall.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/lesbian-and-gay-relationships/ http://chrissonksen.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/reaching-out-to-bees-and-moths/ Tue, 18 Sep 2012 03:39:43 +0000 Chris Sonksen http://chrissonksen.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/reaching-out-to-bees-and-moths/

Sweet nectar attracts bees, and people too!

Bees are attracted to sweet nectar, and moths are attracted to light. People are attracted to other people who love them, who are kind to them, who truly accept them for who they are. People who shine the grace filled the light of Christ into their lives.

It is sad to me that I still see an exclusive, sectarian, judgmental, even superior attitude in many Christians and churches. Why is this? Do we as Followers of Christ have it all together? Are we above reproach at all times? I know I’m not, and it seems to me that if we choose to believe that of ourselves, and let others believe that about us, then we are no better than the “Pharisees and Teachers of the Law” of Jesus’ day.

Jesus said, “Come to me.” He didn’t say get it all together, dress a certain way, clean up your language, be a teetotaler, etc., and then come to me. He said come to me and let my love heal you, restore you. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

This whole train of thought came about when I recently read the below article by Jud Wilhite.

Neither Do I Condemn You
By Jud Wilhite

I talked to a guy recently who was really lamenting that fact that more pastors aren’t preaching hellfire, brimstone and condemnation. He felt like the problem with Christianity is that everybody just believes God loves you.
Really? As I talk with people in Las Vegas who are not Christians, as well as many who are, I find lots of people who already believe God hates them or at best tolerates them. Like the guy with the tattoo that said, “God hates us all.” To me this isn’t news, it is assumed.
The good news is that God loved us so much he sent his son to die in our place and take the punishment for sin. This is the greatest picture of love and it implies that yes… God loves us!
It’s like one of my favorite stories in John 8 where we read about a woman whose encounter with Jesus teaches us about guilt, grace, and forgiveness. She was dragged before Jesus by religious leaders who angrily throw her in front of him. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (John 8:4-5)
Stone faces and stones in their hands. The woman must have been so terrified and embarrassed. In moments, she was exposed and hurled onto death row. From secret delight to public humiliation. The accusation – guilty of adultery – punishable by death.
This whole scene is fishy to begin with, though. How does one happen to catch someone in the act of adultery? And it takes two to tango – so where is this man? He is equally guilty. Maybe he was paid off to set her up or he could have been friends with these religious leaders. One thing is for sure – the religious leaders were using this question as a trap so they could have a basis for accusing Jesus (John 8:6). Rather than offering the woman help, they set her up. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and her guilt was real.
At first, Jesus did not respond to the religious leaders’ accusations. He bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. This is the only record of Jesus writing. People have speculated that he wrote the sins of the religious leaders gathered around. Some say he wrote Scripture. Maybe he just doodled!
As he knelt, the leaders kept questioning him; they planned to snare Jesus in a catch-22. If he sentenced the woman to death, the Roman government would intervene. They alone determined an execution. If Jesus condoned a stoning, he might lose popularity. The crowd had followed him and had been attracted to his compassion. But if he told the leaders to let her go, they would accuse him of violating an Old Testament law.
They thought they had him cornered. But Jesus rose and spoke one of the most profound statements of Scripture: “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). Then he knelt down and continued writing.
What followed? Silence. A few awkward moments of anger turning to introspection. The rocks fell to the ground one at a time. By moving the focus off of the woman, Jesus had forced them to see their own guilt. He wasn’t concerned about the woman’s innocence, but rather that she was treated fairly. If she was to be judged, the witnesses were to come forth and be just and impartial (Deuteronomy 19:15-19). And the religious leaders were neither of those things. Jesus was not trying to throw out the process of law and legal procedure, but rather exposing the trial as a sham!
Once everyone had left and Jesus was alone with the woman, he asked, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replies with, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus declared… “Then neither do I condemn you” (John 8:10-11).
Beautiful words from the lips of a Savior. He came not to condemn the world but to save the world (John 3:17). He showed her pure, unmerited, undeserved grace. We are quick to judge, but what accusations could be leveled at us? This story gives us caution. Too often Christians, and churches, shoot their wounded. When people fail, they need to be restored with a heart of compassion. It’s too easy to judge people who don’t have our particular sin struggle.
It’s time to show grace. The same grace Christ offers us, despite all of our short-comings. The grace he offers everyone.

