Remember You're Special!

Do you feel special? What do you base your answer upon? Typically, we base our evaluation of what we call “self-esteem” upon values such as: appearance (how do I look?), performance (how am I doing?), and status (how important am I?); and our sense of worth (what value do I have?), our sense of belonging (Do others want me around?), competence (What skills do I have?) and purpose (What am I here to accomplish?). The problem is we often get wrong information about who we really are and what our purpose should be because we live in a world full of sarcasm and negativity. Many times, in a quest to feel good about ourselves, we diminish the value of others or put them down. This just perpetuates the negative feelings people carry around, making it hard to feel special.

Perhaps it would be better to trade our quest for ­self-esteem in for something much more objective and true—God-esteem! Interestingly, when considering the areas listed above through the eyes of Scripture, we are given vivid messages about each of these from a much different perspective. God tells us we are created in His image, thus our appearance is based upon our reflection of Him (Gen. 1:26). Since we are not saved by works, but by grace, our performance is not what God uses to determine our worth (Eph. 2:8-9). God does not love us or select us based upon status. He chose Israel when they were the least of peoples (Deut. 7:7-8). Our worth is clear just by considering the price He was willing to pay for us to be with Him—He gave His best for us (Rev. 5:9). He makes our belonging clear when He talks about choosing us (Eph. 1:3-5). Our competence is measured through what Christ can do through us (Phil. 4:13). And He tells us our purpose is to accomplish good works He created for us to fulfill (Eph. 2:10). So, whose voice are you listening to?

In raising up the three children God has placed in our care, Deeann and I have constantly tried to remind them that they were created to accomplish good works and that they are special in God’s eyes, and in ours! We told them this all the time! Every time one of our children was leaving the house, or when we dropped them off for school or some other activity, or when they went to bed at night, we would regularly tell them, “Remember you’re special!” Our children became so used to hearing this that they would try to beat us to the punch. When we would pull up at school to drop them off they would hurriedly open the back door of the car so they could run off, and they would say as they left the car, “I KNOW, I KNOW, I’M SPECIAL!” It then got to be a game to see who could say it first.

This morning in our sermon, we will see how culture has consistently distorted the view of mankind so that we think less of ourselves than what God’s view is and wind up accomplishing less than what He has created us for! We will see how God spells out very clearly in the Scriptures that we are special! Man holds a high place in the kingdom of God! Will you choose to live like a child of God, or settle for less? God wants you to REMEMBER YOU’RE SPECIAL!!!

To listen to sermon, click God's High View of Mankind.

Which Brother Are You?

A man received a new car from his brother as a present. He parked it at his job and that evening, when he came out of work, there was a poor child of the streets walking around it, admiring it. He asked, “Is this your car, mister?” To which the man nodded and told him that his brother had given it to him. The boy was shocked by this and said, “You mean he gave it to you and it didn’t cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . . .” He hesitated and the man knew he was going to say that he wished he had a brother like that. However, the boy surprised the man when he completed his sentence. “I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that!” The man looked at the boy and asked, “How would you like to go for a ride?” “Oh, yes, I would like that,” the boy said.

As they were riding the boy asked, “Would you mind driving in front of my house?” Thinking the boy wanted to show his friends he was riding in a new car, the man readily agreed. “Stop by these steps,” the boy cried as he jumped out of the car and started up the steps. “I’ll be right back!” When he returned he was leading his crippled younger brother. “There it is, Buddy, just like I told you. His brother gave it to him and it didn’t cost him a cent! Someday I am going to give you one just like it!”

What makes this type of selflessness so special? Why do stories like this fill us with inspiration? Could it be that it is because it is counter to our physical nature and so totally in line with God’s nature of love? The fact that we are moved by stories like this certainly works against the concept of “survival of the fittest”, doesn’t it? That is because we are created in the image of God, as we will see in the sermon this morning, which means there is a part of our soul that is touched by the same selflessness and giving He Himself demonstrates throughout the Scriptures.

