Introduction
 
Last week we started our series on the Ten Commandments, and I established that the true purpose of the ten commandments are not to make us holy and righteous, but instead reveal our sin nature and inclination for rebellion against God.  Thus, when we have a proper view of the law, or the 10 Commandments, they should bring us to our knees and point us to our great need for a savior found in Jesus Christ.  At the core they show us that we cannot reach perfection and we cannot keep the commands perfectly.
 
I also talked about commandment one and at the very heart is about love. Because when we love God with all of our being, we cannot and will not worship anything or anyone over the God who has called us to Himself.
 
Today I want to pick up where we left of and talk about the second commandment and how it is relevant and applies to our lives today.
 
Go to Exodus 20:4. - 6
 
Commandment 2
Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands (Exodus 20:4 – 6)
 
Question:
What do you think when I say the word idol?  Is idolatry even a thing for modern humanity?  I mean aren’t we more civilized than ancient humanity who seemed to need carved graven images, statues or effigies to bow down before, worship and offer sacrifices in order to function in a sane life?  There is some validity to that question, however I think this view of idolatry is a bit distorted.  I will talk about this in a few moments.
 
What Are Idols?
In Exodus 20:4 – 5 God introduces us to the sin of idolatry.  This second commandment prohibits people from making any images or statues (whether on earth, below the earth or in the heavens) and bowing down in worship to them.
 
Since the first commandment warns of worshiping the wrong God (there are no gods besides me), then the second commandment warns against worshiping God in the wrong way.  This commandment includes imagining the true God as like yourself or something lower.  This means we have the tendency to make God into something of our own limited understanding, likeness, or ability to control.  This is what the Israelites did at the base of Mt. Sinai while Moses was receiving the law.  When the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf (as you can read about in Exodus 32) they weren’t worshiping foreign gods like Baal, Ra, or Osiris.  They were worshiping their perception or creation of God.  They had created an image in the form of a golden calf and worshiped it as God.  They used their imagination to create and conceive a physical representation of what they believed was God.  Thus, even if their motives were right (which I highly doubt), they were creating an image of god, who could not be created.  This was their sin.  They created a god of their own understanding and imagination.  I have heard people talk about acknowledging or worshiping the God of their own understanding and I flinch a bit because they are talking about worshiping an idol.  What we perceive or imagine God to be in our own minds is dangerous and goes against the second command.  J.I. Packer writes, “No statement starting, ‘this is how I like to think of God’ should ever be trusted.  An imagined God will always be quite imaginary and unreal.”[1] 
 
Do We Worship Idols Today?
Some watching or listening may be thinking, we know that we shouldn’t make statues in God’s image, so why is this commandment even relevant or applicable to us today?  The answer is everything in our lives and in this world has the potential to become an idol! 
 
Modern humanity may not worship statues or carved images, but I would argue that many do not have other (both seen and unseen) gods that they worship today.  Think back to the days before social distancing while watching or participating in worship as a favorite performer or sports figure does what he or she does best to entertain the masses and you may change your tune.  Now, I am definitely not saying that participating or attending sporting events or concerts makes you an idol worshiper, but there is a tendency to do so. When this pandemic has subsided go and observe Raymond James Stadium on a Sunday morning, the Tropicana field during MLB season, or visit the Amelie arena for a concert or hockey game.  I promise you will see plenty of idol worship.
 
According to author and Pastor Timothy Keller, “A counterfeit god (idol) is anything so central and essential in your life that, should you lose it, your life would be hardly worth living.  An idol has so much controlling position in your heart that you spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought.”[2] Professor Tom Shippey states, "(Idols are when we) take the hearts fondest desires and magnify them to idolatrous proportions.”  Anytime we need something to represent or to see God we are undermining his freedom.  No image can capture God’s glory. We do this with buildings, pulpits, relics lying around the church or any image that we need in order to bring us into the presence of God.

This even happens in churches today. I think back over the years I have been in ministry and I remember once being criticized for moving a pulpit from the area where I preached.   and the reality was, that pulpit had become an idol.  Another time I asked a pastor friend if I could borrow some candelabra’s from his church for a wedding.  He agreed to let me.  As I went to the church to pick them up, I was stopped by the church secretary and told, very sternly, those candelabra’s cannot be removed from their place since they were the only items that had survived a church fire in prior years.  In fact, they are not even supposed to be touched without gloved hands.  Those candelabra’s had clearly become idols.  Idolatry can have many faces in our churches… It can also include a “style” of praise and worship.  One person says, “I can only worship God with hymns and organs”.  Others say, “No, the only way I can truly worship God is only through modern praise songs and bands.” When the reality is, God should be worshiped regardless of musical styles.  Some have elevated intellectualism as their gods.  For some, Pastors need to be seminary trained, MDiv degree holders, and fluent Greek scholars and a lay person could never properly lead a congregation in worship of God. Now, there is nothing wrong with seminary training, but one’s training is not what qualifies one for ministry.  For some churches a smart, seminary trained, and well-read pastor is a requirement for one in order to properly institute the sacraments and effectively lead worship.   I am sure that many of you can share similar stories of items or methods of worship that have become idols in church. 
 
Is all idolatry bad?
The short answer is yes.  We know that God does not tolerate idolatry.  Throughout scripture we read about how God will not take second seat to anyone or anything, in fact Exodus 20:5 says, “I am a jealous God”.  The problem we have is that there are many potential idols in our lives and sometimes these can be things that are good, healthy, and advantageous when viewed and used properly… but when we place them above God and worshiped (kiss hand in affection) they can subtly become idols, no matter how good or advantageous they may be.
 
Can Believers Have idols?  
As mentioned earlier Tim Keller wrote, “Anything can be an idol, and everything has been an idol.”        How is this so for Christians?
 
Idols of the Heart – Read Ezekiel 14:1 - 6 
“Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 ‘Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves. Should I actually let them inquire of me? Therefore, speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart and puts his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet, I, the Lord, will answer him appropriately. I will answer him according to his many idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts. They are all estranged from me because of their idols.’ Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your detestable things.”
 

• A group of elders came before the prophet Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord.
• The Lord informs Ezekiel that these men have set up idols in their hearts.  As they lived in captivity they may have taken on a fondness for foreign gods and they had a place of affection in their hearts for these gods.
• There is no indication that the leaders did not believe in God, it’s just they believed in God and…  They had divided loyalties and God tells Ezekiel these men cannot seek him as long as they have these idols of the heart.
• God tells them to repent, cast away their idols and return to the true God.
• Idols of the heart are dangerous crafty things.
• They are subtle and always give a false sense of significance, security and fulfillment.  
• As believers it is important to recognize the idols we may have placed in our hearts.  It is important to note that once we have identified them, we need deal with them one on one by repenting of our sin of idolatry and giving them over to God so he may be restored as the one true God in our lives

 
What Can Idolatry Look Like for Us?
When we depend on or look to anything more favorably than God as our source of joy, security and salvation then it/they have become idols in our lives.  Here are a few thing that have the tendency to become idols in our lives if we are not careful.

1. Morals – When people depend on their morality, ethics and uprightness to make them right with God instead of depending on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
2. Possessions – When people seek joy, happiness, security, and stability in their possessions instead of finding true joy, happiness and security in the Prince of Peace.
3. Comfort – When people seek at all costs to be comfortable in all their dealings in life over the Kingdom and will of God. There are some who refuse to do what God is calling them to do because it would require them to get out of the comfort of their current surroundings.
4. Performance – When people depend on doing good works more than having faith in Jesus.
5. People/Relationships – When people elevate and value family, friends and relationships over God.
6. Legalism – When people think keeping the law is enough to make us righteous instead of depending solely on the grace of God.
7. Career – When people pursue careers and success over passionately pursuing God with all their being.
8. Traditions – When people value keeping traditions more highly than being open and available to doing what God is calling us to do.