Looking at the idea of Grace verses Judgement from a church growth point of view, if bees are attracted to sweet nectar, and moths are attracted to light, is your church, are you, projecting sweetness and light in a way that says, “ I’m still on this journey too; lets walk together”? Because remember, Church growth is not about numbers, but it’s about seeking and saving the lost.

Until next Time:

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28 – 30

At Easter - Word of Mouth is Still the Best Invite Tool

I came across this article by Executive Pastors Online, and it truly could have been written by someone here at South Hills…

The #1 Cause Of Church Growth

Over our almost 12 year history, we’ve had the following measure in place: How Did You Find Out About CCV?

You would think our website, visibility from the major highway running through our target area, or direct mail advertising would be The #1 Cause Of Church Growth. Nope. Not even close.

Are you familiar with the use of Pareto Analysis as part of any continuous improvement process? I know, it sounds technical! It’s pretty basic, though. It’s a bar graph, arranged from highest bar to lowest bar. The purpose of the analysis is to determine and illustrate the “highest contributing cause” of something. In this case the graph shows the highest contributing cause of church growth.

By far and away it’s “Invited By A Friend Or Family Member.” Surprised? Sometimes I think we underestimate the significance of “a person with skin on them” personally inviting their friend or family member to church.

OK. So now what? What do we do with this knowledge? The first step is understanding that the people who are attending our churches are our best tool for growing our church. Now, we must do a number of things to equip them and help them succeed.

First, we must put a service together that our people wouldn’t be embarrassed about asking someone to attend. In addition, we must create a warm and welcoming environment. The list is long and requires us to re-think everything about our churches. And, in most cases the stuff we must do is difficult and takes a significant amount of time to get in place.

But there’s one thing we can do that’s pretty easy. The Invite Card. Yes, it’s a simple business card sized tool that we can print for our people that equips them to simply hand someone a card that provides the needed information. Here’s an example:

We print a whole bunch of these cards and hand them out at church services for several weeks leading up to Easter. It’s that simple.

The Invite Card we have at South Hills for Easter looks like this…

We also have coordinating invites for Good Friday and  our community Easter Egg Hunt. We create invite cards or flyers for nearly every new sermon series and special event. It is just a simple way for people to invite friend, family, or the person they just met to come to church. It is also helpful that they have all of the details such as service times right there on the card.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

80% of people surveyed said they would attend church if invited. – Barna Research

It's not just about the numbers

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in numbers.  If we are not careful, we can get so caught up in the attendance count that we forget about the people. Is it truly about the loving care of a flock, or is it simply about “Church Growth?”  Don’t get me wrong… I’m all for church growth. But is that growth a result of truly meeting needs, or simply because you have the best worship team in town? (Which we do!)

If you are in a larger church it is unrealistic that the lead pastor will truly know each person in your congregation. However, it is the lead  pastor’s responsibility that every effort is being made on the part of other pastoral staff and/or lay leadership to know and meet the needs of the individuals in your church.

I recently came across this article that draws a clear picture of what only focusing on head count can look like…

Numbers

An item by Sally Cunnech in Leadership magazine illustrates the importance of giving attention to needs, not just to numbers. She wrote, “During World War II, economist E.F. Schumacher, then a young statistician, worked on a farm. Each day he would count the 32 head of cattle, then turn his attention elsewhere. One day an old farmer told him that if all he did was count the cattle, they wouldn’t flourish. Sure enough, one day he counted 31; one was dead in the bushes. Now Schumacher understood the farmer: you must watch the quality of each animal. ‘Look him in the eye; study the sheen of his coat. You may not know how many cattle you have, but you might save the life of one that is sick.’”

