the heart for the Lord

Wives, submit to your husbands in a way that is appropriate in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don’t be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, because this pleases the Lord. Parents, don’t provoke your children in a way that ends up discouraging them. Slaves, obey your masters on earth in everything. Don’t just obey like people pleasers when they are watching. Instead, obey with the single motivation of fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. You know that you will receive an inheritance as a reward. You serve the Lord Christ. But evildoers will receive their reward for their evil actions. There is no discrimination. Masters, be just and fair to your slaves, knowing that you yourselves have a master in heaven. (Colossians 3:18— 4:1, CEB)

DOn’t just do what you should when people are watching, but do what you should for fear of the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for yourself or for people. You are not trying to make people happy by serving them. You are doing what the Lord prepared for you to do.

the heart for the Lord is the motivation we need. Not for the prize or recognition here, but to make the Lord happy and to serve as we were served.

Loving People. Loving God.

greed

Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me as judge or referee between you and your brother?” Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” Then he told them a parable: “A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. He said to himself, What will I do? I have no place to store my harvest! Then he thought, Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods. I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21, CEB)

We need to watch that we do not succumb to greed of any kind.

God is not a cosmic vending machine to get us all our desires. God is the creator of all and loves all creation the same.

Let us be focused on sharing the abundance we have been given so all may have what they need. Life is not about building bigger barns, but longer tables.

Let us be a blessing for others.

Loving People. Loving God.

what is holding you back?

As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?” Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother.” “Teacher,” he responded, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him carefully and loved him. He said, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.” But the man was dismayed at this statement and went away saddened, because he had many possessions. (Mark 10:17-22, CEB)

A man asked Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life…

Keep the commandments:
Don’t commit murder.
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t steal.
Don’t give false testimony
Don’t cheat. 
Honor your father and mother

Don’t cheat? Where is that a commandment? Is Jesus changing the rules and lists in front of us?

But the man says I’ve done all these things. Yeah right. I honestly can’t say that I have done all of these things, especially with the expansion Jesus put on them. I mean I try to be who I say I am. But thinking bad thoughts about someone is murder according to Jesus and even though I can say I love everybody, there are some I have wished harm on, and have I always honored my mother and father, no, because I talked back and did things they didn’t want me to do. But this man claims he has always kept all of these.

So Jesus says fine, then sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor and come back and follow me. And he couldn’t because he had a lot of stuff.

So what is it Jesus would tell you to do if you could say you have kept all the commandments?

What is keeping you from really following after Jesus?

Loving People. Loving God.

new person

So I’m telling you this, and I insist on it in the Lord: you shouldn’t live your life like the Gentiles anymore. They base their lives on pointless thinking, and they are in the dark in their reasoning. They are disconnected from God’s life because of their ignorance and their closed hearts. They are people who lack all sense of right and wrong, and who have turned themselves over to doing whatever feels good and to practicing every sort of corruption along with greed. But you didn’t learn that sort of thing from Christ. Since you really listened to him and you were taught how the truth is in Jesus, change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires. Instead, renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit and clothe yourself with the new person created according to God’s image in justice and true holiness. (Ephesians 4:17-24, CEB)

When you were claimed by God as a child of the kingdom you were transformed the old you died and a new you was born.

Therefore we must put away things we have known and live the life that God has called us to. We should live and walk in the ways of Christ and not of the flesh of this world.

We are a new person and Christ has led us to be a light to the world. Let us claim that life and live into it sharing light in everything we do.

Loving People. Loving God.

mysterious

God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep! They are as mysterious as his judgments, and they are as hard to track as his paths! Who has known the Lord’s mind? Or who has been his mentor? Or who has given him a gift and has been paid back by him? All things are from him and through him and for him. May the glory be to him forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36, CEB)

Riches
Wisdom
Knowledge
Judgments

These are some of the attributes of God that are mysterious. Meaning we really don’t understand them.

We can not understand the mind or ways of God. We think we get it and then something happens that throws us on our heads.

And honestly, that is ok. We need to be open to being able to say I don’t get it and I don’t understand, but God is always with me and always for me.

Live in the mystery.

Loving People. Loving God.

Where does it end?

“You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete. (Matthew 5:43-48, CEB)

The person questioned Jesus on how to get saved, and Jesus answered love God and love your neighbor. And the person questioned Jesus on who his neighbor is. We want loopholes to get out of loving people we do not want to love.

But here Jesus takes it a step further and says not only love God, and your neighbors (which is everyone, by the way) but also love your enemies and pray for those who harass you. So that they may see the love of God through you.

Seriously Jesus?! I have to not only love people all over the world that I don’t even know who are my neighbors but I also have to love and pray for those who are actively seeking my downfall? Yes. Jesus will always say yes.

We are called to love everyone without end. Regardless of how they treat us, we must love, because that is what God told us to do.