 
Conclusion
Has something in your life taking precedence over God?  If so, then this “something” has become an idol/god.  We are created beings and we were created to worship God.  Unfortunately, our natural sinful inclination in not to worship God, but to worship things created by God.  Romans 1:18 – 23 says, “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
Our sinful tendency is to worship anything other than God.  We so easily exchange our worship for God with the temporal and fleeting.  We replace God with subtle physical idolatry (people or things) or idols of our hearts (Unseen and possibly good). 
 
My prayer is that you take some time this week and pray about identifying the idols in your life and seek to replace them with the true, life-giving, fulfilling, and joyful worship to the only one who is worthy of praise.  When we faithfully allow God to search our hearts, He is going to deal with us individually and when He does, we need to be prepared to make the necessary changes in our lives so we can be right with God. 
 
[1] Packer, J.I... Keeping the Ten Commandments . Crossway. Kindle Edition.)

[2] Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters (Dutton, 2009), p. xvii

The 10 Commandments
Exodus 20:1 - 17
 
Introduction
Today we are beginning a new series titled, “The Ten Commandments” and I will take the next ten weeks to talk about what each commandment means and how they still apply for us today.
 
Whether you are a believer or not you are probably familiar with the concept of the 10 commandments. I would venture to say that this portion of scripture is possibly the best-known set of rules in all western and eastern culture. Depending on how you were raised and when you grew up it is likely that you at least heard them recited or were even made to memorize them as a child.
 
I would be interested to know how many of you can recite all ten commandments. (Leave a message in the comments section) Or how many of you even know where they can be found in the Bible? That is sort of a trick question since they are found in two separate passages (Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5).
 
Listen to this sobering and somewhat abnormal fact.  According to an October 2007 Reuter’s article that at the time of the writing less than 15% of Americans can name the 10 commandments. By comparison 25% of Americans could name the seven ingredients in a Big Mac and the names of all six Brady Bunch children.[1] Now, I wouldn’t consider a scientifically accurate tests because there are many variable to consider, but it is an interesting article, just Google 10 Commandments and Big Macs and read the article for yourself.  Do you have anything better to do today?
 
When I mentioned that we are beginning a new series on the Ten Commandments maybe your mind was brought back to the 1956 movie with the same name and possibly had a mental picture of Carlton Heston (Moses) standing before the court of Pharaoh with staff in hand demanding, “Let my People go!”  Or maybe you had a vision the of Heston standing on the mountain with the stone tablets in hand, rebuking the Israelites for their sinfulness and throwing the stone tablets at the Golden calf thus blowing it to smithereens.
 
Whatever picture comes to mind it is important to know that the 10 Commandments are more than an entertaining Hollywood movie, a bunch of rules recited from memory, or the false idea that if we keep them to the best of our ability then we can go to heaven.  No, these commandments are intended for far greater purposes and we will look at them today and, in the weeks, to come.
 
Jesus & the Law
Now, before we get too involved in this message, some of you may be thinking, “Why are we doing a study on the laws or commands of God, aren’t we under grace and not the law? That is a good question and John 1:17 does affirm “for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus.” You may also be thinking if Jesus came to fulfill the law, then why do we need to observe the 10 Commandments? It is true Jesus did come to fulfill the law according to Matthew 5:17, but He also says that He did not come to abolish or end it. In Matthew 22:34 – 40 Jesus was asked by the Pharisees which commandment is the greatest to which he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… The second it like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and prophets depend on these two commands.” 
 
All of them, yes, all 613 laws in O.T.  The Ten Commands summarize all 613 laws which are summarized into two laws: Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself.
 
Author and theologian J.I. Packer writes, “Jesus himself is in fact the embodiment of the Ten Commandments and living below the standard of service that his life sets is, quite simply, falling short in neighbor-love.”[2]
 
The purpose of the 10 Commandments
As I have already mentioned the 10 Commandments are not just a list of do’s and don’ts or rules that must be followed in order to go to heaven, win God’s approval and put him in our debt. No, they are commands given by God to his people whom he just delivered, rescued, and redeemed from Egypt and keeping the commandments should be, at the minimum, the grateful response to His love, grace, and mercy. They reflect the way God’s people are called in response to be holy (set apart) and they reflect God’s nature (attributes) that shows us what He looks like and what He desires from His people.
 
The true purpose of the ten commandments are to reveal our sin nature and rebellion:  Ultimately, they reveal that we do not like God (or anyone for that matter) telling us what we can and cannot do. The truth is the law, or 10 Commandments should bring us to our knees and point us to our great need for Jesus.  They show us that we cannot reach perfection and we cannot keep His commands perfectly. They reveal that we are sinful people. Now, we can either view the 10 Commandments as rules constraining and restricting to keep under God’s thumb or we can view them as ways for free people, His people, to live in obedience to the God who has truly rescued, delivered and set them free.
 
Background (Exodus 19)
Before I begin talking about the first commandment, I think we all would benefit from gaining a better perspective and background leading up to Moses receiving the commandments.
 
As many of you know Israel had been enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years and God through Moses had recently liberated the Israelites from captivity. Moses and the Israelites had been wandering in the desert for three months and they set up camp at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Moses goes up to the mountain and God called to him from there.
God instructs Moses to speak to the Israelites on his behalf and declares that Israel will be His own possession out of all the peoples in the earth, and they will be God’s kingdom of priests and His holy nation. Ultimately, God is declaring that Israel belongs to Him.
 
Moses comes down and tells the people what God has said the people respond that they will do whatever the Lord says. He then goes back up to the mountain and receives specific instructions (ceremonial consecrations) as to how the nation must prepare for God’s descent to the mountain. Once again Moses goes down and tells the people what they must do.
 
On the third day it began to thunder, and lightning and a thick cloud enveloped the mountain and a loud trumpet sounded. God calls Moses back to the mountain to give him the 10 commandments.
 
Commandment 1
“Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.  Do not have other gods besides me.”  (Exodus 20:1 – 3)
 
There is a reason the first commandment is the first commandment. If you remember Israel was delivered from a pagan nation (Egypt) who had many gods. It is believed that there were over 2,000 gods in ancient Egypt. And out of these 2000 there were lots of impressive gods and goddesses and it was inevitable that some of the Israelites had assimilated to Egyptian culture and religion. However, Israel had been called by God to be a holy nation and this means they were a set apart nation; they were called to live differently, act differently and worship differently from the rest of the world. Thus, God needed to establish that He alone is God.
 
Vs 2a: “I am the LORD” The word LORD is the Hebrew name for God YHWH. He is the same covenant keeping God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.  He is the same God whose name is “I AM WHO I AM”. He is same the self-existent, self-sufficient, sovereign God who created the world. He is the same God who delivered them from Egypt, brought them through the Red Sea, and provided for them in the wilderness.
 
Vs 2b: “your God…” He is not just the LORD; He is a personal God. He is the God of Israel. God says, I am YOUR God. He is not a distant god who is unconcerned with the well-being of his people. Nor is he a tyrant who wields his exponential power and authority without restraint over His creatures. He is “your God” who cares for and loves His people. He is the Father. He is on our side. He gives the commands for our good and His glory.
 
Vs 2c: “Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” God reminds Israel what He has done for them…

• He rescued or liberated the Israelites from the Egyptians
• He set the Israelites free and rescued them from the shackles of slavery
• He laid claim to the nation of Israel. You are my people and I am your God.
• He called them to be separate from the world.

 
Vs. 3: “Do not have other gods besides me.” This does not mean that God is one of many gods. Nor does it imply the most powerful among inferior gods. He is declaring that no other god exists except for him. God affirms that no other gods should be worshiped because THERE ARE NO OTHER gods except for Yahweh. He is One, and there is none beside him. God is saying: “Worship me alone or don’t worship me at all.” 
The Bible records the statement over 20 times that God is ONE and there are no other gods besides Him.  God will not take a backseat to anything or anyone and we will talk more about this next week as we look at the second commandment.
 