Great advice whether it’s for the Sunday school teacher or the pastor. A full class or a crowded church isn’t necessarily a healthy class or a spiritual church. To find out people’s spiritual condition, you must “look them in the eye.” Then you can minister to their needs.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”
-Anthony J. D’Angelo

¹³Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?”  Luke 12:13-14

Most approach life earnestly believing the Lord is always on their side.  Naturally, they also believe they deserve preferential treatment.  Listen to people pray during a crisis, natural disaster, or impending armed conflict.  You will hear phrases like this: “God is on our side!  Our cause is His cause!  The enemy has been defeated because the Lord is for us!”

Now, let’s answer Jesus’ question – “Who appointed Him judge?”  The truth is His Father appointed Him judge. But for now, Jesus is not bringing judgment to anyone.  Jesus came “to seek and to save those who are lost.”  He is seeking to give life, not condemn lives.  When Jesus walked this earth did He ever issue a judgmental word or comment to anyone personally?  No!  He made plenty of prophetic warnings about future judgment.

What do you think?  Is Jesus currently judging you?  I hope your answer is “no”.

What are we doing when we ask Jesus for relief and to judge our situation?  Maturity is knowing your real motives and the purposes of God.  Jesus said “greed” was at work here and if greed got its way, it would force Jesus out of God’s perfect will and He would judge His followers before their time.  The same is true for all of us.  We need grace and mercy and we need to be issuing the same.

God has placed boundaries for Himself and desires us to do the same.  God’s boundaries call for grace, not condemnation.  Judgment will come in due season.  Ask the Lord to reveal your boundaries and give you help in discerning His.  A good place to start is ceasing to tell the Lord what good a Christian you are and honestly confess where you are failing and how much you need His grace to continue.  This is the type of relief we all need.

Blessings,

Pastor

King David was called a man after God’s own heart. If you know anything about David you know that he spent several years running from King Saul before he officially took on the role of King of Israel. At one point he

was living in the cave of Adullam. The Bible says that everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them.[1] Isn’t it interesting how all of the folks who were desperate gathered around David? He was living in a cave on the run from the King of Israel and yet these folks saw something in him. They must have thought he could bring them comfort, peace, wholeness, justice, contentment, etc. Notice these folks weren’t described as the well off, the healthy, the prominent, the beautiful and all that had it all together, these folks were desperate.

Now Jesus was known as the son of David correct? If you are someone’s son you would probably have similar traits about you wouldn’t you? Let’s see if we can spot them. Jesus called all of us who are weary and heavy-laden to come to him and he would give us rest. He said he was gentle and humble in heart, and we will find rest for our souls. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.[2]

Now I realize that Jesus is the son of God, but for the sake of my point doesn’t it seem that it is appropriate to think of him as the son of David? Like David he seemed to draw a certain type of people to him that wasn’t necessarily the most wholesome or well to do. He always seemed to have the religious leaders of his day in an uproar. When the scribes and Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”[3]

According to Jesus the very judgment of God will be based on how we treated those in need. He said he would divide the nations into two groups, the goats and sheep. In case you are wondering we want to be on the side of the sheep. He will say to those on his right (the sheep), ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me.’[4] It seems that Jesus completely identifies himself with the desperate.

In conclusion, if you want to be one who shares “good news” you must go where people are desperate to hear it. If you are content to stay away from those in need you will never see any results from sharing the gospel. This is why Jesus told us that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom. As long as we think we have it all together we will not see our need of Christ. This is why we that are poor in spirit, hungry, sick, addicted, imprisoned and all together messed up are actually in a better position than those that aren’t. We are in a place of need therefore we are ready for the Gospel, the good news, that Christ came here to seek and to save them that are lost.[5]Or in other words, those that are desperate

Written by Louie

But then we moved to the desert.  Somewhat to my chagrin, in the extreme dryness of our climate and house, natural evergreens dry out and drop needles really quickly (I tried to stick with them the first few years); so several years ago I went to a big, 9-foot artificial tree.  It looks great, very life-like, but it’s not the same.

