Jesus Read the Scriptures

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Clark Bunch

July 12th     |     Text: Mark 2:23-28

I recently read a criticism of Christians’ use of Old Testament scripture. The person argued that because Jesus was critical of the way scribes and Pharisees handled the Law that the Law itself was flawed in some way. He claimed that Jesus referred it as “your law” and not as God’s Law and went on to describe the Old Testament as mythology not supported by archeological finds. While those of us in the New Covenant are not under the Law, there are many valid reasons to read and study the Old Testament. Let’s begin with the fact that Jesus read and taught from them, a lot.

Jesus read the Old Testament, or as they were known in his day, the Scriptures. Keep in mind that anytime anyone in the New Testament makes reference to reading, studying or memorizing scripture they are talking about what we call the Old Testament. The Jewish synagogue was a local place of worship for those far removed from the temple and Jerusalem. Rabbis took turns reading out loud from the scrolls and Jesus routinely read in the local synagogue of each city and village he and the disciples passed through (i.e. Mark 4:14-16). He most often quoted from Psalms and Isaiah while teaching, but also Deuteronomy, Exodus and other prophetic texts. Jesus took issue with the way the scribes and Pharisees interpreted the Law and twisted their interpretation to promote themselves and abuse their power over God’s people. His issue was with the religious leaders, not the text they were using. At the end of Mark 2, when asked about his disciples breaking Sabbath laws, he referred them to the story of David and his men eating the Bread of Presence (recorded in I Samuel). “Have you not read?” he asked them sharply. Jesus was saying in essence “Do you even read the Bible?”

The Bible is about Jesus. From one end to the other the Bible tells one story. It’s about how a holy and righteous God deals with sinful, fallen and broken people. At the center of that story is Jesus. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are at work throughout scripture. Jesus spoke with Moses at the burning bush, Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus during the transfiguration witnessed by Peter, James and John. One of the times the Pharisees were ready to kill him was in John 8 when he said “Before Abraham was, I AM” using the Old Testament name for God to describe himself. When the Ethiopian eunuch admitted he could not understand the text he was reading from Isaiah, Philip started at that very verse of scripture and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible, including the Old and New Testaments, is the written Word of God while Jesus is the Word made flesh. In Revelation 19 the title Jesus bears as he rides a white horse and strikes the nations is “The Word of God.”

The Bible couldn’t be more relevant. The same thing that happened to awesome 20 years ago is happening to relevant now. (The pizza was awesome, the game was awesome, the worship was awesome.) The Bible is not an ancient text written by emperors in antiquity to control their subjects, not so archaic that it no longer applies to our advanced and enlightened society. Jesus quoted from Genesis when he said “A man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and they become one flesh.” Marriage was an institution given by God and what Jesus (who is God) said about it is the only definition by which it can be defined. Isaiah 1 contains a long list of things that God does not care for in worship and finally comes down to “Cease to  do evil, learn to do good.” That simple command has been and always will be relevant. The Bible doesn’t need to be amended, abridged, reworded nor anything else to make it more relevant to our culture. As moral decay continues we simply slide farther and farther away from what God intended.

The Bible is God’s Holy Word, the revelation of himself to the people made in his image. The sacred text is a sacred and holy gift that we are unworthy to receive, just like the Word made flesh in the person of Jesus. It’s purpose is not to beat us down, make us feel like unworthy wretches or weigh us down with a burdensome Law; it’s purpose is to help us find our way out of wretchedness, to give us life and set us free.

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Free Concert Series

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Clark Bunch

We have scheduled a CCM/ Praise & Worship concert in August and are finalizing plans for a Bluegrass Gospel singing in the month of September. Admission is free of charge, we will take up a love offering on the night of each show. YOU are invited, feel free to invite others.

Sean Blockley – August 15th 7 p.m.

Join us for a night of Praise and Worship music led by Sean Blockley. Sean is local to Calhoun and a talented musician/ vocal artist.

Screenshot 2015-07-10 at 11.44.26 AM

Bluegrass Gospel coming in September! 

Howard Withrow and friends set for September 5th.