Application:  How Commandment 1 Applies to Christians today
So, what does all of this mean for us today? What is the takeaway from this message? How does keeping the commandments apply to Christians today? Here are three takeaways.
 

1. Our God has rescued and delivered from the shackles of sin for our sanctification through Jesus. Romans 6:18,19 says, “and having been set free from sin (bondage), you became enslaved to righteousness. I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.” We have been set free from sin; it no longer has dominion over us.  Now, we are called to pursue holiness and live for His glory
   
2. Our God has called us to be holy (set apart) from the world. Deuteronomy 14:2, “for you are a holy people belonging to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be his own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.” We must look different from the world. We must value things differently than the world. We must worship differently than the world. We must adhere to a different set of values and authority than the world.  All this to say we must pursue God and holiness in all we do, say and the way we treat others.  (Read 1 Peter 2:1 – 10)
3. Our God is God alone. We have been rescued and delivered from sin and we are called to be set apart from the world, thus as a “set apart” people we need to worship Him and Him alone.  Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

The problem many Christians have is we live in an “and”. We have so many things competing for our worship and allegiance. We may say we have no problem with declaring and worship the Lord… Our problem comes with our worship of “the Lord and…” the Lord and money.  The Lord and relationships. The Lord and power.  The Lord and (ad your “and”).
God cannot be worshiped rightly or properly if he is worshiped alongside anyone or anything. 
Conclusion
So why do we need to keep this commandment? Because love is at the very heart of this first commandment. When we love God with all of our being, we cannot and will not worship anything or anyone over the God who has called us to Himself.

As I close, I would like to issue a challenge to all of you hearing this message.  As a collective body (physical church and digital church) I would like for us to journey together to memorize the 10 Commandments. Each week I would like for us to memorize the commandment that we just studied. This week we will memorize (Exodus 20:1 - 3) as a church together and as we memorize we can make it a practice to not only know and memorize God’s Word, but to commit to living it out as well.  
 


[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bible-commandments/americans-know-big-macs-better-than-ten-commandments-idUSN1223894020071012

[2] (Packer, J. I.. Keeping the Ten Commandments . Crossway. Kindle Edition.)

This Easter morning people around the world are observing this holiday.  Children are searching for hidden eggs, gnawing on chocolate bunnies, and families are preparing food that will be more than sufficient for a King or queen?  Families will gather together albeit virtually for many because Easter is all about family, right?  Well, not really.  For Christians the true purpose of Easter is to reflect on what Jesus accomplished through His death and to celebrate the life we receive as a result of the savior’s resurrection.  If you grew up in a traditional Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox or Lurtheran church you may remember the Paschal greeting which goes like this… The pastor announces, “He is risen!”   To which the congregation responds, “He is risen indeed!”  This is a tradition that goes back many, many centuries and is a wonderful way to greet Christian brothers and sisters on Easter morning.  So, I say to you this morning… “He is risen!”
 
For Christians Easter is the most significant day we observe in the calendar year.  It is the pinnacle (if you will) of God’s plan of redemption.  The events of Easter through Jesus fully restores true fellowship with God and humanity that was broken at the beginning in the garden as a result of sin.  Jesus’ death and resurrection are what we look to during the Easter season as our greatest hope.  For those who observe and participate in Lent know that these past forty days was is observed and practiced in preparation for this day.     
 
For others Easter has no spiritual value whatsoever; it is only a day that is set aside to spend with family or loved ones (which is a good thing), eating ham, hiding Easter eggs, and chomping on chocolate bunny ears.  For the unbeliever the significance of the resurrection may be nothing more than a story, myth or conspiracy theory thought up by early Christians to gain power, wealth and control over the masses.  For unbelievers the resurrection is a myth, a crutch or a joke.
 
For us who believe and are fully committed to Jesus Christ we do not observe or enter into this this day casually.  In fact, we put all of hope in the truth that Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose from the dead thus conquering sin and death.  We have placed all of our faith in the reality that the resurrection of Jesus makes is the foundational hope of our future resurrection.  When we proclaim the Paschal greeting to one another we are not just muttering empty words; we are proclaiming the Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ.   We proclaim a risen Jesus who has ascended to the Father for our justification as the Good News.  In fact, the Gospel is GREAT NEWS, and it is the only news worthy of declaring to bring hope to all who believe!
 
The Cross of Christ
If you have your Bibles, go to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 as we will be spending some time in this passage.  The Apostle Paul writes, “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. 2 I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.”  Paul did not come to Corinth with eloquent words and heady wisdom.  No, he had a simple message; the message of the cross.  Paul calls it a simple message because the cross (Jesus Christ and him crucified) is central to the Gospel message.  Our faith is grounded in the cross of Jesus Christ, without the death of Jesus there is no atonement for sin.  Paul’s desire was to preach this simple and central message to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
 
May we never forget the significance of the cross.  Sadly, more and more Christians talk about the cross of Jesus Christ with apathy or as an everyday common ordinary occurrence.  I have heard Christians speak about the cross lightly and sometimes with indifference.   I hear people say, “We’ve already heard about the cross of Jesus, tell us something new.  Give us some creative and well thought out wisdom as to how we can become better people and thus help us become better Christians.”  They have forgotten the seriousness of the cross of Christ.  Too often they make Christianity about them and they fail to truly acknowledge it is about Jesus and what He has done.  Sometimes they overlook or become bored with the message of the suffering He faced, and the agonizing price He paid so that all who believe could have eternal life and redemption.  My friends, may we never get to this point in our Christianity.   
 
When I think of what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary, and I try to get my brain around what he did it humbles me.  Why does it humble me?  Why would the message of the cross humble anyone?  What is the purpose of the cross of Christ?  Why did Jesus have to face such an agonizing and humiliating death?  Simply because the cross points me to my sin, my life here on earth, and my eternal destiny. 
 
The Bible records that all are sinners and that no one is righteous before our holy God.  Sin has separated us from God.  If this is true then we are worthy of one thing… death… eternal separation from God.  You may be thinking, “Hey, Jeff this is Easter!  Can’t you be a bit more positive?  Aren’t you being a bit extreme?  I mean know I’m not perfect, and I have my human inadequacies, but I’m not that bad of a person.  I pray sometimes, I attend Church regularly, and I never ever take the Lord’s name in vain.”  The truth is we are ALL sinners and the sin nature we inherit makes worthy of death.  No good deeds are enough to declare us righteous before our holy God. 

There is good news though; the Bible says, “God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus as a sacrifice and atonement for our sins) that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  This is the core of the Good News of the Gospel!  We don’t deserve forgiveness, eternal life, or even to be declared righteous, yet He gives them all to us who respond to the Holy Spirit drawing us to the Father and repent of the sins and are called by God to become his children.
 
The Resurrection     
Thankfully the Gospel does not end with Jesus dead in the tomb.  The news gets better!  1 Corinthians 15:3 - 8 tells us, “3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.  After three days in the grave Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead.  He didn’t raise in spirit; He physically rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father.  This means one thing… He is alive today!  Sinful humanity tried to kill him; the devil tried to conquer Him, but death couldn’t contain Him.
 
The resurrection of Jesus is just as essential to our faith as his death.  Some may say, “Wait a minute! The death stuff I can buy, but I don’t know if I can buy this resurrection story?”  How essential is the resurrection of Christ to us today?  It is ABSOLUTELY essential!  1 Corinthians 15:14 -17 “14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.[a] 15 Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”  Without the resurrection, we have nothing. Worshiping of a dead god is the same as having a dead faith. If you don’t believe Jesus is alive today, then you are wasting your time calling yourself a Christian because you are not one.  If you can’t buy the resurrection then your sins have not been forgiven… Paul says, “you are still in your sins.” 
Christ rose from the dead to show that He has conquered the dominion of death and the sins of this world.  Through his resurrection we can experience the power over death and sin in our lives. 
 