But rather than posting about the history and traditions of the Christmas evergreen tree, I decided to declare this year’s tree for Christmas to be the ancient sycamore tree that was just highlighted in the world news in Jericho, the West Bank, Palestine.  I’ve always loved the extremely meaningful story of Jesus and Zacchaeus and the sycamore tree:

“(Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through it.  A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich.  He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.”  (Luke 19)  If you care to look it up and read it, it’s a great story of acceptance, forgiveness, redemption, “turning around one’s life,” and salvation….”for the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Well, a gnarled, ancient, 60-foot-high sycamore still stands alive near Jericho’s main square.  The Palestinian Minister of Tourism, Khouloud Daibes, claims that preliminary tests have shown the tree to be over 2000 years old, and that it could be Zacchaeus’ perch by which he met Jesus and had his life completely changed as a result.  Interestingly enough, the sycamore will be a featured attraction in a Russian-funded museum complex recently unveiled as part of Jericho’s 10,000th birthday celebration.  (Jericho lays claim to being both the oldest continually-inhabited town in the world, and the lowest – 780 feet below sea level.)

In fact, in order for the impressive, massive trunk to have supported Zacchaeus that day, the sycamore would have to be much older than 2000 years, since presumably it was a mature tree when the diminutive tax collector climbed it that long ago.  But even if it wasn’t the actual tree, that’s okay, because practically no other Palestinian site said to be The Place where Jesus was born, did anything, died, and was raised from the dead, has any good chance of being authentic….with at least one notable exception being the site of the Herodian temple in Jerusalem, where Jesus did quite a lot.

Even so, I love that sycamore; and it certainly provides a visual symbol, if you will, of that marvelous story when, as Jesus is quoted as saying, “Today salvation has come to this house!” (Luke 19)….and a life was changed, redeemed, and saved.  It’s worthy of being not just the White House Christmas tree, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, but the World’s Christmas tree.  It’s at the center of the Christmas message:  Born this day, a Savior!

South Hills Church 2nd Annual Food Drive

This past Saturday we hosted our second annual food drive/day of outreach. Don’t let the name fool you. Community outreach is something we feel very passionately about here at South Hills. This is just one special day where we stretch ourselves to further reach out to our community.

On that one day the South Hills family fed 409 families that represented 2,300 people.  On that day we also provided clothing, haircuts and connected people to free job skills classes from Smooth Transition. Many families said “thank you so much, we have no food in our home.”  And “Thank you so much, this is a months’ worth of food for our family.”

Also the staff and volunteers had blast!  Here is what one volunteer said:

“My time spent serving the community was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.  Several times throughout the day I felt the Lords presence and Him overwhelming me with total joy.  I caught myself having to stop several times so that I could gather my emotions.  God is awesome!”

It was a fantastic day!

So why did we do this?  Because we have made a commitment to “Raise Your Risk for the Disadvantaged” We want to be the flesh of Christ to literally touch people with His love.

Why am I telling you this? To toot our own horn? Well maybe a little. I am very proud of all of our staff, volunteers, and contributors who made this day happen. They worked well and gave big. But equal to that, I want to encourage you to reach out to those in your community who need a loving hand up.

I want to encourage you to be a church that demonstrates a gigantic, God-sized faith. Jesus said, if you love me, you’ll do what I ask. So what did he ask us to do? Seek & save the lost. Serve “the least of these.” Go and make disciples, baptize them. Go farther than your church, farther than your own town, help the church in the next county or another state or even on the other side of the world. These are the radical ideas of our RISK Project.

We raise our risk level when we’re willing to get our hands dirty to meet the needs of the needy. We raise our risk level when we decide to cross the line to have a conversation with a friend to bring them to Christ. We raise our risk level when we say I’ll sacrifice to give more dollars to help other churches grow, to leverage our resources for maximum impact. When you demonstrate a radical risk of faith, incredible things will happen.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Wiling is not enough, we must do.”
- TJohann Wolfgang Von Goethe

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”     – 1 Peter 4: 10-11

Reach out to the youth in your community and encourage them to Thrive

On the Weekend of July 3^rd and 4^th South Hills Church vibrated with a new energy, an energy and vitality that comes from youth who are on fire and passionately following Christ. For it was on that weekend that “Remnant Youth” took over all of South Hills services. Beginning in our Saturday night service and carrying through all of our Sunday mourning services, the youth and youth staff took over or assisted in every aspect our services.  From ushering, to leading worship, to announcements they were there, and not just physically but in a very real, connected, vibrant way. Finally, our fabulous Youth Pastor Chris Harrell (affectionately known as PCH) gave the message. It was an amazing weekend!