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Freedom

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Clark Bunch

July 5th     |     Text: Galatians 5:1-6, 13-14

The Christians at Jerusalem had been practicing Jews, the decends of the 12 tribes of Israel, who accepted that Jesus was the Messiah the Hebrew scriptures had prophesied would come. They were well versed in the Law given to Moses, the history of Israel and the prophetic writings. After hearing the Gospel preached, they put their faith in Jesus not as having done away with the Law but the one who fulfilled all the Law and the Prophets. The church at Galatia was made up of Gentile believers that had received the Gospel but had known little or nothing of God’s Law previously. As Paul spread the Gospel and planted churches across the Greek and Roman world, some concerned Jewish-Christians sometimes came behind him and appealed to the new converts to learn and accept the Law. Known as Judaizers they undermined the power of the cross and authority of Christ. Much of Paul’s letter to the Galatians was an appeal not to turn back to former or lesser things but to hold fast to the Gospel of Christ.

We must be careful what we bring with us to the table. If you come to the Bible looking for the God of Peace, you will find him there. But if you come to the Bible believing you will find the God of War, or the God of love, or God of Wrath toward sin you will find all of those in there as well. If you grew up in a democratic republic with an economy based on capitalism you may read the scriptures and decide that is the system ordained by God and best for all people everywhere. Conversely if you grew up in a nation with a strong central government with a strong army and strict laws that regulate daily life, you might well read the scriptures, find that form of rule in its pages and feel that your nation made the right choice. Whether we are of it or not we bring our own preconceived notions, ides, traditions and values with us as we approach the study of scripture and those things filter what we get from the text. If you believe man is inherently sinful with a heart continually set on evil, and the God’s wrath toward sin burns hot, you will share that version of God with others. There are plenty of scriptures to support that version of God just as there are verses and passages used by those who preach peace, love and long-suffering. So how do we resolve versions of God and contradictory scriptures?

Jesus is how we understand God. God doesn’t have multiple personality disorder. There is only one God manifest in three persons. According to Colossians 1 all the fulness of God dwelt in Jesus. Hebrews 1 describes him as the exact imprint of his nature. Jesus is God: God is Jesus. There may be apparent contradictions in the pages of scripture but we are reconciled to God by the cross of Christ. Just like our heat and AC units we much change our filter. Everything we perceive about the God of the Bible must be interpreted through the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus. He is the correct interpretation of God. He spent a good deal of time attempting to correct the false teaching of the chief priests of his day. Consider how many times he says “You have heard it said” during the sermon on the mount then by contrast explains what should be done instead. The Pharisees kept the letter of the Law but missed the spirit of the Law. Jesus not only preached sermons and taught lessons, he perfectly demonstrated how to live as an example for us to follow.

Gospel superior to the Law. In Galatians 4, Paul describes the Law as a tutor or schoolmaster. It is necessary to be instructed at an elementary level even before we fully understand why we must receive instructions. Grace is greater than the Law but Paul never suggests there is a fault or flaw with the Law. Keeping (or attempting to keep) the Law does not bring righteousness. At best the law may restrain evil to an extent. Even if you honor your parents, do not tells lies and manage not to kill anybody we are by nature sinful. There is none righteous, no not one. If we handed someone a list of the 10 Commandments and monitored them 24/7 we may succeed in enforcing the rules. But if that person is lost (unsaved, unregenerate) he or she will still die and go to hell. Now consider our own laws, even in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling. If two men or two women were forbidden by the law to marry, but still lived together in a homosexual relationship, they have kept the law but are still condemned before God. Neither the laws of our land nor those in the book of Exodus can make a person righteous. It is the heart of each individual that stands in need of change, not the laws on the books or the judge on the bench.

In the United States of America we are all free to pursue happiness, and pretty much do as we please unless it infringes on the rights of others. Our representative democracy represents the will of the people and it just so happens that 60% of Americans believe in “marriage equality.” The system has not failed. And I will remind Christians everywhere once again that we are in this world but not of this world. Consider if you will: Abortion has been legal my entire lifetime. I’m sure the Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade rocked the evangelical Christian community back in the day but it did not lead to the collapse of society or civilization as we know it. Crisis pregnancy centers and Christian counseling have done more to curb abortion numbers than lobbying Congress to pass new legislation. As cultural norms change our calling to be the salt of the earth and light of the world does not. We are free in Christ. We are called to Galatians 5:13 freedom, not to do as we please but in love to serve one another.