5 Reasons the Resurrection is Essential to Our Faith…
Why is the resurrection important to us?  What does the resurrection mean to us?  Why is His death significant to me?  Here are five reasons…

1. Without the resurrection we are not justified (made right) with God:  Romans 4:25, “He was delivered up for our trespasses and RAISED FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION.”  Theologian D.A. Carson writes, “Jesus was handed over to death because it was necessary to provide for our sin problem… Jesus was raised from the dead for the purpose of providing for our justification. While Paul usually connects our justification with Christ’s death, this verse shows that Christ’s resurrection also plays a role in our being made right with God.”[1]
2. Without the resurrection the Gospel (Good News) is incomplete: Incomplete good news is not Good News.  As I stated earlier… Following or worshiping a dead God results in a dead faith.
3. Without the resurrection our faith is useless and empty (I Cor. 15:14 – 18).  Just as faith without works is futile and empty so is death without a resurrection.  The resurrection secures our present hope and and eternal future.
4. Without the resurrection we cannot be born again. I Peter 1:3, “Bless be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
5. Without the resurrection we ourselves cannot receive the resurrection to life after death: I Cor. 15:22 “For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”  Since Jesus rose from the dead then those who believe in Jesus also have the promise of resurrection as well.

 
Conclusion
Knowing Jesus lived, died and rose again so that we can live; die and rise again should give us all hope, strength, faith and a desire to live fully for Him today, tomorrow and the days to come.  He died willingly and rose from the grave for His us so we may have forgiven of our sins and receive life and to have it abundantly.  This is a promise given to us by the Savior. Since Jesus is victorious over death, we also are victorious over death. 
 


[1] Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition (4th ed.) (Ro 4:1–25). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

If you have ever spent time on a stage you are aware of the feeling of anticipation, excitement and fear you experience before the curtain rises.  Once the curtain rises you have two choices… you do what you were meant to do, or you run away.  Here in the garden, the curtain (if you will) raises, Jesus sets the stage for the plan of his departure from this earth.  This is the time that he has been talking about and preparing for since his public ministry began. 
 
In the garden, Jesus is confronted by a band of soldiers who have been brought to the garden by Judas, the captain and officers of the Chief Priests and the Pharisees.  Unbeknownst to many is what lies before him is the cup which the Father has given to him to drink and soon Jesus takes the cup and endures, because this is his moment.
​
Once Jesus finished his prayer and concluded his farewell discourse to his disciples, he went to a garden to pray.  Judas knew Jesus would be there at this time, so he brought with him Roman soldiers (possibly up to 200 soldiers) and the temple police to the garden to have Jesus arrested.  It is probable at this time Judas kisses Jesus, but John does not record it.  He meets the group and asks who they are seeking?  They respond, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus replies, “I am he.”  The literal translation is “I am.”  Upon hearing his response John tells us the soldiers drew back or as the NET Bible says, “they retreated” or moved back and fell to the ground. 
 
What happened at this moment?  Why did the soldiers fall down?  Some biblical scholars believe that the soldiers in the front may have jumped back when Jesus unexpectedly advanced forward causing those in the front to start a domino effect of soldiers falling to the ground.  Others believe it was a result of a Theophany (an appearance of God to humans) causing his enemies to fall back and fall prostrate before him.  “We see they are struck down by a power such as that which smote Saul of Tarsus and his companions to the earth (Ac 26:14). It was the glorious effulgence (radiance) of the majesty of Christ which overpowered them. “This, occurring before His surrender, would show His power over His enemies, and so the freedom with which He gave Himself up” [Meyer].[1]   Pastor Tim Keller says in his sermon I AM HE, “Nobody can stand on their feet in the presence of God.”  The power of God is awesome in all senses of the word.  Not only is it awesome but it is awe inspiring.  In Jesus we see the power of God manifested in His name (I AM, Yahweh).  If the mere mention of the name of God can bring a squad of soldiers to their knees, then we can only imagine the power that is in his presence.

Eventually, Jesus was arrested and bound by the soldiers and taken before Annas, the father-in-law of the High Priest Caiaphas. Annas is also called the High Priest in other passages so there is some debate over why he is also called the High Priest. Some suggest that Caiaphas and Annas shared the position and others suggest that since he was High Priest before Caiaphas that he was probably retired from the position but still held the title.
The death of Jesus is a graphic and gruesome thing. I need not go into detail about it since many of us have either seen movies, read books or imagined in your mind what this horrific event was like, but I do not think we can fathom what it was really like. The death Jesus suffered was a painful, humiliating and violent death, yet it was necessary in order to accomplish the will of the Father. Crucifixion was a gruesome method of capital punishment used by many nations including Greece and Persia. The Romans used it as a means to execute slaves and criminals.
In the Gospel of John, as Jesus hung on the cross, the final two statements Jesus makes were…

1. A personal declaration “I thirst”
   
2. A declaration of completion of the task, “It is finished!”

What was finished? Jesus had accomplished what He came to do. The law has been fulfilled and Hi9s redemption has been made. Through Jesus’ death; all who believe can now have peace with God. He has borne the penalty of sin for humanity so that those who believe and obey would not face this penalty of death.
It was nearing the Sabbath before Passover and the process of death needed be sped up, so the guards began breaking the legs of those being crucified. They wanted to get this over, so they could go ahead and celebrate the Passover. However, Jesus had already given up His spirit and since he lifeless there was no need to break His legs (thus fulfilling prophecy… See Zech. 12:10). To ensure He was in fact dead the Roman soldier pierced his side.

 When we read the full account of this gruesome, brutal, and somewhat tragic death of Jesus we may respond in humble heartbreak. We may cry out because Jesus did not deserve the death, he died but it was altogether necessary.  Through his death God establishes a new covenant of grace, atonement and redemption with humanity. The gruesome and heart-wrenching death of Jesus may bring sadness to us today, but we must remember today is not the end… Sunday is coming.
 
[1]Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Jn 18:6). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

When I tell people that today (the Thursday before Easter) is Maundy Thursday, I am usually met with a blank stare or a look of confusion and someone saying, "What is Monday Thursday?"    

The words Maundy Thursday are derived from the Latin phrase “Dies Mandatum” which means "The mandate" or more specifically “The day of the new commandment.”  This mandate or commandment is in reference to John 13:34 - 35 when Jesus tells his disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (ESV).  

Today’s reading highlights the commandment or mandate that Jesus gave to His disciples in the upper room on the eve of His death. Traditionally, the Church observes this evening with a ceremonial foot washing service and concludes with a time of communion. Today, we will look at the events of this first Maundy Thursday to reflect on Christ’s death and prepare us to celebrate His resurrection for our justification on the first Easter Sunday.

Verse 34 - 35:   "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In this passage Jesus lays out his expectations to his followers for when He is gone.  In his commentary on John, D.A. Carson hits the nail on the head concerning the attainability of this new command, “The new command is simple enough for a toddler to memorize and appreciate, profound enough that the most mature believers are repeatedly embarrassed at how poorly they comprehend it and put it into practice.” Jesus’ command for the disciples is to love one another the way he loved them. We know Jesus showed his great love for his disciples in the foot washing ceremony but it wasn’t the washing of the feet that he was referring.  The foot washing points directly to the death of Jesus and the disciples would soon see the importance of loving each other in the manner that Jesus truly loved them.  He then tells them it is important for the disciples to love one another in this way. Through loving one another with a sacrificial and self-less love people will know that they belong to Him.

Essentially he is saying to all believers, you are going to be on display for the world to see and the manner in which you treat each other and love one another will speak volumes about who you follow. Love for one another needs to be the evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus. Jesus gives the disciples and us a life command and not one that they are to keep once and then move on… love must be displayed among them continually, so people will see we belong to Jesus.

Second century Christian author Tertullian writes about how the Pagans marveled at the love of the Christian fellowship, especially in times of intense persecution. He writes, “See how they love one another! ... How are they ready even to die for one another!” 