So now you may be asking, why? Why would we trust our weekend services to a bunch of kids and a youth pastor? There are several reasons.  First of all we take reaching out to the youth in our church and our community very seriously, and the reason for this is…

• Research from Barna states “That young adults between 17 and 35 make up approximately 35% of our population nationally, but within our churches, most are lucky if they average 10%.

Secondly, teens and young adults are passionate and want to share that passion. Under the right leadership that passion can be directed to do amazing things. Here at South Hills we have made having the right leadership a very high priority and now have an amazing team of staff and volunteers to love on and guide these kids. Their passion in our services is contagious, with their uninhibited praise of the God they love. Also, most often youth thrive when given responsibility. When they are trusted with something big and given the right tools and guidance to complete the task, I have seen truly great things happen.  This 4^th of July weekend was no exception.

I asked Pastor Chris Harrell to sum up the why and how of Remnant Youth, and the following is what he had to say…

Remnant: A group that remains after the majority no longer exists.

At South Hills, our youth or Next Generation ministry (this includes Jr. High through the 20 something crowd) is called Remnant. We, as Remnant, desire to be what is left from what Jesus originally asked of His followers. Most of what is thought of Christianity or ‘church people’ isn’t really biblically accurate. We want to redefine what our culture believes about Jesus and His Church… and by church, we do not mean the building, but the people who enter the doors. At Remnant we call our ‘services’, gatherings, because it’s a ‘church’ that is gathering rather than a ‘service’ they are getting. At South Hills, our leadership believes in raising up the Next Generation and actually gave us COMPLETE freedom over an entire set of weekend services. I can NOT bold, underline or italicize how much of an impact this had on our young people. They KNOW they are believed in, supported and encouraged to be all God has them to be.

It is our goal at Remnant that we will be known for our love above all else and we will celebrate everyone because everyone matters!

We believe Jesus meant it when he said to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and “They will know you are my disciples when you love one another” (John 13:35)

For too long the message of love and grace has not been found amongst Christians, but instead the opposite was to be expected… hate and condemnation. We have made this our priority; to love without judging, no strings attached. Our generation (teens, tweens and 20s) is seeking truth, seeking transparency, seeking that which is genuine. And so we are transparent, we offer truth, and strive to be genuine.

We have found that when you offer unconditional belonging to a generation who is used to circumstantial love, that walls will fall, voices will be heard and hearts will be opened. This is where the church must invite people, including the youth, to come to and then be ready to journey with those who come.

I’d love to tell you all the stories. I’d tell you about girls who were Atheist and now believe in Christ, and are learning how to walk their mom through her fight with breast cancer. I’d tell you of the cutters who have given us erasers and blades as a surrender to the healing power of Christ. All would say they thought church was so outdated, irrelevant, or just not for them. But love is for everybody. So at Remnant, they realize that the church is for them, and they are for the church. Countless students who wanted nothing to do with God or church, have again found themselves surrounded by a love they could not explain… and months later have discovered what it means to be a part of a family. Students have walked away from addictions, girls have found their identity as daughters of God, relationships have been healed, and young men have learned who they are in Christ instead of how cool or popular they are at school. It’s not a perfect group of people…quite the opposite. That’s how we know that it’s healthy….alive…moving….and changing lives.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12

Making children a priority is vital to every church

What comes to your mind when you think of growing your church? When you are visualizing reaching your community for Christ, who are you picturing? I think it would be probable to say that no matter what your vision of church growth may be, the people most of you are picturing reaching out to,the people you are envisioning filling the seats of your church are adults.

I recently read this article by Greg Baird (one of our new Celera Kidmin coaches) who was a guest writer for the Pastor’s Coach. In his article, Greg shows us the importance of a strong, impactful children’s ministry both for those who already attend your church and for those you are reaching out to in your community.  I challenge you to read the article, and then take a good, honest look at your children’s ministry.

