07

Jump Start # 1720

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1720

Acts 8:25 “So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the Gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.”

 

I came across something interesting recently. We have just added a new addition on to the church building where I attend. The deacons have been shifting classes around and moving things around and tossing a bunch of clutter that has gathered over the years. Like home, things pile up over time and it’s good to go through things and pass them on to others or get rid of things no longer needed. They found an old pulpit. We have a few other older pulpits that are used in classrooms. One was used for over 50 years in an earlier building. It was the main pulpit that was preached from in the auditorium. I had not seen the pulpit that the deacons found the other day. It’s old. It needs a lot of TLC. Our in-house historian remembers seeing it in the basement of the last church building. This congregation is over 100 years old. It started in someone’s front room. Within a year it had moved to a frame church building on Silver Street. The church worshipped there for three decades. A large Bedford stone building was built in 1950 and the church met there until 2003, when it built a larger facility on a different street. We are thinking that the old pulpit that the deacons dug out of the clutter might have been the original pulpit used at the frame meeting house nearly 100 years ago. That old pulpit currently is in my office. I hope to restore it and keep it as part of our history and legacy.

 

I look at that old pulpit and wonder what men stood behind that and poured their hearts out as they taught the word of God. I wonder about the prayers offered from that pulpit during both WW I and WW II. There are families with us now that are connected to those early days. That’s the best legacy. Not an old piece of furniture, but living faith that is making a difference in this generation.

 

Our verse today, about Peter and John, reveals that on their return trip home to Jerusalem, they preached. They preached in the village of the Samaritans. They preached Jesus.

 

Every week our preachers pour hours into their lessons. They study to be accurate. They find the best way to say what needs to be said. They look up words. They read passages after passages. They write notes and read from books. They craft a sermon that they hope will make a difference. Does it?

 

Have you ever thought, ‘Why do we have a sermon every week?’ Or, ‘What good do these sermons do?’ Long ago, the common thought was for every minute you were in the pulpit you needed to spend an hour in study. That meant a 30 minute sermon would equate to 30 hours of study. That might have worked well for the old timers, long ago, but for most of us, there just isn’t enough time to do that. There are classes to study and teach. There are people to visit. There are questions to be answered. There are things to be written. Many of us are preaching two sermons a week.

 

What good does a sermon do?

 

First, it can build hope and answer questions. We live in times where people need real proof. A sermon can do that.

 

Second, a sermon can encourage and strengthen. We need reminders of what we are doing and why we do it this way.

 

Third, a sermon can convict the heart and lead to salvation. It becomes a bridge to Jesus. This is exactly what happened in the first sermon in Acts. Peter preached. The audience was convicted. Souls were saved. The sermon was the means that changed their lives. It was Jesus who saved, not the sermon. It was the Gospel that built their lives, not the sermon, but the sermon brought it to the front. The sermon showed them and taught them. The sermon was the avenue whereby these things could happen.

 

Fourth, a sermon can build courage to face the world. Through a sermon tools can be given that we use to teach others. We see faith through the Scriptures.

 

Fifth, a sermon can change us for the better. Sitting in the audience, listening to a man preach about the character of Christ, or being a man of God, or being a leader at home, will make the one with an honest and good heart to look within. Right there in the pew, that man may decide to do better. He may realize that he has too much of self in him. That sermon can change his life.

 

Most of us can remember a sermon that really made a difference in our lives. That sermon became a defining moment for us. It brought us to a decision and from that we moved closer to the Lord. Each week, sermons are preached by God’s servants to help us. They are presented to change us. They are presented to deepen our knowledge and commitment to Christ. God’s word is powerful. God’s word can change the most stubborn person. It can turn an old grump into a generous and kind person. It can drive worry and fear out of a person. It can give a shy person the courage to invite a co-worker to services. It can lead a discouraged person to tie a knot in his faith and hold on a bit more.