Conclusion
So, what does sacrificial love look like? We need only to look at Good Friday as a reminder of true sacrificial love.  We see this true love in Jesus as he willingly to laid down his life for his friends.   When we look at the cross of Jesus it wasn’t intended to make us feel good about ourselves. The cross of Christ is intended to bring glory to Jesus and to the Father and to give life to all who believe. The willingness and obedience of Jesus
going to Calvary speaks volumes as to his love and full commitment to his
people. The cross wasn’t an example of Christ’s love for us, it was the essence of
his love. The cross was Jesus’ love in action. We have heard the saying,
“Actions speak louder than words” and this is truly the case in Jesus Christ and the
cross. This is an awe-inspiring love, it is an unbelievable love, it is the kind of
love that is motivated and given by the Spirit so we can in turn love our brothers
and sisters in Christ as Jesus loved.

This is the manuscript from the sermon I preached online for West Bradenton Southside this week.

Scripture
Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28 – 40, John 12:12 – 19
 
Introduction
Easter is a time when we reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  During this time, we are reminded of the humiliating and excruciating painful death our savior endured to atone for our sins.  As Christians we remember that Jesus died for our sins and we rejoice in the truth that he rose from the grave.  We celebrate Easter because He is alive today and seated at the right hand of the Father. 
 
The Bible tells us Jesus endured the cross and rose from the dead so that anyone who puts their faith and trust in him will share in the resurrected life he offers to all who confess their sins, repent and believe on His name.  I will speak more specifically about this next week.
 
Today is Palm Sunday, and this day begins “Holy Week”.  My goal for today is to talk about the four separate accounts of the same event that is called Jesus’ triumphal entry or more commonly known as Palm Sunday found in the Gospels.  This event is one of a few occurrences that is recorded in all four Gospels in the life of Jesus. While all four are similar in subject there are some differences in the way the accounts are re-told.  Today we will look at these accounts collectively as we read about and celebrate the significance of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry.
 
The Story – (Outline)

• The theme of this account is Jesus making preparations for his royal entry.  Palm Sunday is the first time where he publicly accepts worship and He identifies himself with the Messiah. 
• Jesus and his Disciples went to Bethphage which was near Bethany (approximately 2 miles east of Jerusalem) to a place called the Mount of Olives.
• A great crowd of people followed him (John 12:12).  This crowd probably consisted of people taking a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover.  According to the historian Josephus there was one Passover where over two million people came to Jerusalem to attend.  Now, we are not sure if that was normal, but there was certainly a potential for a large gathering of people in Jerusalem for Passover. 
• As Jesus draws near to the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples (undisclosed) to the town to get a donkey colt.  According to the Gospels of Mark and Luke the donkey should be one that has never had a rider; one that is pure and undefiled.
• Matthew and John tell us this all takes place in order to fulfill the words penned by the prophet Zechariah.

Zechariah 9:9 (Read)

• This was a prophecy about the coming King of Zion or more specifically the coming Messiah.
• In this prophecy the people of Israel are told to rejoice and shout because the King is coming soon.
• They are to rejoice because He is a righteous King and He will bring redemption and salvation.
• He will be a gentle and humble king, and this will be evident by his riding on a colt’s donkey.
• Since he was the TRUE king, He could have ridden in on a war horse, but instead he chose to be a King of peace and humility.  A humble, servant King.
  • Jesus tells the disciples that when the owners ask what they are doing to tell him, “The Lord needs it.”
  • As you can imagine that would have been an awkward conversation and moment.
• Think of it this way…. You left your car in the driveway with the keys in the ignition and you see a couple of rough looking guys walk up to the car and get in and start it up.  You run outside and say, “What do you think you are doing?” and they reply, “Jesus needs this car.” 
• How would you respond?  Probably not as compliant as the owner of the donkey colt.  He allows them to take it so the prophecy could be fulfilled. 
• This raises a lot of questions in my mind.  Did the owner know what they were talking about?  Was he aware that something special was happening that day?  Were ALL colt’s donkey owners aware of the prophecy and anticipating the possibility of this happening? 
• I don’t have an answer for any of these questions, but I do believe that the owner was divinely chosen by God to be the one to provide the colt’s donkey to fulfill the prophecy.
• This little side story is encouraging to my heart because this shows me that God uses the smallest of things to accomplish his will. 
• We sometimes think that God needs us to accomplish the big things for Him in order to be used by Him, but we can see right here that even with what seems small and insignificant God can and does use them for His glory and purpose.
• So don’t you ever think that what you do for God is ever too small or insignificant for Him to use for His purposes.
  • Jesus rides into Jerusalem and the people begin shouting and rejoicing saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9)
  • Hosanna – Greek transliteration is “Save us!”  It’s an exclamation of exaltation and praise, and it implies rulership.
  • The praises of the people were reflecting the words of Psalm 118:25, 26, “Lord, save us!  Lord, please grant us success!  He who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed. From the house of the Lord we bless you.”

​Psalms 113 – 118 are called Egyptian Hallel or praise psalms to remember God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt.  These Psalms were/are chanted, recited, and sung during Passover and other major festivals and feasts.  It is probable that the songs Jesus and his disciples sang at the conclusion of the Lord’s Supper were Psalms 115 – 118.

• As the people shouted, they also put their cloaks and palm branches on the ground for Jesus to walk on.  This was a sign of honor and respect. 
• The palm branch symbolizes victory.
• According to author, and New testament scholar N.T. Wright, “They waved branches they’d cut from the trees to make a celebratory procession for him.  This carried royal implications.  In the long folk memory of Jerusalem and its surrounding villages, stories were still told, and some of them by this stage were written down, about the famous Judas Maccabaeus who, 200 years before, had arrived in Jerusalem after conquering the pagan armies that had oppressed Israel.  He, too, was welcomed into the city by a crowd waving palm branches.  And he was the start of a royal dynasty that lasted for over a hundred years.”[1]
• The people were well aware of the setting surrounding the coming Messiah so when the people saw Jesus coming into Jerusalem on the colt, they immediately understood what was going on. 
• However, many of them had false hopes about the Messiah.  They were expecting a mighty warrior who was now going to take charge and lead a revolution against Rome and set the nation of Israel free from the bondage of the Romans. 
• Jesus could have easily allowed the crowd to get into a political riot but since he was the gentle King riding on colt, he signified to the people he is a peaceful and gentle king.
• According to Luke the religious leaders approached Jesus and told him to rebuke his disciples.  They too knew Jesus was accepting the praise of the people as the Messiah.
• Jesus responds that if he were to silence them then the stones would cry out in praise to him.  Jesus responded that there must be some proclamation that He is the Messiah. If not, even inanimate objects (stones) would be called on to testify for Him. All history had pointed toward this single, spectacular event when the Messiah publicly presented Himself to the nation, and God desired that this fact be acknowledged.[2]   .  The Pharisee’s tell Jesus to rebuke his disciples, but Jesus rebukes the Pharisee’s for failing to see that this moment is a God ordained moment.

 
Conclusion
Today we celebrate and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by joining the multitudes by proclaiming “Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” 
 
Now, we know what comes next, but the people who were emphatically proclaiming Jesus as Messiah on this day did not.  Eventually many of them will turn on him and joined the riotous mobs a few days later screaming “Crucify him!”  “Kill the blasphemer!”  “He is not our king!”
 
It’s easy to be like the multitudes and get caught up in the moment, have an intense emotional experience and rejoice over Jesus, but it’s temporal. When things don’t go your way, something bad happens or the excitement of the moment goes away so many people are quick to turn their back on Jesus and end up like the riotous mob that turned on Him and demanded his death.
 
The challenge and question before you today is, “Are you fully in?”  Are you committed to be a full-on disciple of Jesus Christ?  Are you willing to praise him in the glorious sunshine of the morning as well as the darkness of the night?  Are we willing to put our cloak on the ground and praise the King of salvation?  Are you determined to follow and are you committed to your Lord during the good times and during the troubled times?  This is your challenge for today and for the week ahead.  Praise the King for he has come!  Praise the King for he has died a death that we deserve so that we might live.  Praise the King for he is alive today and He dwells among us.