Peace and God bless.

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Remember What We Are Called To

Posted on June 28, 2015 by Clark Bunch

June 28, 2015     |     Text: 1 Peter 3:13-17

1 Peter 3:15 is the basis for Christian Apologetics. Apologetics may sound like apologizing but an apologist is one that defends the Christian faith. It’s about being prepared to answer questions about why we believe what we believe. One must be well versed in scripture and certain that his own faith has been built on a sure foundation. Apologetics may involve boldness, defending a faith that is not always popular, but care must also be taken not to offend. We will offend people by sharing the Gospel; but we must be sure is the cross that offends and not us.

We must remember what we are called to. We are called to live differently than the world. We are surrounded by and active participants in society but our values and judgement system is different. We are called to walk circumspectly and to show our faith by living according to our principles. We are called to go into all the world and make disciples (Mark 16:15) to demonstrate our faith by the action of our good works (James 2:17) to be salt of the earth and light of the world (Matt 5:13-16).

We are called to spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:10-18 is all about putting on the whole armor of God, but pay attention to who the enemy is. We wrestle not against flesh and blood… The people you meet each day, regardless of the spiritual or moral condition, are your neighbors. They are the mission field. The spiritual wickedness in high places is not on Capitol Hill, it is cosmic forces in heavenly places. We do not engage the enemy in spiritual warfare by carrying signs in the streets, by arguing with strangers on the internet or contending in our nation’s court system. Our enemy is not made of flesh and blood – that is our mission field. Those are people made in God’s image and that Christ died to save.

We are not called to change the culture. Never be surprised that the world acts like the world. Romans 1:18-31 condemns homosexuality and a whole host of other sinful acts but look at the audience; Paul was writing to the church at Rome and not preaching a sermon on the street corner. Paul is speaking to Christians about the difference between how we live and how they live. In his missionary journeys throughout the Greek and Roman world he was surrounded by a corrupt culture that we in America can probably only begin to imagine. Research Greek bathhouses sometime or read up on the ancient Olympic games. Paul was well aware of what was going on around him in the culture but we don’t see him starting petitions are carrying signs in the streets. We see him starting churches and training leaders. We see him sharing the Gospel and teaching others to imitate what he did (just as he imitated Christ).

We cannot win the culture war. We have not been called to fight the culture war. Fighting the culture war distracts us from the things we have been called to. The president is not your pastor, members of Congress are not our deacons, the Supreme Court is not our final judge. The nations of this world will pass away, heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away. We are pilgrims and strangers in this world looking for a kingdom not make by human hands. We will be judged based on whether we knew to good and did it or not. Look at Jesus as he was tried by Pilate and Herod. Look at Stephen as he is stoned in Acts 7. We do not win by winning. We do not win by being stronger. In our weakness, God is strong.

Barack Obama is the leader of our country – I am the spiritual leader in my home. I will stand before God and give an account not of how many petitions I signed, or which candidates I endorsed; I will give an account of whether or not I loved my wife, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it; if I provided for my family; if I raised my child in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Did I rightly divide the Word of Truth? Was I faithful until the end?

Remember the Titanic? As that ship was sinking many perished needlessly because there were not enough lifeboats. This world is sinking. It will end in disaster, God has ordained it and prophesied it. The Gospel provides more than enough life boats for everyone. Our call is not to stop the ship from sinking, it’s to invite people into the boats.

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Wisdom and Righteousness Must be Pursued

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Clark Bunch

June 7, 2015     |     Sermon text: Psalm 1, Proverbs 1

A psychology student noted how intricately detailed many of the clinical diagnoses are these days. There was a time people were simply labeled as “crazy” and locked up in an institution but today there are many different neurological disorders that can be diagnosed and treated. So many terms used to identify mental illness are highly subjective and insanity may not necessarily make one a threat to themselves or others. Overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem he asked his professor “How does a doctor decide who needs to be committed?”

“Sometimes the old ways are the still the best ways,” the professor began. “When I started practicing, we would fill a bathtub with water and offer the patient a teaspoon, a bowl and a one quart pitcher and asked them how they would go about emptying the tub.” He waited for his student to respond.