It is not easy my friends. I still have people in my life whom I would not like to have dinner with, but I love them. I wish them the best and pray for them that God will be with them and show them love so that God’s love will be made known in the world. In the last 2 congregations I served my final sermon ended with the line, “God loves you and so do I.” And I meant it. Even those that were happy to see me go. I can honestly say I love them. I would not trust some of them to watch my children or move my stuff, but I love them and wish them no harm.

Can we all say that?

Loving People. Loving God.

goal…

So what are we going to say? Gentiles who weren’t striving for righteousness achieved righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith. But though Israel was striving for a Law of righteousness, they didn’t arrive. Why? It’s because they didn’t go for it by faith but they went for it as if it could be reached by doing something. They have tripped over a stumbling block. As it is written: Look! I’m putting a stumbling block in Zion, which is a rock that offends people. And the one who has faith in him will not be put to shame. Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire is for Israel’s salvation. That’s my prayer to God for them. I can vouch for them: they are enthusiastic about God. However, it isn’t informed by knowledge. They don’t submit to God’s righteousness because they don’t understand his righteousness, and they try to establish their own righteousness. Christ is the goal of the Law, which leads to righteousness for all who have faith in God. (Romans 9:30 —10:4, CEB)

Do we follow the rules to get accepted and to make our way up?

People who are not striving to be righteous are righteous all the time.

It is not about what we do that makes us righteous. It is about what God has done.

Our actions only show the world that we believe what God has done and that it is for everyone.

Show the world that God loves you and them.

Loving People. Loving God.

rules

So don’t let anyone judge you about eating or drinking or about a festival, a new moon observance, or sabbaths. These religious practices are only a shadow of what was coming—the body that cast the shadow is Christ. Don’t let anyone who wants to practice harsh self-denial and worship angels rob you of the prize. They go into detail about what they have seen in visions and have become unjustifiably arrogant by their selfish way of thinking. They don’t stay connected to the head. The head nourishes and supports the whole body through the joints and ligaments, so the body grows with a growth that is from God. If you died with Christ to the way the world thinks and acts, why do you submit to rules and regulations as though you were living in the world? “Don’t handle!” “Don’t taste!” “Don’t touch!” All these things cease to exist when they are used. Such rules are human commandments and teachings. They look like they are wise with this self-made religion and their self-denial by the harsh treatment of the body, but they are no help against indulging in selfish immoral behavior. Therefore, if you were raised with Christ, look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right side. (Colossians 2:16—3:1, CEB)

Who gets to make the rules you have to follow?

Now don’t get me wrong, laws are in place to make society less chaotic, and for there to be some semblance of order. But that is the end to laws. They can not save you so religious laws are personal and should not be forced on or given to others. What helps you have a deeper spiritual life might send someone else further from God.

What works for you may not work for others and if it doesn’t deal with civil order then it isn’t something we can make someone else follow.

Love all and allow them to practice their religion as is best for them.

Follow and do what God has led you to, not what some other human says you must do.

Loving People. Loving God.

Prayer

Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom. Give us the bread we need for today. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who has wronged us. And don’t lead us into temptation.’” He also said to them, “Imagine that one of you has a friend and you go to that friend in the middle of the night. Imagine saying, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread because a friend of mine on a journey has arrived and I have nothing to set before him.’ Imagine further that he answers from within the house, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I assure you, even if he wouldn’t get up and help because of his friendship, he will get up and give his friend whatever he needs because of his friend’s brashness. And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened. “Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:1-13, CEB)

We all think there is a right way to pray and we wonder as we do it are we doing it right. Even pastors do this.

Jesus says to be bold in our requests and to ask for things in the will of God. This means we may or may not get what we ask for, or we may get what we ask for in a different way than we ask for it. But we are to be bold and talk to God like we would talk to a friend.

Just talk to God like you would your friend. That is how to pray. Nothing special. Just ask, talk, and listen.

Loving People. Loving God.

nap

One day Jesus and his disciples boarded a boat. He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set sail. While they were sailing, he fell asleep. Gale-force winds swept down on the lake. The boat was filling up with water and they were in danger. So they went and woke Jesus, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” But he got up and gave orders to the wind and the violent waves. The storm died down and it was calm. He said to his disciples, “Where is your faith?” Filled with awe and wonder, they said to each other, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!” (Luke 8:22-25, CEB)

Have you ever been on a body of water on a small boat during a storm? I have and it is an experience I will never forget. And I read this passage and wonder how did Jesus sleep during the storm? The storm we were in wasn’t terrible, maybe 5-6 foot waves, but the 25-foot boat we were in was going straight into them to get to the nearest port. Every crest at the top of the wave you could hear the motor spinning out of the water and then the boat would crash back down. How did Jesus sleep during the storm?

Jesus slept during the storm because of his faith in the Father. Jesus knew who was in control.

Can we nap in the storm, or will we wake Jesus up to save us, when he already has?

Rest in Jesus hands and trust the promises.

Loving People. Loving God.