[1] Wright, N.T. (2004) Matthew For Everyone p. 67 Westminster John Knox Press

[2] Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 253). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

INTRODUCTION
We worship a big God!  He is all powerful, all knowing, eternal, fair, just and ever present.  The God we serve has created all things around us.  He has intricately designed this world and all that is in it; He has created you and me as unique individuals and somehow, he makes sure everything is working for all things to exist and survive.  But He is not just a God of the “big” details, He is also the God of the “little” details.  I love what Francis Chan writes in his book entitled, CRAZY LOVE,

“Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is?  He didn’t have to make hundreds of kinds of bananas but he did.  He didn’t have to put 3,000 species of trees within a square mile of the Amazon jungle, but He did.  God didn’t have to create so many kinds of laughter.  Think about the different sounds of your friends’ laughs – wheezes, snorts, silent, loud, obnoxious.

How about how plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into the stems and veins?  Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk?  When they build their webs they use, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web!  Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water varies by even one or two degrees.

Did you know that when you get goose bumps, the hair follicle is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat?  OR what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)?  I’m sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at that?  And these tiny poison swallowing, life giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt.  Some were watered, some weren’t; but after a few days they poked through the soil and into the sunlight.”
           
Have you ever just sat and thought about the excellence of God?  Have you ever thought about his intricacies, his creations, his unfailing love for you, his sacrifice, his massiveness, his care, his mercy, his concern with the small details of life?  Have you ever thought about his promises; His promise to never leave or forsake you;  his promise of eternal life to those who believe in Jesus Christ;  his promise to be near to you if you draw near to him; his promises of justice; and his promise to take care of you and me? 
           
I have thought about these things over and over and when I think about how great our God is and the specific, wonderful care and kindness He shows, I am encouraged beyond all things.  But then, when difficulties arise or the future becomes uncertain, I start to wonder, do I really believe all of this about God?  I begin to question; do I believe God is capable of marvelous accomplishments?  Do I really believe “God is good all the time and all the time God is good”?  Or is this a response I have been programmed to repeat whenever prompted?  Ultimately, I ask myself; do I really believe what I believe?  Maybe you have asked yourself this same question?  Maybe you are asking this question right now amid this pandemic.
           
Can I speak to you on a personal level?  I admit, there are times in my life where my thoughts and beliefs about God do not match up to what I preach when it comes to worry and trusting God.  Now, I know, I am a pastor so I should NEVER question God, worry or have moments where my faith is tried right?  Because we all know pastors are never ever supposed to worry or question God.  Well, I don’t mean to rain on your parade but there are times when I do worry and struggle.  I mean, intellectually I know God is perfect in all ways, I know He will not leave nor forsake me and I fully believe He will provide for all of my basic needs in life; so, tell me why do I continue to worry? 
    
Worry, what is it Good For?
Today we are going to look at a couple of passages in the Bible that will an encouragement to all of us (myself included) as we seek to live worry free lives, especially in these days and times.  As believers we are always called to trust God  and yet we worry that maybe today is the first day in all of eternity that He is not going to pull through.  Worry and trust are negating in all ways.  The two cannot co-exist.  Francis Chan writes from CRAZY LOVE again, “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what is happening in our lives.”  Does that quote sting a little?  It should.  However, my first response is to say, “How dare someone say that my worry implies that I don’t trust God?”  I mean come on, didn’t the patriarchs of old worry?  The disciples seemed to worry, didn’t they?  I mean isn’t worry a natural response that all humans experience?  Sure, it is, but what is worry good for? 
 
Matthew 6:25 – 34
If you have your Bible’s in front of you, or a digital version, I want us to pause for a moment.  Get a pen, highlighter or select the text on your digital device and underline these verses if they are not already…  Now let’s dig into this passage and see how Jesus can speak into our worry.
 
Vs 25 – Jesus says don’t worry about trivial things like what you will eat or wear because life is more than that.
 
Verse 26 – Do I have trouble believing God is going to take care of my needs?  Well look outside see those cute and annoying birds flying around outside.  They don’t plant or harvest their food, yet they seem to always have something to eat.  Hmmm… God provides for those birds.  Do I believe that I am more valuable than a bird in God’s eyes?  If so, do I believe maybe, just maybe God will provide for me?  He cares enough about those winged creatures to provide; then shouldn’t you and I trust and believe that God cares enough about you and me? 
 
Verse 27 – Can you tell me; how much do we accomplish by worrying?  Let’s think about this.  I spend hours worrying about something and during those hours what am I accomplishing?  What purpose has my worry filled?  Nothing whatsoever!  Was anything accomplished by my worrying?  Not a single thing.
 
Verse 28 – If worry is useless then why bother living your life in bondage to it? 
 
Verses 29 – 32:  God takes care of His creation with or without our help, He provides everything that is needed for the plants, the birds, the grass, etc.  God knows our needs and He will give us WHATEVER we NEED. 
 
Verse 33 – So if we don’t spend out time worrying then what are we supposed to do?  Jesus tells us to SEEK first Kingdom of God and all the trivial things in life will be taken care of.  Jesus tells us that we need to make seeking God and his kingdom our top priority.  We are to let him have complete rule and reign over our lives.  But when we worry, we do not believe God is going to pull through for us. 
 
Verse 34 – Jesus essentially tells us that since God is going to take care of us let’s stop wasting our time worrying about anything because God has it all under control.  Since He has it all under control then we need to live in the here and now because God has provided all we need for today.
 
So, what is Jesus telling us in this passage?  He is simply saying, do not worry because God has taken care of ALL our needs.  Now this does not mean that we should neglect personal preparation and planning for the future.  No, that is not what Jesus us saying, He is telling us to not spend all of our time planning for the future and what we want to accomplish because God’s plans may (and probably will) be different from the ones you and I make.  I mean isn’t this when we worry most?  It seems to me that when things don’t go the way I planned them is the time when I start freaking out and worrying about things?
 
How Can We Live “Worry Free” Lives?
I wish there was a pill or a formula I could give you that would eliminate worry from our lives forever.  Unfortunately, there is no such thing available.  However, we can turn to the Word of God and let it speak to us today as a daily reminder that God is in control of all things and I am not.

Proverbs 3:5-6
This passage has encouraged me time and again in my life.  In it I find three steps to help us live worry-free lives.

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart…  Easy enough right?  This may be difficult for some to do.  How do we practically do this?  We can fully rely on God when we put aside ourselves, look to God’s Word and know that we are not in control.  Trusting God requires faith and faith is difficult for some because they have zero control in attaining it.  You see faith doesn’t mean that you can muster up enough positive energy and vibes so that we can come to a point of believing.  No, in fact faith has nothing to do with our efforts, Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”  When we read the Word of God and believe the Gospel message, we can receive the faith we need to trust our God.  The Word of God gives us the faith we need to trust Him and His promises.
   
2. Lean not on your own understanding… We are not as smart as we think we are.  Everything in our society tells us that in order for us to be ok we need to trust in human wisdom, intellect, and abilities.  But God’s word tells us that we need to not lean on our wisdom, intellect and abilities.  God does not work in the ways we think He should.  Many of us begin to worry when things don’t go as planned or in a way that doesn’t make sense or seems illogical. But Isaiah 55:8 – 9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 
   
3. In all your ways acknowledge Him… We always need to trust God, not just when we need him.  So many of us like to exhaust all our resources and when they have not proven true, we finally say, “Ok God, I need you to help me.”  I have heard people say, “We’ve done everything in our own power and all we have left to do if pray.”  Prayer should always be our first response in all things. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 says, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   In the good times and the bad times, we need to trust in and pray to God.  This is the practical expression of the mind and will submitting to God and fully acknowledging him in all things, good and bad.  When we do this the Lord will guide us to our ultimate goal in life.  He will give you the wisdom you need to make wise decisions and ultimately get you to a point where worry will not rule your life.