Last week we saw how Moses introduced God as a God of POWER, ORDER, and COMPETENCE. We saw how He could take the biggest messes and speak order into them to turn them into something “GOOD”! This morning, as we consider the elements of covenant found in the second creation account, we will be further introduced to a God who cares about mankind with a selfless, giving kind of love that provides for our needs! We will be introduced to the elemental principles of covenant which are part of the foundation for the rest of Scripture.
We all want a brother like the one who gave the new car, don’t we? God is demonstrated to be this kind of brother, friend and God in Genesis 2. However, how many of us are trying to become like this type of brother to others? This is the quest we should be on as we truly take on the image of the ONE who has created us. Which brother are you?

To listen to sermon, click Does He Care about My Needs?

No Trivial Matter

How well do you know history? If I asked you to name the 8th President of the United States, who would you say it was? Suppose I made it easier and asked you to name the 1st President of the United States. How confident are you that you could accurately name this individual? Suppose I told you if you answered, “George Washington” you would be accurate, but only if he was your answer to the first question and not the second one. What? Everyone knows George Washington was the 1st President!

Traditionally, George Washington is regarded as the “Father of our Country”, but was he the 1st President? In reality, there were 7 “Presidents” selected by Congress prior to the Constitution being adopted in 1789. George Washington was the 1st President elected under the Constitution, but what of those who served under the Articles of Confederation? But, what difference does all of this make? Unless I have some personal stake in who the 1st President was, does it really matter? It is just a story from the past that has little to no bearing on me!
How many times have we thought that about the stories in the Scriptures? I mean, Adam & Eve and the creation accounts are great stories, but what do they have to do with me? It is not like I have some personal stake in it, right? They provide some food for thought, maybe even some interesting trivia, but how do they help me with life in the 21st century?

This morning I am excited about our beginning a new sermon series from the teachings of Genesis because I take it as my mission to help each of us see the relevance these stories have to life in today’s world! We will not just be looking at interesting trivia or human interest stories. These stories were written to introduce us to God and are as relevant today as they were to those who originally received them! We will see over the next few weeks that we need to know about a God of TWO creations; we are blessed to have a God called both elohim and Yahweh; being given increased pain in childbirth as a result of eating forbidden fruit makes perfect sense; God was warning people about the flood almost 1000 years before it came; and many more matters that provide a clear picture of WHO GOD IS AND WHAT HE WANTS FROM US!!! I pray you will make every effort to participate in this study over the next three months.

By the way, the 1st President of the United States, if you accept those chosen under the Articles of Confederation, was John Hanson of Maryland. He served in this role for one year, during which time he worked with Congress to establish the Treasury Department, led them to adopt the Great Seal of the United States, which is still in use today, and was instrumental in the passing of a national holiday in which the 4th Thursday of each November would be declared a “day of Thanksgiving”. (I thought Franklin D. Roosevelt established this holiday?—I guess that provides material for another bulletin article!) Anyway, he may be the answer to a trivia question, but then again, some of what he did still applies to our lives today!

To listen to sermon, click Can God Handle My Mess?

Created to be in His Presence

For the past three weeks we have considered the concept of being Human Clay. We began by seeing God as the Great Sculptor and considered His ability to make and remake something from a lump of clay as long as the clay didn’t become so hard it could only be broken. We then looked at man as the Sculpture of God and saw that clay has no business questioning the Great Sculptor as to what He is doing, and that this Sculptor can do amazing things with an ordinary lump of clay, if it will submit to His will and molding. Next we considered the Studio this Great Sculptor uses (the world) in order to craft us, and how that crafting will involve hardships and a process of refining, but our Great Sculptor has things in complete control.

This morning we will conclude our series on Human Clay by considering the Gallery and what it means to be a work of art worthy of being displayed with all of His other works of art. Will He see us as a genuine article of His own making, or will we be rejected as being a cheap knock-off or a counterfeit? How do you tell the real thing?

