TUNING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!

John 14: 15-21 NRSV

The Apostle Paul warned believers that they need to frequently assess themselves and to be ready to give an accounting of themselves. As a Pastor I do this searching and testing often. It is in this spirit that I present this message.

The Baptist preacher just finished his sermon for the day and proceeded toward the back of the church for his usual greetings and handshaking as the congregation left the church. After shaking a few adult hands he came upon the seven year old son of one of the Deacons of the church.
      
"Good morning, Jonathan," the preacher said as he reached out to shake Jonathan's hand. As he was doing so he felt something in the palm of Jonathan's hand. "What's this?" the preacher asked.

"Money," said Jonathan with a big smile on his face, "It's for you!" "I don't want to take your money, Jonathan," the preacher answered. "I want you to have it," said Jonathan. After a short pause Jonathan continued, "My daddy says you're the poorest preacher we ever had and I want to help you."

A pastor was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
      
The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week" The pastor took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.
      
The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and give you anything you want." Again the pastor took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
      

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess,that I'll stay with you for a week and give you anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?" The pastor said, "Look I'm a pastor, I already have a wife, but a talking frog, now that's pretty unique!"

You know I rarely complain about what it’s like to be a pastor but you are expected to be always on the job, and you are always the source of jokes and not-so hidden challenges from those members of the congregation who know you really can’t fight back, and think they are too polite to really share their feelings.

Even your family (especially your family), don’t cut any slack. Here’s how it usually goes:

I asked my family, “What’s gray, has a bushy tail, and gathers nuts in the fall?” Chylle hesitated, looked at her mother, and said, “I know the answer should be Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”

Other times are even tougher. If I make a comment regarding another person’s intelligence Chylle will say something like, “If I repeat that and someone asks me where I heard it – you’re going down!”

That’s just the way it is. But don’t feel sorry for me. I know God has my back!

I guess my point is to remind you that each of us here on earth are not perfect and never will be, even the holiest person we know, someone like Billy Graham or James Dobson, both have some human manifestation of sin or, as the Apostle Paul put it, “a thorn in the flesh.”

Jesus knew we wouldn’t be perfect, and would have a hard time after He left. So He has given us a “helper,” an Advocate, a counselor, called the Spirit of Truth. This Spirit of Truth is intended to become an intimate part of a believer. We are to immerse ourselves in the Spirit of Truth, from the Greek word, “paracletôs.”

But most of the time we’re like the older gentleman who stood up in a prayer meeting at a church one day and prayed: “Use me O Lord, use me – in some advisory capacity.”

Sadly, most of us learn to turn down the volume of the Holy Spirit! Some people even know how to turn to other channels. Do this often enough and you’ll mute His voice.Let’s hear why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit (John 14: 15-21):

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I inyou.

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."

The German Reformed Church believed that God wasn’t overly personal and that some of the gifts of the spirit had ceased after the Disciples died. They felt that the Holy Spirit was a very real presence that should be seen and heard in the Christian Heart through actions, not words. But the problem was – how to learn to “tune” in.

The concept of the Holy Spirit can be hard to get. The very basic function of the Holy Spirit is told to us by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 16-17:

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, then also heirs – heirs of God and co – heirs with Christ – seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

It becomes a matter of learning to trust, recognize, and live closely in the Spirit. But it takes a lot of work – sometimes more work than we think we can do.

The Karre language of equatorial Africa was difficult for the translators of the New Testament, especially when it came to the Greek word translated as “Paraclete.”

One day the translators saw a group of porters going off into the bush carrying bundles on their heads. They noticed one didn’t carry anything. They assumed he was the boss, who was present to make sure the others did their work.

However, they soon discovered he was not the boss. Rather, he was present so that, should anyone fall over with exhaustion, this man would pick up the man’s load and carry it for him. This porter was known in the Karre language as “the one who falls down beside us.”The translators had their word for Paraclete, and we have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit.

As believers, we must be careful about our spiritual connections, making sure we are fully abiding in Christ, and trusting in the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us that it would be difficult for us to discern and understand earthly and heavenly things.

The Holy Spirit serves as our advocate, friend, translator, guide, and comforter when life gets tarasso’d.. He is the “one who falls down beside us.” The life we live, the examples we give, and the coping we do to live a faithful life, tells the story of how we are getting to know Him. Listen to the words of Jesus:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. Amen.

Amen.