“So the pitcher is the logical choice since it holds more water than the spoon or the bowl.”

“No” the professor said with a grin. “The logical choice is to pull the plug. Would you like me to be shown a room?”

Logic puzzles are one way to exercise our mental muscles. Like anything else if you don’t use it you’ll lose it. Mazes, crossword puzzles and magic number squares are all ways to keep those wheels in your head turning even in later years. As an avid reader (and author) I also encourage you to never stop reading. Wisdom isn’t a destination we arrive at but a journey we continue on throughout our whole lives.

Wisdom and Righteousness must be chosen. Solomon chose wisdom (2 Chronicles 1) when God told to ask for anything. Because he asked for wisdom and knowledge, in order to be a good ruler, God promised to give him not only wisdom but also prosperity and victory over his enemies. When Solomon wrote Proverbs, he encouraged his son to choose wisdom over foolishness. His father David wrote most of the Psalms. The first Psalm compares the righteous person to the wicked. David compares and contrasts the results of choosing righteousness and evil in Psalm 1, Solomon compares and contrasts wisdom and foolishness in Proverbs 1.

Choosing is only the first step. Proverbs 1:7 says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. That’s the first step; if the first step is the only one taken you will not get very far. It’s a path we have to walk. David wrote in the first Psalm “His delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in it he meditates day and night.” It’s not just one day or one night; the righteous person seeks his delight every day and night. Imagine a person deciding to purchase a home, then shopping around for the lender that will give him the best rate on a 15 year mortgage. Deciding the buy a home was merely the first step. Signing on the dotted line puts one on the path to ownership but making monthly payments for the next 180 consecutive months is required if you plan to stay in that home. Eating one salad is not a diet plan just like spending one day at the gym won’t turn anyone into Arnold Schwarzenegger. Each of these pursuits, just like wisdom and righteousness, must be pursued daily.

Choose, then pursue. Don’t forget to finish well. David defeated Goliath when he was a child and went on to rule Israel and defeat enemies on every side. He wrote and collected 150 Psalms. He is described as a man after God’s own heart, but is also known for stealing the wife of Uriah the Hittite and engaging in a conspiracy to cover up his sin and subsequent crimes. Solomon was the wisest person in the Old Testament and his fame extended throughout the ancient world. Kings, queens and wise men from other cultures visited him to test his knowledge. But despite all his wisdom he made some rather poor choices that led to the judgement of all Israel. He wrote and collected the Proverbs but later wrote Ecclesiastes. One book is a collection of wisdom, the other a testimony to what happened when he ignored his own advice. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul compares our Christian life to running a race. We keep our focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and press on toward the prize that lies before us. He writes in 2nd Timothy 2 that an athlete cannot win unless he competes by the rules. We have to finish well. Choosing the right path and walking along it will not get the job done unless we finish. In the well known story of the Tortoise and the Hare, the rabbit is so far ahead and so near the finish line that he decides to rest and takes a little nap.

Maybe you took piano lessons in the 6th grade or studied Spanish in high school. Maybe you were on the tennis team competed as a mathlete. If you haven’t practiced those skills in 20 or 30 years you might be surprised (hopefully not) to find out none of those things are as easy as you remember. Some things appear easy to learn but will never be mastered if not practiced. Choose wisdom. Ask God for it; he gives to all liberally that ask. Choose righteousness. Pursue them. Then don’t forget to finish well. Sin is always crouching at the door (Gen 4:7). David fell but got back up. You never fail until you quit trying. Peace and God bless.

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The Gospel is Our Privilege and Obligation

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Clark Bunch

Part 3 in the series What is the Gospel?

May 31, 2015     |     Sermon text: 1st Peter 2 

We hear a lot in the news today about people’s rights; rights that were violated, rights that should be guaranteed, people that are entitled to equal rights, etc. If we read carefully the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, we would see that we have not only rights but responsibilities. They used to teach things like citizenship and civics but we don’t hear much about that anymore. An individual has the right, for example, to a trial by a jury of one’s peers. For there to be a jury trial there must also be citizens who are able and willing to serve on a jury. I’ve heard a lot of talk and read blog posts and articles on how to get out of serving on a jury. “Any person with half a brain can get out of jury duty.” If that is true, and Americans continue sharing these articles and take them to heart, then should you ever do end up on the wrong side of the judicial system the jury hearing your case will be made of the 12 men and women with below average IQ’s that lacked the ability to beat the system and avoid serving. Hopefully that’s not where we are as a society. There must be rights and responsibilities for civilization to flourish. Some things are both a privilege and an obligation.