I am reminded of the account from Exodus 32-34 where Moses brings the 10 Commandments down to the people of Israel two times! God brought Israel to Mt. Sinai in order to make a covenant with them and give them the 10 Commandments. However, what happens to make it necessary for a 2nd presentation of the 10 Commandments is a case study in the things we have been studying about Human Clay. Here is God, the Great Sculptor, trying to mold Israel to become holy as He is holy, but they are so easily distracted, that 40 days of Moses being gone leads to the creation of a golden calf and complete unholiness in the camp! Israel was having a hard time with being soft enough to mold into the image of their God!

What is great about this story is that God did not give up on them! He feared what He might have to do if He continued to travel with them and told Moses His presence would not go with them (33:2-3); but that was because God did not want to have to break them! However, His desire to be in their presence was fierce, thus He revealed more of Himself to Moses (34:5-8) and then reaffirmed covenant with Moses (34:10-26); and finally had Moses make a 2nd set of stone tablets to teach the people His ways (34:27-28). At this point, Moses went back down to the people but they were afraid to come near to him because his appearance had changed!
How do you know when someone has been in the presence of God? It shows up all over their face! (Read Exodus 34:29-30) As Human Clay, God wants to make us more like Him! Will our countenance reveal even a glimmer of light because we have been in His presence together this morning? As we talk about God’s Gallery this morning, listen for two key points: (1) WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A REFLECTION OF THE ARTIST WHO CREATED US; and (2) WE ARE CREATED TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE!!!

To listen to sermon, click The Gallery.

A Work in Progress

AHHHH, the smell of burnt soybean permeates the air, which makes me acutely aware that school cafeterias have once again begun their assembly lines and school is back in session!!! (May God be praised for the availability of ketchup and salt!) This is also obvious by the increased activity in the malls. Teenagers all across the land have been busy trying to pick out new clothes to wear for the week-long fashion show known as the first week of school. No doubt, God has been almost as busy as the mall receiving petition after petition by grumbling students asking Him to free them from the bondage of teachers, principals, and various other school administrators and to rid them once and for all of the terrible oppression known as H-O-M-E-W-O-R-K! If it wasn’t for the benefit of a new social calendar, school would be a total waste of time!!!

How many of us beyond the school age years are happy to have all of that behind us? “No more teachers; no more books; no more Johnny’s dirty looks”? “Now I can get on with real life and forget all that book learning stuff!” May this never be our philosophy!

Probably the best student I ever had in my teaching years at Eastern New Mexico University was a sweet spirited older woman who finally finished her degree at the beautiful age of 72. Of the 1000+ students I had the opportunity to work with in the 16 semesters I taught at the University level, none worked harder and sought to learn more than Marie Roberson! Her routine was to tape all the lectures while also taking notes by hand. She then went home and transcribed the notes so she had the lectures word for word as they were presented. She then prepared for tests writing out lengthy answers to the study guide and spent usually about 2-3 hours taking one essay test, reciting almost word for word what was covered in the lecture. She even learned Greek and translated the entire Gospel of John when she was in her late 60’s. This is an individual who understood that there is always something new to learn!

This morning we will see how God uses this world we live in as His studio to mold us and shape us to become more of what He intends us to be. We are a work in progress! God is using our life situations to handcraft us. Do we make it hard on ourselves by kicking against the ox-goad? (Acts 26:14—an ox goad was a long stick with a pointed end used to prod an ox to keep them moving or to direct their path.) Our spiritual school is still in session and being a disciple means we are a student or learner. May we study hard through the course work of life so we do not have to cram for one FINAL EXAM! It is amazing what God can teach us and shape us to be if we will seek to continue growing! God bless you in your education! May you fully realize the benefits of a degree in spirituality and service to His kingdom!


It is Almost Here!!!

Have you invited anyone to come with you yet? September 16th will mark the beginning of a new sermon series in which we will consider who God is and what He wants from us. It will be a study that introduces God and His incredible way of dealing with mankind! I promise it will be a fresh look at the story of Genesis that will show you how real God is and how relevant His ways are for our lives. I hope you will get excited enough about this to invite someone else to come with you!

To listen to sermon, click The Studio.