 
To paraphrase Proverbs 3:5 – 6 and help us live worry-free lives we need to “Trust in God and not your intellect or your crafty plans.  Dedicate your life to Him and give Him complete control over your life in all areas and when you do this God will eliminate the power of worry in your life.”
 
CONCLUSION
For many worrying is a nasty habit to kick, and it can paralyze you, if you let it.  This message today is just as much for me as it is for many of you.  We are living in a time where it is easy to give in to our worries, fears and anxieties, but I want to encourage you (and me) to take keep the words of Proverbs 3:5 – 6 close in heart.  I have purposed in my heart for God to have complete dominion in my life so I may live a stress- and worry-free life.  I am determined to come to terms with the fact that worrying is useless and a complete waste of time.  Time is precious and God does not want me to waste it worrying about things that I have no control over.  Today I am speaking to you in my vulnerability, and declaring that I am giving my worry over to God and I am acknowledging Him in all my ways (good and bad times) and trusting that He will take care of the rest of the details and concerns in my world today.  Would you join with me?

This is the manuscript of the sermon I preached online for West Bradenton Southside on 3/22/20.
 
This week we are continuing our series on the Holy Spirit.  We have spent six weeks talking about the Holy Spirit and the role He plays in the transformative life of the believer and in the Church.  Last week I talked about the many and varying gifts of the Holy Spirit (If you missed it you can read the manuscript online; I will put a link in the comments sections).  I noted that the Bible clearly states each person has a gift(s) and they are given for the benefit and building up of the body of Christ and to the glory of God.  As I concluded the message, I encouraged you take a journey of discovering your gift(s) either online or a physical copy and I would be interested to see what you found out about your gift.
 
Today I will be talking about what the Holy Spirit abiding in the believer (the Spirit-filled life) looks like, and we will do this by looking at the fruit of Spirit found in Galatians 5.
 
Read Galatians 5:16 - 17
Vs 16: The Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians, “walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desires of the flesh.”  What he is saying that when you walk in the Spirit you will not give in to or walking in the desires of flesh or sin.  “Walk(ing) by the Spirit” means to regulate, adjust or conduct your life to the Spirit. 
 
It is very important to understand that The Spirit-filled life is one we cannot live in our own power and under our own control.  You see by nature; we live in direct contrast to the Spirit-filled life; we are controlled or driven by the flesh.  We are sinful by nature, thus we walk in contrast to the ways of God. The only way you can walk in the Spirit is when you have submitted your life in obedience to Jesus Christ and depend on the Spirit to lead and guide.  You cannot live in the Spirit if you don’t allow the Spirit to live through you.  When you have submitted your life to Jesus then the Spirit has control of your life and thus, we will not seek to live flesh filled lives.  This is what verse 16 says… if you walk by Spirit (under the influence of) then you will not seek or desire to walk in the flesh.
 
Vs 17:  There is a war going on in our bodies and this is a war of the flesh and the Spirit.  The two (flesh and Spirit) cannot co-exist.  There is no such thing as a Spirit-filled, flesh-controlled Christian.  It just cannot happen.  I have heard people refer to people who claim to be filled by the Spirit but live their lives contrary to God and are controlled by the flesh as carnal Christians, but I don’t see any evidence in Scripture that supports this claim.  The truth is you are either Spirit-filled/driven or flesh-controlled. 
 
Now, there are times in moments of weakness and selfishness that allow the flesh to control us (remember there is an ongoing battle in us) and as believers we must allow the Spirit to live through us.  We need to pray for the Spirit to motivate us daily and guide us through life.  When those moments of flesh-control come to tempt us we need to pray even more.  The flesh is ever present, yet we cannot allow it to control us because the Holy Spirit dwells in us.  In fact, without the Spirit we simply cannot control the flesh.
 
The Works of the Flesh
Vs 18:  Paul begins by contrasting the Spirit-filled and flesh-controlled life.  He says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”  This implies one who is attached to an attendant.  Thus, if you are attached to the Spirit then you are not attached to the law.  As a Christian you have been released from the oppression of the law and you are now under grace, faith and love through Jesus Christ.
 
Go to 2 Corinthians 3:16 – 18 (Detour)
3:16: “But whenever a person turns to the Lord (Jesus), the veil is removed.”  The veil represents the separation between God and man.  So, when one comes faith in Jesus Christ the veil of separation is removed.  We now have access to the Father at any time.
3:17 – “The Lord is the Spirit”; Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one and the same.  Where the Spirit is there is freedom – Freedom from the law, guilt, sin, death etc. 
 
3:18 – Being free in Christ we begin and continue in a process of becoming more like Christ… we transform into his image.  If we are transformed into his image, we become Spirit-filled (under the influence of the Spirit) and our desire is not for the flesh.  When you are Spirit led you will become more like Christ and thus the Mosaic Law is of no benefit because Jesus fulfilled the law.  If you do not have the Spirit, then you will be controlled by the flesh and it will be evident by the bad fruit you produce.
 
The Fruit of the Flesh (back to Galatians)
Vs 19 – 21: – The person who does not have the Holy Spirit will produce bad fruit and a person controlled by the flesh has one, most or all these characteristics.

1. Sexual immorality – Anyone who engages in any illicit sex often with the implication with prostitution.  This also includes adultery (unfaithfulness), fornication (promiscuity), or incest/Impurity. 
2. Moral impurity -   One who lives a reckless, lustful and luxurious life.  One who lives without any boundaries nor concerns for who he/she hurts in the process.
3. Moral Impurity/Promiscuity – Behavior that is completely lacking moral restraint.  Promiscuous sexual behavior… Living like a dog.  People who live to please themselves (do what feels good and makes you happy). 
4. Idolatry – Worshiping anything other than God.  Allowing anything to take precedence over God.  Allegiance to anyone or thing other than God.
5. Sorcery – Use of magic often involving drugs and casting spells.  Greek word Pharmakeia – Pharmacy.  Anything related to drug use.
6. .Hatred – A person who is hostile or filled with hatred and antagonism. 
7. Strife – Conflict resulting from rivalry or discord.  Could be verbal i.e. always saying bad things about one another or never having a good thing to say about anyone.
8. Jealousy – Feeling of resentment towards someone.
9. Outbursts of anger – Intense anger… Implications of passionate outbursts of rage.
10. Selfish ambitions – hostility or opposition to someone.
11. Dissensions – One who causes discord between groups or people.  One who influences others to be angry with other people or groups.
12. Factions – Dividing a group based on different doctrinal opinions and/or loyalties.
13. Envy – A state of ill will toward someone because of some real or presumed advantage experienced by such a person.
14. Drunkenness – One who becomes intoxicated on alcoholic beverages. 
15. Carousing – drinking parties involving unrestrained indulgences in alcohol with accompanying sexual immoral behavior.

 Those who allow these things to influence, motivate, rule or control their lives will not inherit the kingdom of God.  It’s plain and simple wording here… Paul is saying, “Those who make it a practice to do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
 
The Fruit of the Spirit
Since there is a battle going between the flesh and Spirit it is important for us to know what the Spirit-filled believer’s life is based upon.
 
Vs 22-23: The Fruit of the Spirit. 
Fruit = That which originates or comes from something.  An effect or result.  Evidence.