The Gospel is gift, freely offered to all and a privilege to those that receive it. The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful listing of the privileges that come from following the Good Shepherd. We are blessed by God’s providence in the everyday needs, protected from the enemies that surround us and have eternal fellowship with the Heavenly Father. These things are true for Christians as they were true for David in the Old Testament. We have received salvation from the shed blood of Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit. We possess a great treasure in jars of clay (2 Cor. 4) which leads us, comforts us, and empowers us to do great things for the sake of the Gospel. We are the family of God, the bride of Christ, and will sit down at the marriage supper before entering our eternal reward. Hallelujah!

The Gospel is also our obligation. 1 Peter 2 describes walking in light while the rest of the world stumbles in darkness and of our being built into a spiritual house; but it also describes us as priests. The priesthood of the believer means that we are privileged to worship and serve the Holy and Living God but also to serve others. We bring the sacrifice of praise, which is better than the blood of bulls and turtle doves but is our reasonable service. Those of us that walk in light must let that light shine before others. Consider these words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount:

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matt 5:13-16

We are to conform to the image of Christ as we read his words and follow his example. This is a blessing to us and to others around us. We have received the Gospel and been sent into fields white unto harvest to share the Gospel. We partake and share at the same time, building the Kingdom of God as we are being built into the Kingdom.

The Gospel is our privilege and our obligation. With rights come responsibilities. Interestingly enough 1 Peter goes on to teach a lesson about civics (Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. v. 17). As we prepare for communion this morning, the chapter ends with encouragement to continue despite persecution and a reminder that Christ suffered and died to bring us salvation. We can die to sin (v. 24) and live to righteousness, both privileges and obligations to do so.

Peace and God bless.

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The Holy Spirit Bears Witness to the Gospel

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Clark Bunch

Part two in the What is the Gospel? series

May 24     |     Sermon text: Acts 2

Our celebration of Easter corresponds with the Jewish festival of Passover. It’s no mere coincidence if we think about the Passover lamb as symbolic prophecy for the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Pentecost, fifty days later, corresponds to the Jewish Festival of Weeks. Jews still celebrate Shavuot (Pentecost is the Greek word for Shavuot). Just a little history lesson by way of introduction.

Before the crucifixion, Jesus told his followers that he must go in order for the Comforter to come. Before his ascension in Acts 1 to told the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem and “wait for the promise.” John the Baptist had prophesied that one coming after him that would baptize with fire. Jesus said in Acts 1 they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. I’m going to take for granted you either have read or will read Acts chapter 2.  On the day of Pentecost Peter preached the first “Christian sermon” and the New Testament Church Age began.

God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son. Jesus came to bring the Gospel. He was born in this world that we might have life and have it more abundantly. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the leper and fed the hungry during his earthly ministry. He preached to the multitudes and personally taught a smaller group of followers, but the reason he was born among humankind was to die on the cross. He died so we can live; good news to those bound by sin and bound for hell. Jesus preached and taught the Gospel, and gave us practical examples of how to live and act toward one another. God the Father gave the world his only Son; many saw him, heard of him and listen to him, but only a few believed in him. To those who believed God sent the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Gospel. The Holy Spirit acts to draw people to Christ. When we preach or share the Gospel, we are scattering seeds. Think about the parable of the sower: some will fall on stony ground, some will be eaten by birds, some will sprout and wither quickly away. Some will fall on good ground, take root and bear fruit. But when it comes to the Gospel our job is to keep sowing. Just like the farmer doesn’t know what happens under the soil (Mark 4) we don’t know what is happening in a particular person’s heart. We share the Gospel (through words and action) and the Holy Spirit whispers the truth of God’s promises into people’s hearts. He convicts of sin and gently guides people to believe our testimony. The Holy Spirit draws people to Jesus who is the Way, Truth and Life that leads to God the Father.