 

Sermons are powerful. The modern churches today have moved past sermons. They are into shows and entertainment. They have given up on doctrine. Whatever one believes is fine with them. It’s a show now, for the moderns. God hasn’t given up on preaching. It was His choice to spread the word. Through preaching God has warned, taught, and built faith in His people. Early in the morning, Jeremiah tells us, God was sending out the prophets to preach. The instructions of Jesus were to go into all the world and preach. The preached word—not feelings, not a dramatic presentation, was the manner God chose to reveal His will. Preaching is never out. Preaching will never die. Preaching is important.

 

We need more preachers. We need more churches to show men just how to preach effectively. We need more churches who are interested in preaching. This week I am with a church out West. I am preaching. I am preaching both in the mornings and at night. It’s the greatest thing I can do for these folks.

 

I like old pulpits. They have a history and a story. They are a legacy of good that was done. They remind us of the preached word. They remind us of faithful servants. They remind us that God wants us.

 

Roger

 

04

Jump Start # 1719

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1719

1 Peter 3:3-4 “And let not your adornment be merely external  braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”

  Throughout the Scriptures we find reminders of our soul and eternity. The emphasis in the Scriptures is upon our souls. It’s from within, out of the heart that proceed evil things that defile us, Jesus tells us. It is so important at we recognize and notice these “Whispers of eternity.” We can be so consumed with the here and now that we forget about what lies ahead. With this election, it seems that everyone is obsessed with right and left and they have forgotten that there is an up and a down. We can go the entire day and not give a single thought to the eternal. We forget that we have a soul. We become so saturated with the present that we lose our connection to God and our soul is forgotten.

 

Remembering the eternal will help us fight temptation. Satan wants us to only see the present hour. He tries to hide our eyes to consequences of sin. Understanding that every choice either helps me get stronger or weaker in the Lord, helps with our resolve to finish the course set before us.

 

Remembering the eternal helps with trials and pain. It’s hard to deal with cancer, failing health, the loss of a loved one and the sorrows of this world. Keeping our eyes on the Lord, we understand someday all these things will be behind us. We realize that these are nothing more than speed bumps on our journey. We will die. We know that. We recognize that death is nothing more than a door into the next room. It’s in the next room that we want to be. It’s in that room that we will see God. All the things that bother us now, will stay behind. They don’t go with us through the door into the next room. That outlook can certainly fill our hearts with hope and faith in the Lord. What can man do to me? Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God.

 

Remembering the eternal puts more passion in my worship. I’m singing to God, who forgave me, blessed me and wants me to be with Him forever. That ought to help us sing with more enthusiasm. When God’s word is preached, it causes me to sit up and pay close attention. God’s talking to me through the Bible.

 

Remembering the eternal will guide me in putting the emphasis in life upon the things that really matter, such as character, faith, hope, love, God and forgiveness. We tend to major in the minor or insignificant things in life that in a decade really won’t matter.

 

Our verse today, from Peter, has this very thought in mind. Peter gives us six verses for wives. The direction is the character, heart and those whispers of eternity. He tells wives to be submissive to their husbands. This isn’t a bad thing. Husbands are to be submissive. Many do not realize this. All of us are to be submissive to the government, the eldership and even each other. Submission isn’t so much about behavior as it is attitude. It’s the bending of the will for the other. It’s allowing the other to go first. It’s a choice. It’s an inside kind of thing. Peter then adds, that “chaste and respectful behavior” of the wives. Our verse today comes next.

 

Peter’s thoughts remind us that we need to pay attention to how we look on the inside. The outside is the braiding of the hair, wearing gold jewelry, putting on dresses. Much of this is a sign of wealth, especially in those times. Many of the Christians were poor. Many were servants. Peter reminds servants in the previous chapter how to behave. Servants wouldn’t be found dressing the way Peter is describing these wives. This may be an extreme illustration or there could have been some well-to-do brethren among them. Either way, what good is it to look snappy on the outside and forget to dress yourself on the inside? Hollywood does this.  Some will wear dresses that costs more than a car, but their language, lifestyle and attitudes are dirty, messy and ungodly. They forgot their insides. Peter wants wives to put on a spirit of gentleness, which he tells us is precious in the sight of God.