“Make a Difference in the Next Generation!”

“What do you want to do when you get out of college?” is the question I was often asked. “I want to be in full-time ministry” was my standard response. Of course, that always led to the next question, “What area of ministry?” And my usual response? “I’m not sure, I just know it won’t be with kids!” God has a sense of humor.

I grew up immersed in ministry. My parents led Junior High groups and discipled college students in Japan (Dad was in the Navy). Then, after he retired and graduated with Bible and Counseling degrees, they moved our family to the mission field to plant a church. I saw many aspects of ministry, and decided early on it was for me – I just wasn’t sure in what area. But I knew I wanted to be a leader who made a difference. Just knew I wasn’t interested in working with kids. As a 16 year old I taught a first and second-grade Sunday School class on the field in Australia. Nope, didn’t want anything to do with kids after that!

After college, things changed. A friend invited me to work at a kids’ camp. That’s where I found my calling. I didn’t hear an audible voice, but over the few months I was there God’s voice was clear: “I want you to reach my children, and I want you to do it by equipping others.” That was it. That was how I was going to make a difference in people’s lives.

What God impressed on me during my time at that kids’ camp is the value of children in His eyes. Jesus tangibly modeled this with the familiar story found in Mark 10:13-16. He rebuked the disciples for their lack of value of children and then tells them that the faith of a child is exactly the kind of faith we need to have! With that, Jesus does more than He was asked to do – He not only touches them to bless them, but He takes them up in His arms and fervently prays over them. They were of great value to Him, and He greatly loved them.

Children are no different today. Innocent and vulnerable, yet fully capable of a very real faith, they represent the single greatest mission field in the world. Children are, by far, the most responsive to evangelistic efforts. Some studies indicate that as many as 85% of those who accept Christ as their Savior will do so between the ages of 4 and 14.

Since that time at the kids’ camp, as I have pursued my calling and sought to equip others to reach kids, I have discovered much more about the world of children in the church. Children’s Ministry is a complex and challenging ministry, encompassing the greatest developmental range of any ministry age group. It represents the area of highest risk – be it for physical injury or unlawful conduct by adults. It presents the greatest communication challenges — as adults try to communicate the love of Jesus and Biblical truth in age appropriate and engaging ways. And children’s ministry represents the rewarding but never-ending challenge of recruiting, training, and retaining large numbers of volunteers!

Yet as I work with churches across the country, I too often find that Children’s Ministry is viewed as childcare. The prevailing, yet often unspoken, sentiment is “keep the children busy while the real ministry (to adults) is happening.” The unrecognized attitude is nothing less than that of the disciples. I often wonder what Jesus would think of how churches approach ministry to children.

Recently I was consulting with a Senior Pastor and we engaged in a very candid discussion about the value of Children’s Ministry. He was wrestling with how his church ought to approach it, and shared how very few churches within their denomination, and even within their region, gave children the kind of value that I was urging him to consider. I told him that perhaps he ought to be the one to set the example for not only his own church, but other churches within the denomination and region. With some hesitancy in his eyes, he asked me what that might look like. I think he thought I was suggesting he take his turn teaching in the three year old class!

I assured this Pastor that I was not suggesting he teach the three year old class, nor was I suggesting that Children’s Ministry take over the church. Instead, I recommended three ways that he and the church could give appropriate value to children:

1. Cast vision to match the incredible potential of spiritual formation within Children’s Ministry.

The potential that resides in children as the most spiritually receptive members of the body, mandates reaching them for Christ as early as possible and equipping parents to disciple them at home.

• Talk about the vision of reaching children for Christ at every opportunity
• Train parents and volunteers to lead children to Christ
• Offer training for parents on how to effectively disciple their children (on-going, in-house training, or seminars open to the whole community)
• Provide materials for parents to use in discipling their children (take-home “talksheets” provided with curriculum, family devotionals, etc.)

2. Invest appropriate time and attention to match the vision.

Ensure the Children’s Ministry staff and volunteer leaders are adequately equipped and trained.