The Holy Spirit fills the believer. God’s Spirit was not unknown during the time of Jesus nor during the Old Testament. A prophet would be filled with the Spirit for a period of time sufficient to deliver God’s message to the intended audience. Mary and later Zacharius were filled with the Spirit and prophesied in Luke 2. But on the day of Pentecost the believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They were covered, immersed, and soaked it in. To the lost person the Holy Spirit is a still small voice; to the born again believer the Holy Spirit leads to be more Christ-like. We can be lead as well to say the right things at the right times so that people that need to hear and respond to the Gospel do so. The Holy Spirit leads us to share the Gospel, gives us God’s peace over our circumstances, puts the words of truth in our mouths, directs our steps, and worships God with us when we worship! Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians that we possess a great treasure in jars of clay. Our bodies are the tabernacle in which God dwells!

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are at work together throughout the scriptures. Most will ignore the voice of conviction and choose what the world has to offer. That’s to be expected. It is a greater shame when Christians ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit and miss the blessings God has in store. We can live a victorious life of peace and power in the Holy Spirit, or we can be tortured by it we as believers refuse to yield. The Father, Son and Spirit are at work for the cause of the Gospel and we the Church are the body of Christ. We must love God and our neighbor enough to share his good news.

Part 3 next week.

Peace and blessing.

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The Gospel is Why Jesus Came

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Clark Bunch

Part one in the What is the Gospel? sermon series. 

May 17, 2015     |     Sermon text: John 10:1-11 

Gospel is a Greek word that means good news. In his first sermon (Mark 1:15) Jesus said “The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel.” When we read about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, it refers to the good news that Jesus came to this world to save sinners. The gospel message is often summarized in a single verse, John 3:16. But defining what we mean by the gospel is merely the first step. Jesus came to this world and gave his life to bring the gospel; the Apostles, including Paul, were martyred for the sake of the gospel; the New Testament church began in the Book of Acts and continues to this day in order to share that good news and build the Kingdom of God. We need to do more with the Gospel than summarize. The Gospel is more than an invitation to be saved; the lost need to hear it and Christians need to be challenged by it.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd in John 10. Many different illustrations and parables are used to describe what Jesus is like, what the Kingdom of God is like, what salvation is like, etc. because it surpasses our understanding. I am drawn to verses 10 and 11. Verse 10 ends with Jesus’ own explanation of why he came: that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Then in verse 11: The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The bad news is that all we like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). Our lives have been ransomed at the cost of the life of Jesus. Before going to the cross, he explained that no one takes his life but that he lays it down voluntarily. His life wasn’t taken, it was given. His life was offered freely in exchange for ours; the Son of God died so you and I could live. That is good news.

Jesus is given authority by His Father in John 5. The Pharisees were seeking to kill him in John 5, one for healing on the Sabbath and two for making himself equal with God. Jesus explains in vv. 19-29 that His Father has revealed to him all that he is doing and that he now does the same work. He did not come of his own accord but was sent. The Father judges no one, Jesus explains, but has given the Son authority to judge. Jesus was sent with the words of life, and someday everyone will be resurrected to life or resurrected to judgement. He goes on to say the Jews search the scriptures believing they have the words of life but the scriptures bear witness to him (Jesus). He does not condemn them by his own words but it is the very words of Moses that condemns because Moses was writing about Jesus!

Luke 15 consists of three parables: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin and the parable of the prodigal son. In each case something that was lost was found but only after due diligence was given to seeking. Jesus was sent by God the Father to bring life and given authority to bring judgement those who refuse the gift of life. Jesus called others and equipped them for ministry. He said to Peter and Andrew “I will make you fishers of men.” How many today instead of fishers of men have become keepers of the aquarium? He sent the Apostles out in pairs to preach the Gospel and heal the sick. At the end of his earthly ministry he told those guys to keep doing the things they had seen him do. Next week is Pentecost Sunday and we’ll see how the Gospel spreads when the Holy Spirit comes to the upper room in Jerusalem. “God doesn’t need us to share the Gospel. He could write the Gospel in the sky with the clouds. He calls us to do the work because he loves us.” (I heard this on Moody Radio last week; may have been John MacArthur, my apologies.) We talked about talents two weeks ago – God gives us talents and abilities, calls us into his service to use those, does a work through us that we are not capable of doing on our own, then rewards us for doing it. We must seek the lost. We must go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. “The goal isn’t to get people to church. The goal is to get people to Jesus.”