 

Remembering your insides. We need that. We can look good Sunday morning at church, but come with sorry attitudes, bitter spirits or unthankful hearts. We certainly look sharp on the outside, but the insides is what matters. The insides can heal wounds or they can separate and divide. Our words can offer hope and a second chance or they can close the door to others. Selfish and demanding or thankful and generous—those are the inside things that make all the difference in our fellowship, unity and being the people of God.

 

God is more concerned with our insides than our outsides. I doubt that God really cares if our socks are plain blue, or if they even match. What He does care about is what I think about you. He cares about what I think about Him. This is the difference we find in the world today. There are many who have mastered making the outside look impressive, but there is simply nothing on the inside. The showroom dazzles, but the warehouse is empty. Beautiful looking homes that are occupied with families that cannot communicate, share or forgive one another. Impressive looking church buildings filled with empty lives that do not follow the Bible. Great careers that are not leading anyone toward God. We live in times where the external has surpassed the internal. We live in times in which eternality has become forgotten.

 

May we be better than this. May we realize that God has placed eternity within our hearts, as Solomon tells us. May we see things through the eyes of God. Things look so differently from God’s side of things. May we realize, as David told Jonathan, that there is but a step between us and death. Only a step.

 

What we need today are more spiritual giants. We need men and women whose hearts dwell in eternity. We need folks who are living as if one foot is already in Heaven.

 

I hope this little journey through the “Whispers of eternity” has helped you set your compass back toward Heaven.

 

It won’t be long until we are out of here. Let us keep the faith. Let us finish the course.

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 1718

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1718

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

  Whispers of eternity—that’s our thoughts this week. God is constantly reminding us of our spiritual side and of our existence beyond death. Our passage today presents one of the clearest images of those thoughts. Here Paul talks about the “outer man” and the “inner man.” As this thought continues into the next chapter, the illustration switches to a house. Paul refers to the “outer man” as an earthly tent. It is in this series of illustrations that he shows the true feelings of a Christian concerning the eternal. Paul says,

  • While we are in this tent, our bodies, we groan because we are burdened
  • We long to be with God
  • God made us for this purpose
  • We prefer to be out of this body and to be with God

 

These thoughts show the emphasis and the superiority of the spiritual over the physical. We have a physical side to us, that’s obvious, but it’s the soul, the eternal side, which is more important. Our verse today helps us to see this.

 

The outer man, that’s the body, is decaying. Just the opposite of the evolutionary theory, we do not progress to a greater state, but we gradually fall apart. Just look in the mirror. When you are in your 20’s and 30’s, you don’t recognize this. But by the mid 40’s on, your begin to see the miles on your life. You tire more easily than you once did. Moving things around hurts your back, when it never did before. You need glasses. Your hair begins to show the signs of age. Give it time, it only gets worse. Your memory starts fading. You walk with a cane. Medicines and doctor visits become a part of your regular routine. You are not getting better, you are decaying. The body is wearing out.

 

However, the condition of the body is not a reflection of the soul or the “inner man.” Paul tells us that the two men are traveling opposite directions. One is decaying and the other is getting stronger day by day. What happens to the body is not an indication of what happens to the soul.

 

Also, interesting in this illustration, there is little we can do to stop the outer man from decaying. Certainly, we can eat better and exercise but that won’t stop the aging process. We will still “decay.” The outer man is out of our control. However, the inner man, which is far more important, is something that we can affect and change. The soul, that inner man, can be strengthened by the choices we make. We are in control of what happens to our soul. We can’t do much to the outer man, but the inner man is within our power to improve.

 

So, as we age, what can we do to “renew” that inner man, or our soul? Daily choices, regular habits, controlling what influences you all have an impact on our soul. Some get older but they don’t get any better. In fact, as some get older, they get worse. They become grumpy and complaining. They feel that their age gives them the right to rain on everyone’s parade. Instead of being young and dumb, some have simply gotten old and dumb, especially spiritually. They have not fed their soul. They have not renewed the inner man. They have miles on their body and their soul has not learned anything. Stress, fear and worry continue to affect them. They do not see things spiritually. They have remained shallow and unchanged by the blessings and grace of God. They have stunted their soul by the poor choices in their life.