1. Love – (Agape) – High regard, to regard with affection.  To have love for someone or something, based on sincere appreciation and high regard.
2. Joy – Gladness, joyful, happiness, to be well with, to thrive.  Joy is the actualization of freedom, which takes concrete form in fellowship[i].
3. Peace – The exemption from rage and havoc in the midst of turmoil and war.  Safe from harm.  The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation in Christ.  Fearing nothing of God and content with the way things are in your spiritual walk.
4. Patience – Endurance, long suffering, slow to anger, slowness to avenge wrong doings, a state of emotional calm in the face of misfortune and without complaint or irritation.
5. Kindness – Integrity, moral goodness, benevolent and kind.  To provide something as an act of kindness.
6. Goodness – Uprightness of heart and life.  Honorable, positive moral qualities of the most general nature.  Continually doing good.
7. Faithfulness – Someone who can be relied on.  A person who is trustworthy.  An individual who you can put complete confidence in.  Completely dependable.
8. Gentleness – Mildness of disposition.  Someone who is gentle in spirit, attitude and behavior.
9. Self-Control – One who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites.

 
Conclusion
A person who is a believer in Jesus will have the fruit of the Spirit evident in his/her life.  The Spirit-filled life is not attainable and sustainable in our own human power.  In fact, the fruit of the Spirit will flow naturally from the life of a person who is truly submitted to Jesus Christ.  However, this does not mean there won’t be struggles in living these out.  They are the evidences or proofs of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you.  The flesh and the Spirit are at war with each other and we can only live in the Spirit when we allow the Spirit to have complete control over our lives.  Thus, a Fruitful (or Spirit-filled life) involves submission, obedience and transformation to Jesus Christ and His Word. 

[i] Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (9:369). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Read Psalm 13
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Today’s Psalm is a short one written by David.  It is a Psalm most of us can relate with as it is a feeling, we probably have had during trying times.  This is a song with varying emotions that begins with crying out in despair and anguish and concludes with joy and hope. 
 
Psalm 13 was likely penned at a low point in David’s life; some have suggested he was fighting a life-threatening illness and others suggest it was penned during the time when David was fleeing from the murderous pursuits of King Saul who was trying to kill him.  Whatever the situation he was facing at the time it is apparent that he was in utter despair and close to the end of his rope. 
 
The Psalmist begins his song by asking God a question, “How long?” He asks this question four times and his repetition show that David is at a breaking point, he is getting to the point of being unable to bear or endure the situation(s) he is facing.  He asks God, “How long YHWH will you forget me, how long will you hide your face from me, how long must I take counsel in myself and how long must I watch the enemy exalt over me?” 
 
Initially one would think David is having a crisis of faith as he wonders if God is around or if He even cares.  Now, I don’t believe David is questioning the existence of God nor is he literally thinking God has forgotten about him.  Remember this is a poem or a song which is intended to express a pure feeling or a raw emotion.  His song is not intended to be a theological treatise about God in any sense; he is just expressing his real and open emotions and feelings to God. 
 
David is simply doing something that people in the Bible did for centuries and something we Christians do today and that is question God.  Some examples would include Abraham questioning God when He promised Abraham’s wife, Sarah, would one day bear a son.  Job questioned God when he lost everything that was precious to him.  The prophet Elijah questioned God’s whereabouts when he fled for his life from Queen Jezebel.  And the Israelites continually questioned God in the desert, in famine and other times of calamity.  This should bring comfort to us because when we see some of the greatest people of faith having struggles in life, and they had the guts to cry out to God with these questions and express their true emotions to their sovereign God.  Now, there are people who believe questioning God or complaining to God is wrong, disrespectful and irreverent.  I could not disagree with them more whole heartedly and the Psalms prove that. 
 
You see God is not taken back, intimidated nor offended when we bring our raw unfettered emotions to him.  In fact, I believe He welcomes cries of despair and welcomes when we cast our anxieties on him. 
 
David is voicing his anxiety and concern to God by asking, “How long do I have to endure before you will intervene and take control of the situation?”  It is at this point he feels alone and abandoned by God (yet he knows He’s there) and he is in despair as he faces this difficulty or trial before him.
 
In verse 3 he asks God to consider, pay attention, show regard, or look favorably upon his request.  In other words, he is saying, “God, hear my prayer!  I have made my request known and I implore you to give it consideration.  Give me the hope I need to know that I will emerge victoriously over my enemies for your name sake; lest my enemies think they have won.” 
 
So, in the first three verses we see David lodge a complaint to God (How long O LORD?), a request (Consider and answer me), and now the Psalmist waits with great anticipation and expectation.  He does not have a shallow hope that God may pull through for him; he is expecting God to hear his prayer and respond in an appropriate manner. 
        
Verse 5 is the turning point of this Psalm as it goes from a cry of despair and lament to one of joy and hope.  In despair David is faced with a choice; he can choose to continue in one of two ways

1. He can allow his feelings to dictate his relationship with God and stew in misery and anguish
2. He can remember the nature of His God and trust in His loving kindness.  He can believe God will hear his prayer regardless of what he is feeling and expect God to work. 

 
He chooses to not allow his feelings to hinder his faith.  It is so easy to let our feelings or emotions determine our relationship with God and in the same manner it is also very difficult to not allow our feelings and emotions to determine our relationship with God.  In other words, if we feel down in the dumps, it can be easy to feel that God is far away and when we feel happy it’s easy to feel close to God.  Now, I don’t want to imply that we should never listen to our feelings and suppress them so that we become emotionless people.  We should instead learn from David as he writes, “But I have trusted…”  David does not allow his feeling of despair or his anxieties to dictate his circumstances and his faith.  In fact, the remainder of the Psalm shows us that although David is in great despair, and anxiety but he will still trust in God’s steadfast love.  God has never failed him, and he will trust Him to never fail him ever.  Instead of looking at the circumstances around him or at the overwhelming feelings he has, he will focus on the steadfast love of God.  He will focus on God’s loving kindness and on the many times He has shown David his steadfast love.  David will not only focus on God’s character, but he will also focus on his salvation. 
 
In the Old Testament salvation meant being saved from physical and spiritual danger.  David is rejoicing a bit prematurely because nothing had changed from the opening of the song to its closing.  The situation hadn’t changed one iota, but David’s heart did.    He believes that God will deliver him from his enemies and despair.
 
I don’t know about you, but I want to be more like David with my emotions and anxiety.  There are so many times when I get anxious about finances, work, and ministry and I cry out to God.  I submit my concerns, anxiety and negative feelings to him and inevitably I come to the realization that God has never failed me, and He is not about to begin failing me. 
 
In closing, I would like to give some application points for those of us who may feel the anxiety and despair David is feeling.  Maybe you feel anxious, helpless, and in complete despair and my prayer is that you will gain some insight and respond in the way David does.
 
Application/” Regaining a Sense of God’s Presence”
Gerald H. Wilson writes in his commentary of Psalm 13 of three helpful responses to the question “How we can regain a sense of God’s presence when we feel as though we are all alone and far from his presence.”  Below are three ways we can be assured of God’s presence in times of despair.  He writes… 

1. Voice your complaint.  Be honest with God.  When you are feeling overwhelmed, alone, abandoned or completely disconnected with God, then tell him.  You can do this through prayer, journaling, or even writing your own Psalms, poems or songs.  Wilson even suggests that you can do this audibly.  Maybe you need to find an isolated place and audibly cry out to God.
2. Take the focus off of yourself.  The best medicine for feelings of despair and abandonment is to turn your attention to serving others.  When you focus on your problems then your problems will remain before you.  But when you take the focus off of yourself and begin thinking, praying for, and serving others then we can grow closer to God, bless others and eventually our problems begin to melt away.
3. Keep connected to the body of Christ.  None of us should ever have to face life or difficulties alone. We are called to love and encourage one another, and we are to bear one another’s burdens.  When we gather together, we can pray, worship, cry, laug, and lift one another up together.  Many of us have the natural tendency to think that when faced in a difficult situation we need to keep it to ourselves and go through it alone because we don’t want to be a burden to others.  But this is further from the truth. 

 
Today, if you feel as though your life and all its difficulties seem to be weighing you down and you feel all alone please remember to keep your eyes fixed on God… He is there and He does care.  Talk to Him today and voice your complaint, trust in his steadfast love and rejoice because he has and will deliver you from this time of despair in His perfect timing.