The Gospel cost the Father his Son and the Son his life. The lost need to hear it but Christians need to be reminded of it and challenged by it. We have a responsibility to the Gospel. We have life that comes only through Jesus Christ; we have the words of life and are filled with the Holy Spirit. As it has been freely given, we must freely give.

Part two next week. Read Acts chapter 2. 

Peace and God bless.

 

 

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What is the Gospel?

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Clark Bunch

What is the Gospel? is the title of the sermon series that will begin on May 17th. The series will last at least three weeks, beginning with The Gospel is Why Jesus Came this Sunday morning. Here’s a taste to whet your whistle:

Gospel is a Greek word that means good news. In his first sermon (Mark 1:15) Jesus said “The Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel.” When we read about the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, it refers to the good news that Jesus came to this world to save sinners. The gospel message is often summarized in a single verse, John 3:16. But defining what we mean by the gospel is merely the first step. Jesus came to this world and gave his life to bring the gospel; the Apostles, including Paul, were martyred for the sake of the gospel; the New Testament church began in the Book of Acts and continues to this day in order to share that good news and build the Kingdom of God. We need to do more with the Gospel than summarize. The Gospel is more than an invitation to be saved; the lost need to hear it and Christians need to be challenged by it.

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Romans 8:28 Biscuits

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Clark Bunch

May 10     |     Sermon text: Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 KJV

People have free will. They do as they please and yet for those called by God all things work together for his purposes. God doesn’t simply cause good things to happen, and not everything that happens in the life of the believer will be good. It’s just not that simple. God has ordained the events of history and orchestrates things we would label good, bad and everything in between to serve his will. Let’s look at some examples from the Bible and you will able to see it.

In Genesis 50 Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. They had trapped him in a pit years earlier and planned to murder him but sold him into slavery instead. Everything he did while serving Potiphar’s house prospered because God’s blessed it. He was thrown into prison (on false charges) but remained faithful. In time, all of the other prisoners were under his command. He was a ruler in Potiphar’s house, a leader in the prison, and eventually rose to second in command over all of Egypt. His brothers feared revenge..

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Genesis 50:19-20 

In Acts 2 Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost. Speaking to some of the same crowd that called for Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter said:

 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Acts 2:22-24 

In both cases evil men set out to do evil but brought about greater good. Joseph was sold into slavery but was in the right place at the right time to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. God’s only begotten Son was nailed to a cross and died; but that was his plan of salvation!

Romans 8:28 works like baking biscuits. Imagine going to the kitchen for a midnight snack and the only thing you can find is a bag of Martha White self-rising flour. What if you scooped up a big handful of raw flour and put that in your mouth? It would turn into a slimy, doughy paste. What if you tried to wash it down with a spoon full of Crisco? The ingredients of delicious, buttermilk biscuits are pretty nasty taken one at a time. I don’t even like buttermilk. But my mother works her kitchen magic by combining flour, buttermilk and oil into a ball of dough. She doesn’t measure anything and doesn’t roll the dough out on the counter and use a cookie cutter either. She pinches off a glob of dough a little larger than a golf ball, rolls that around in her hand, places it on the baking pan and gives it a little “punch” to flatten it out. They they all go into the oven, preheated to 500 degrees.

You wouldn’t last long in a 500 degree oven. The process of baking bread produces two poisons, carbon dioxide and alcohol. The carbon dioxide is why bread and cakes rise. The gas simple escapes the holes it creates in the fluffy layers and the alcohol evaporates in the heat. Minutes later you get hot, flaky goodness as the scent drifts through the whole house. I like to slice a few open while they’re so hot they are hard to handle and butter them up so the butter melts and soaks into the bread.

Hot, delicious buttermilk biscuits that make you want to slap your momma. So to speak. But think about how we got there: flour, buttermilk, shortening and an oven hotter than Death Valley. And those things worked together to produce a beautiful result. So it with Romans 8:28. That’s how God works. In days we mark on our calendar so we can remember them forever and on days when everything that can go wrong does. He is working during the pain and the pleasure, in the life of every believer, to bring about his will for our good. This is the promise of scripture.

Peace and God bless.

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