 

Paul’s words to the Corinthians, state, “Therefore we do not lose heart…” We don’t become discouraged. We are not down and out about this. Yes, we are falling apart physically, but our souls are better and stronger than ever before. That’s how Paul saw things. This happens by making the effort and the choice to take care of that soul.

 

Worshipping God on a daily basis is part of this.

Praying all the time will remind you of this.

Putting your nose into the Bible and becoming transformed by what you learn will get you there.

Giving more diligence to the internal than the external will help you renew that inner man.

 

It’s a matter of choice. You can be old and falling apart on the outside, but strong and powerful on the inside. Your mind, your soul, your determination and will can be so locked onto God that you have got your sights set on that Heavenly home. Nothing will move you from that destination. As you age, you more and more think about that Heavenly home. You want to be in Heaven. You don’t let the physical side of things sway your purpose. Elections, weather, disappointments, hurts and pains, they don’t “weaken” the inner man. Your sights are set on Heaven.

 

I watched the Cubs win the World Series last night. No one is alive today that remembers the last time they won. It was 108 years ago. The smiles, the jumping up and down, the hugs, the happiness of what they achieved not just in that final game, but in the series, the playoffs, and the entire season—it was a long journey but they made it. I just wonder if that’s a glimpse of the joys we will feel when we make it to Heaven. Smiles. Hugs. Jumping up and down. For the Cubs, the injuries didn’t matter at that point. The errors made throughout the season didn’t matter at that point. They made it and they made it because of choices and the help of each other. What pains, sacrifices, hardships we have endured, won’t matter once we are there. It’s similar to flying. I have a flight coming up this weekend. Some are smooth. Some are bumpy. I’ve had flights delayed and flights canceled. I have been rerouted to different places because of weather or possible mechanical trouble. I’ve had bags damaged and some bags went on when I got off. A lot of adventures and stories. But once I’m on the ground, where I am supposed to be, it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter. I made it. I saw a young guy who had his face in the throw up bag the entire flight. No one sat by him. We landed. He got off. He was ok.

 

Your journey may be difficult. You may not get much support at home. Maybe the congregation you are a part of isn’t doing well right now. Maybe life has not turned out the way you expected. Maybe there has been a death. Maybe a divorce. Maybe some heartache. You can hang your hat on those things and use them to be miserable the rest of your life, or you can move on and continue to make the right choices and renew that soul of yours. The words of our passage today state that the inner man was being renewed day by day. Every day. Every day getting stronger. Every day hanging in there with the Lord.

 

These are all choices we must make. You decide whether your inner man is going to be renewed or old, stale and stuck. You decide whether you will get stronger each day spiritually or if you will ignore your spiritual side. Your choice. You can’t stop what is going to happen to the outside of you. But the inside is all up to you. Make it the way that pleases God.

 

Day by day—it’s a process. There is not one sermon, one verse, one thing that you need to do. It’s steps. Each step takes you closer to the Lord. Day by day…

 

Today is one of those “day by days.”

 

Roger

 

 

02

Jump Start # 1717

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1717

2 Kings 20:1 “In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’’”

 

We continue with our series, “Whispers of Eternity.” Throughout the Scriptures we find a continual reference to the fact that our bodies are mortal and will die but our souls live on. Death is not the end to us. There is no “The End,” to our story.

 

The world looks differently at the subject of death than God does. Those who don’t walk with God fear death. They don’t want to talk about it. Death is cool on the movie screen. Video games have us blasting bad guys without any thought. Crime shows begin with someone being killed. Death can seem glamorous and even fascinating as Hollywood presents it. But when death comes to our home, to someone that we know and love, all the coolness suddenly disappears. The world will use words to describe death such as tragic, gone, lost, over, even expressions such as buying the farm or kicking the bucket. For the righteous, the Bible uses words such as gain, blessing, precious—to describe the death of God’s people. Different outlook. Different attitude. All of this based upon whether someone believes that this is it or if we live on after death.