“Skunks In the Basement”

John 14: 1-14 (NRSV)

A story is told of a man who could not give a convincing explanation of why his arm got broken. He kept muttering some story about accidently sticking his arm through a car window he thought was down. But that was the public reason. In private he confesses that it happened this way:

It began when his wife brought some potted plants inside that had been out on the patio all day. A garter snake had hidden in one of the plants and later slithered out across the floor where the wife had spotted it.

“I was in the bathroom taking a shower when I heard her scream,” he related, “I thought my wife was being murdered, so I jumped out to go help her. I didn’t even grab a towel.

When I got to the living room she yelled that a snake was under the couch. I got down on my hands and knees to look for it, and my dog came up behind me and cold-nosed me. I guess I thought it was the snake and I fainted.

My wife thought I had a heart-attack and called the ambulance. I was still groggy when the ambulance arrived so the medics lifted me onto the stretcher.

When they were carrying me out, the snake came out from under the couch and frightened one of the medics. He dropped his end of the stretcher, and that’s when I broke my arm.”

Some people claim to have no problems, troubles, or misfortune. The nightly news seems to have those 5 minute stories of people who triumph over adversity, disease, or some limitation. There’s usually some piece of advice or some way to conquer your troubles. Let’s hear Jesus’ advice on troubles:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.

Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

In one of the Peanuts Comic Strip, Charlie Brown says, “There’s no problem so big I can’t run away from it.” Problems, troubles, we all have them, don’t we?

The Greek word translated as ‘troubled’ in verse 1, “tarassô,” (ta-ras-so) means “disturbed, terrified, thrown into confusion, frightened, startled, stirred up, and thrown into turmoil.”

If you think of how sincere Christians are responding to the increasingly hostile culture we’re living in, you’re probably not too far off with these verbs.

We live in a world where the family is under attack, marriage is being redefined, and the whole concept of individual responsibility is being reshaped to present political and social correctness as everything. We are “troubled.” We are tarasso’ed!

The troubles come from the pressure of living in times and cultures that are changing. We are forced to assimilate and accommodate ideas and situations that violate our ethics, morals, and faith.

Combined with the usual problems of life such as money, parenting stress, job performance, interpersonal relationships, and striving to be faithful our plates seem full to the breaking point. Scientists are claiming that world information is doubling every 2.5 years! No one can keep up with it. We are tarasso’ed!

This world is increasingly distancing itself from God. It seems as if the things God has ordained as good for His creation is labeled wrong, discriminatory, and hateful in a world of self-interested “bread and circus” minions whose spirituality is based on wars between werewolves and vampires, space aliens and witches.

The church is being isolated due to the speed and veracity of the cultural manifesto of turmoil. Faith and trust in God does not change and old-fashioned beliefs become suspect in a dynamic culture.

Do you know what the perfect “#pastoral tweet” would be? “Have a blessed day of living in the grace of Christ!” And most Millennial Christians would consider that deeply spiritual and not have to go to church for a month.

Our cry becomes, “When will it stop?” (Knowing only Christ’s return will stop it.)

We are like the woman who once called 911 to report she had a skunk in her basement. She was told to make a trial of breadcrumbs from the basement to the yard, and then wait for the skunk to follow it out of the basement.

A while later the woman called again and reported that she had done what she was told, and that now she had two skunks in her basement.

That’s my prediction by the way, for the world of the future. No matter how hard humanity will try to set the world right without God, we’ll just be attracting more skunks to the basement.

Okay Pastor – you’ve painted a negative picture and condemned the world, but isn’t it your job to give us hope? (BTW, that’s #hope!)

Friends, if there wasn’t a reason for hope I couldn’t do this anymore. Let’s re-read verse 1 again: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”

No matter how bad the worldly troubles get, and how much people believe in the oxy-moronic motto of the 21^st century called “Lie honestly because the truth will only deceive you,” Jesus Christ still rules and God is in control of the universe.

As Christians our faith should be sufficient to give us the assurance to abide in God’s Love and the Grace of Jesus Christ, to live everyday to the best of our ability and avoid any contamination from our intrusive and invasive culture. Christians need to be encouraged not to give up just because we can become weary of the fight for faith.

Too many so-called Christians live like a man from the Carolina mountains who came to New Orleans one day.

He was all dressed up and carrying his Bible. A friend saw him and asked, “Elias, what’s happening? Where are you going all dressed up like that?”

Elias said, “I’ve been hearing about New Orleans all my life. I hear that there’s a lot of free runnin’ liquor, and a lot of gamblin’ and a lot of real good naughty shows.”