• Assist core Children’s Ministry leaders (paid or unpaid) in creating and following a leadership development plan and facilitate their participation in leadership training (conferences, coaching, etc.)
• Design a Children’s Ministry training schedule for volunteers

Provide time in adult venues to cast vision and share ministry opportunities.

• Have an annual “Kid’s Day” in the main service to cast vision and recruit leaders
• Create opportunities for kids to serve in the main service, or participate on a regular basis

Encourage volunteers, knowing that encouragement from senior leadership of the church is priceless to the heart of those serving.

• Put a note of thanks in the bulletin, say something from the pulpit, or write 3 cards to volunteers each week
• Walk through the children’s area once a month to say thanks to volunteers

3. Resource your Children’s Ministry for success.

By its very nature, Children’s Ministry requires greater resources than most other ministries.

• A minimum annual budget of $75 per child (avg. weekly attendance) is an acceptable guideline

Understand staffing needs and hire/recruit appropriately.

• One full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid staff per 150-175 children is a minimum acceptable guideline
• Maximum adult/child ratios should be: infants = 1 to 3; preschool = 1 to 7; elementary = 1 to 12)

In short, resource Children’s Ministry with equal value to other ministries within the church.

Children did not dominate the ministry of Jesus – most of His time was spent with adults – yet He recognized their value and gave appropriate time and energy to them. How would you evaluate your children’s ministry in light of the thoughts in this article?

As church leaders we balance many priorities. Like Jesus, we have many demands for our time and attention. It’s easy to overlook areas that are not our strength or passion, and too often that area is Children’s Ministry. But like Jesus, a little interest can speak volumes.

I encourage you to value your Children’s Ministry for the spiritually ripe field that it is. Articulate vision, invest appropriate time and attention, and provide resources they need. A little interest will go a long way, and the impact on the lives of children, families, leaders and the church as a whole will be felt for generations to come.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow black, (brown), white. All are precious in His sight. Jesus love the children of the world.

- C.Herbert Woolston (1856-1927)

A neglected church disappears

What happens when we stop actively pursuing the kingdom of God?  What happens when we put blinders on, so that we only see our own small life or only the lives of those already in our church? What happens when we no longer see the needs of the world around us? What happens when we no longer care enough about the billions of people who are waiting to hear about Jesus enough to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? We are the church. The people who attend our church building each week are only one small part of THE CHURCH! Recently, I came across an article by Craig Brian Larson from PreachingToday.com. It pointedly shows that what is neglected fades away.

Church Disappears One Brick at a Time

Orthodox Church officials in Russia discovered in 2008 that one of their church buildings had disappeared. Poof—gone! The 200-year-old building northeast of Moscow had gone unused for a decade, but the Orthodox Church, which was experiencing growth, was considering reopening the church building, and that’s when they discovered their building wasn’t there.

They had to get to the bottom of this. After investigating the matter, the church officials did not blame aliens from outer space for the missing structure. Rather, they said the perpetrators were villagers from a nearby town, whom they said had taken and sold bricks from the building to a businessman. For each brick, the thieves received one ruble (about 4 cents).

This two-story church facility did not go from being a building to not being a building in one bulldozing stroke. Rather, the bricks were apparently chiseled out one by one by lots of people. In the same way, some churches—built not of bricks but of “living stones,” that is of Christians—are not reduced in one fatal stroke but rather by Christians one by one choosing not to be involved. Each decision means one less living stone. In the end, the church, intended by God to be the display of Christ’s glory, is chiseled away. Conversely, each person who gets involved helps to build a holy temple in the Lord made up of living bricks, where Christ is glorified.

When we choose not to grow we decay. When we do not reach out we shrink in. Choose to care. Choose to grow. The church is not a building; the church is people. People need to hear how much God loves them, and in sharing God’s love God’s church will grow.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘”Why is the house of God neglected?”‘ . – Nehemiah 13:11a

“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.” – Luke 11:42

Outreach includes meeting Physical needs

One of the best ways to reach a community for Christ is to reach out to their physical needs. Over and over again in the Bible we see Christ reaching out to the dirty, the sick, the hungry and the hurting.  We have all heard the saying that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  I know that often we feel overwhelmed by the needs around us, but even the smallest things can make a big difference. And sometimes partnering with the right people will make a huge impact. Below is an article by one of our Celera Coaches, Jason Harper, regarding partnering in order to meet the physical needs of the community.