 

Our verse today shows the reaction that a king had when he was told that he was going to die. The king is Hezekiah. He was very ill. God sent Isaiah to confirm what the king may have thought, he was going to die. God told him to “Set your house in order.” What follows tells us much about the character of Hezekiah. That statement from God could well be sent to us. We need to set our house in order because we are going to die. For Hezekiah, it’s was very soon. For us, it may be years or even decades out, but it will still happen. Given the news that Hezekiah received, I wonder what our reaction, my reaction, would be. Would I be angry with God? Would I feel cheated? Would I try to squeeze in all the last minute fun that I could? Would I turn my back on God and go out in sin? Would I gather my family together? Set your house in order.

 

That’s a great statement. That line makes a great sermon. There are several applications that could be made.

  • There are some congregations that need to set things in order. They are simply out of order
  • There is a physical side to setting your house in order—the finances, the important papers, telling others how things operate at work or even at home
  • There is the emotional side to setting your house in order—there are things that you needed to say to others but you never have. Maybe you have been too proud to apologize. Set your house in order. Maybe you have had a hard time saying, “I love you,” to those dear to your heart. Set your house in order. Maybe you have never thanked those who made a difference in your life and gave you a chance when you were young and starting out. Set your house in order.
  • There is the spiritual side to this. Set your house in order spiritually. First, begin with yourself. Are you obedient to Christ? Are you serious about your faith in the Lord? What about others in your family? Have you talked with them about their souls? Have you sat down and opened up the Bible and had a one-on-one discussion with them about what God says? Are you ready to meet God?

 

Hezekiah turned to the wall and prayed. He didn’t ask God to forgive him. He didn’t ask God to live longer. He didn’t ask God to give him a second chance. His prayer said, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in Your sight.” That’s it. Simply Remember. Remember what I have done. Hezekiah didn’t “find” God in his last few days. He had been with God all along. He had walked with God. He had been close to God. Then Hezekiah cried. He wept greatly.

 

Before Isaiah left the palace compound, God summoned him back to Hezekiah. The prayer was heard. God said, “I have seen your tears.” God granted Hezekiah an additional 15 years. He didn’t use those additional years wisely. From our side of things, it seems that he should have just died.

 

There is a setting things in order that needs to be the center of our lives. We have a tendency to get our “order” out of order. Priorities get mixed up. We forget what the big picture is. We worry about things that do not matter. We get overwhelmed with minor details of nothingness that we live out of order.

 

What does out of order look like?

 

It looks like the person who ignores the subject of death and believes if he never thinks about it, it won’t happen. It will.

 

It looks like the person who lives only to himself. He doesn’t think of others, their feelings or the consequences of what he is doing. His order is out of order.

 

It looks like the person who lives as if this is it. He never thinks spiritual. He never prays. He never talks spiritual. He never considers the spiritual. It’s all now. It’s all here. It’s all material. This thinking has made him selfish, materialistic, proud, and closed minded. He avoids all things religious and spiritual. Once in a while, you will see such a person at a funeral. My, oh, my, they are uncomfortable. They don’t want to think about death and there it is. Here comes the preacher with a Bible, a lesson and prayers. They can’t wait to get out of that place and push those thoughts out of their mind. They ignore Solomon’s wisdom about it being good to go to the house of mourning. They do not take it to heart.

 

It looks like a person who is terrified of dying. They will do everything possible to keep going. They will push for surgeries and treatments in advanced ages in life because “this is it.” This is all that they have. They fear death.

 

It looks like a person who thinks he has all the answers but he really doesn’t. He is so out of order that he doesn’t even realize it.

 

Out of order. When an elevator is out of order, you have to take the stairs. When our lives are out of order, it would do well to climb the steps toward Heaven. For the righteous, who is living a life that is in order, it looks just the opposite of all those points above. He is humble and trusting God. He doesn’t fear death. He knows what will happen and why. He is spiritual. He is sharing. He believes in the Lord.