The friend looked him over and said, “But Elias, why are you carrying a Bible under your arm?” Elias answered, “Well, if it’s as good as they say it is, I might stay over until Sunday.”

We must consistently learn to abide in God’s Grace as we wait for the return of Jesus, no matter how many skunks hang out in our basement. We must realize those skunks are not of our choosing and are due to the world’s unacknowledged sin, and we need to avoid feeding them.

We need to reach out to as many people as will listen to share the message of the Gospel. We are to share the message and God will supply the Holy Spirit to do the work.

I’m reminded of the story of the middle-age woman who called her daughter in a huff. “Dear,” she said, “Have you called your grandmother recently? I’ve tried to call her every evening this week, and there’s been no answer. She really should be at home. I’m beginning to worry.”

The daughter thought a moment and said, “Oh. They’re having a revival at the retirement village this week. I’ll bet that’s where Grandma has been when you called.”

“Revival,” the woman repeated. “What on earth do they do they need with a revival? What kind of sins could they possibly have at a retirement village, for crying out loud?”

The daughter wisely shot back, “Old ones, Mother, old ones.”

Friends God is in control and on His Throne. We are not to be troubled nor despair even though we face ancient evil. Jesus’ has it covered. He’s got a big can of Holy Fabreeze to calm down the skunk smell, We are to watch, pray, share the Grace of Jesus with all who will listen, and not worry. Amen.

“After All, He Wrote It”

JOHN 10: 1-10 (NRSV)

Last week we talked about the “Big Picture.” This week we’ll revisit that idea a little bit, but we’ll also include some “Mom” things, too.

First, God created the dog and said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So God agreed.

Next, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God agreed.

Then God created the cow and said:"You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said: "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about I take twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed again.

Finally, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But man said: "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God, "You asked for it."

So that’s why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. The next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you. You now have another version of the “big picture!” Remember what the term, “The big picture, means?” It relates to knowing the meaning and reason to/for life or everything.

Listen to John 10: 1-10:

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

God wrote a “big picture” book called the Bible. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, God is the Gatekeeper, we are the sheep, and anyone else are like thieves and bandits.

When I was working as a Computer Program Analyst with the Army we once encountered a very serious problem with a computer program. Four people, myself included, worked for a week to try to figure it out. No matter what we tried it just wouldn’t do what we wanted it to do.

Finally, in desperation because of an approaching deadline, I suggested we ask for help from a person in the next office down the hall. My boss asked me why? I simply said, “He should know what to do, after all, he wrote this program in the first place.”

The program change was successfully initiated in about 15 minutes after talking to him, and I got a “suggestion of the month award.” I was actually embarrassed that it took me that long to suggest it.

Don’t most of us spend many years trying to get a handle on life when we should know to look to the author of this world for the authority to live our lives?

John 1: 1-3: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.  God wrote the world! God should be our resource for life, after all He wrote it!

Motherhood was created by God to serve a purpose of child raising and balance in the family, and to disprove evolution. Why did I say that? Because if progressive evolution, as told by our scientists, is correct, why do mothers still only have 2 hands?

In order to understand motherhood we need to see not only the big picture of the family ordained by God, but the roles that a father and mother have in bringing up God-loving and serving children.

Motherhood is related to God’s institution of marriage and the ideal of a union between a man and a woman who would be committed throughout their lifetimes to share every challenge and experience of life on earth. Women and men have different roles and expectations, strengths and weaknesses, but are equal in God’s Kingdom.

The word “mother (Greek mê-tėr)” occurs 100 times in the Greek New Testament and reflects the value of the family. Western Civilization, with its Christian roots and inspiration, at least until the last 10 years or so, valued motherhood greatly.

We don’t realize how practices like abortion, same sex marriage, unmarried people living together, and out-of- wedlock births have undermined the family, the sanctity of motherhood, and destruction of fatherhood.

Listen to what Theodore Roosevelt said about mothers: “When all is said that can be said, it is the mother, and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his or her country.

The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community and occupies, if she would only realize it, a more honorable  as well as a more important position than any man in it. The mother is the supreme asset of the national life. She is more important by far than a successful government leader, businessperson, artist, or scientist.”

Wow, how far our social values and mores have fallen!

The cartoon strip “Momma” once had the son running up and saying, “Hi, Momma! Can you sew on this button in a hurry? And iron these slacks? And get me a get me a cold glass of water? Thanks, Momma! Got to run.” Momma sighs and says, “In the ‘Indy 500’ of life, mothers are the pit stops.”  God agrees. AMEN