Beauty: Moving From Hunger to Hope

Last week we had an incredible thing happen. Here is the back story. Over 2 years ago, I shared with Michelle that I wanted to be able to send every Oak Ridge Elementary student home on Friday with enough food to feed their family over the 48 hour weekend. The problem is that 452 students represents approximately 2000 people.

Last Thursday, Michelle was asked to meet with the great folks at the Sacramento Food Bank. These incredible people have shared the same vision but didn’t have the mechanism to disseminate the food. We didn’t have the food. Together, we are stronger.

The beautiful people of Oak Park are often under nourished. We hold in our hand the ability to serve…to give…to go.

We have the ability to do it because it is the right thing with no other motive.

Imagine the impact when we launch this on October 16th. On this day, we will do our first distribution. We need volunteers to have a passion to pursue this monumental feat of sheer logistics.

It is possible.

Just as Jesus partnered with his disciples and a small boy with a lunch in order to feed thousands, so are we often more effective when we parter with those on the same journey. Could Jesus have fed the multitudes with out the help. Absolutely! But he chose to model the art of working together.


Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish…”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

John 6:8-13

Embrace the "Merlins" God sends your way

God has called us to seek and save the lost. He did not tell us to seek and save those whom you connect with, those whom you are alike, those who are “normal”. He said “the lost”. Will the lost sometime be those whom you connect with, you are alike and are normal? Absolutely! But sometime the lost will be the racially different, the dirty, smelly homeless, the openly gay, or the just plain weird. We do not have the luxury of being selective. Evangelism cannot be selective. We need to open our arms and hearts wide. We need to cast out a bigger net. As fishers of men we need to embrace every soul that God places in our boat. Below is a compelling article by Pastor Clark Cothern that was originally published in Christianity Today. It really makes you stop and think, “who have I tuned off to the gospel because of my cold shoulder?”

Church Shows Love to New Age Visitor

Pastor Clark Cothern tells this story to illustrate how God speaks to us through his Word:
A self-appointed New Age guru glided into our church wearing an outfit that rivaled Merlin the Magician’s best duds. It was 10:55 a.m. and I was changing for a baptism, when a couple of deacons popped their heads in and said, “Pastor, I think we have a situation.”

After explaining who had just entered the sanctuary, they asked, “What do you want us to do?” Underneath their question was this subtext, “Do you want us to throw him out?”

Perfect love casts out fear. That was my first thought.

“Well,” I said while buttoning my robe, “we should demonstrate that we love him and that he’s welcome here.” The second thought that came to mind: For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

“Tell you what,” I said, grabbing a towel. “If he’s here seeking truth, let’s let him listen. God’s Word will be proclaimed, and God’s truth will be revealed. If he’s here to make trouble, we’ll know it soon enough. If that’s the case, I’ll warn him once not to disrupt the service, and I’ll politely ask him to stay afterward so we can get to know him better. If he persists in making trouble, then we’ll follow through on our promise to politely remove him. And if that happens, one of you should call the police—just in case.”

The moment I stepped into the baptistery, I looked out and saw that man and began a silent prayer for him to know that he was loved. God’s perfect love was casting out fear—in the messenger.

I found out after the service that one of our elderly members, a gentle fellow named Elmer, had seen the Merlin look-alike walking in and had whispered to his wife, “Oh, good! It looks like we’re going to have a skit today.” He and all the others in the church had smiled graciously and warmly welcomed our guest, Merlin costume and all. That morning our congregation loved that uniquely clad man. He stayed. He listened. He didn’t cause trouble. He heard the gospel. And he even stayed after to discuss the gospel with several of us for nearly an hour.

Those thoughts that rushed into the brain back in the changing room? That was God talking.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” – Matthew 9:9-13