 

Set your house in order. One of my children just moved. His new house is out of order with boxes and unpacking. We get that. How about the person who lives spiritually out of order? He doesn’t unpack the baggage that is weighing him down. He doesn’t set things in order. He simply goes through another day. Someday, he will run out of days and then he will find out that he missed the most important things in life.

 

Set your house in order. Are you worshipping God often? Are you worshipping God the way He wants to be worshipped? Do you think about the eternal? Is God’s word a part of your daily schedule? Is there anything for God to remember in your life? Have you given Him anything worthwhile to remember?

 

Get your order in order…

 

Roger

 

01

Jump Start # 1716

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 1716

 

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment”

 

Whispers of eternity—we continue with those thoughts today. Our verse is a solemn reminder not only of our coming death, but a reminder of eternity. The divine appointment involving death is clearly seen all around us. People die. Young people, old people. People who are ready to die and people who are not ready to die. This verse not only tells us that we die, but there is that one word that whispers eternity for us, “AFTER.”

 

Death isn’t the end. There is something AFTER death. After death comes judgment. We exist. We are accountable. God isn’t through with us. Death is not the end of us, it’s also not the worst thing that can happen to us. Death is just a process. It is the opposite of birth. Birth takes us from one realm or room to another. Death simply is a doorway from this realm or room to the next. You can’t get to the next room without going through the door called death. Death is the opposite of birth. It’s a doorway, or an entrance. It’s a process. It’s not a place you go to, but what you go through.

 

Many get so fixed upon that door. They worry about that door. They think about that door. They are afraid of that door. They put so much energy trying to avoid that door that they forget that there is something AFTER. The door isn’t it. The door isn’t the end of our story. We live on. There is more to come. There is that AFTER. This is why we use expressions such as “AFTERlife” or “life after death.” There is more.

 

This is how we are made in the image of God. This is the dual nature of man. The body dies but the soul doesn’t. Luke records Jesus saying do not fear the one who can kill the body and do no more. One can take your life, yet, you still live. Not here, but in the next realm or room. No man can kill the soul. We are everlasting.

 

This being true, then it seems that we ought to be more emphasis upon the AFTER than the BEFORE. Before death is where we are now. After death is the eternal. We will spend more time in the AFTER than we do the BEFORE. Much of what occupies us in the BEFORE really won’t matter in the AFTER.

 

Here’s a few for instances:

 

I really doubt in the AFTER that God will be concerned whether we changed the oil in our cars every 3,000 miles.

I doubt that God will care whether we fertilized our yards every spring.

I doubt that God will care whether we updated our houses.

I doubt that God will care whether we flossed our teeth or not.

I doubt that God will care how clean and up to date our resumes looked

I doubt that God will care how many apps where on our phone

I doubt that God will care if we could remember who won the past Super Bowls.

I doubt that God will care if we maxed our 401’s.

I doubt that God will care how often we took our pets to the vet.

I doubt that God will care what we served at Thanksgiving.

 

These are the things that make up our world BEFORE death. Most of these things are unique to our times. The early Christians would not have known about most of these. Yet, here we are, worrying, fretting and getting bothered about these things.

 

It’s the AFTER death things that really matter. That list would include:

 

Our character

Whether we worshipped God as He wanted to be worshipped

The difference we made in the lives of others

Whether or not we walked with the Lord

Did we pray?

Did we know His will?

Were we forgiving?

How hard did we try?

Did we believe?

BEFORE and AFTER—that’s more than just photos we notice on Facebook. It really expresses the whispers of eternity. If you want a nice AFTER, then you must make the right choices BEFORE. You can’t live like a sinner and die like a saint. Your BEFORE death, determines you AFTER death.

 

There is a coming appointment. We won’t miss it nor be late for it. The appointment is made by God. It is appointed unto man to die once, AFTER that…

 

Roger