Category: Pastor Tim’s Blog

Sunday I gave an outline in the message for a way to interpret and understand the Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew. The outline is from Life’s Healing Choices that will be used by our Celebrate Recovery ministry when it begins at the Cove in January. The reality is there are eight “bases” we all need to touch as we run through life. Make sure you don’t miss any!

Realize that you are not God.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit….”

Earnestly believe that God exists and that He cares for you.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Consciously choose to commit your life to Christ’s control.
“Blessed are the meek….”

Openly examine and confess your sins and faults.
“Blessed are the pure in heart….”

Voluntarily submit to God-driven change.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”

Evaluate all of your relationships.
“Blessed are the merciful….”

Reflect daily on your relationship with God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Yield yourself to God to become an instrument of sharing the Good News.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake…”

While this is an outline used to help us in recovery, there is another eight-letter word that we also see at work here. It is the word “disciple.” This is a path to healing… but also a path to discipleship. Where ever we find ourselves, there is something here to help us in drawing near to God!

For more information or to view the message, visit our website at fruitcove.com/sermons

Though we don’t know exactly what it was, the Apostle Paul struggled with what he called his “thorn in the flesh.”  It was a persistent, nagging, unrelenting pain.  We are never told what it was, so all we can do is speculate.

Whatever it was, he referred to it as “the messenger of Satan sent to buffet me….” While the devil was the source, God’s will for Paul permitted this pain to visit his life, and caused him to cry out to God for it to cease.

But God did not give Paul his request.  Instead, He gave Paul an unusual measure of His grace to sustain him.  “My grace is sufficient for you…” God said to the great apostle.

Pain is not random in the child of God’s life.  Clearly, God had a plan and a reason for this pain to remain with Paul.  Paul’s interpretation of it was that it had come to bring him humility.

Some of us today are struggling with a “thorn:” a persistent, painful circumstance in our mind, body, family or circumstance.  And the fact that God will not remove it is not an admission that God is weak or our prayers ineffective.

God heard Paul the three times (sometimes I’m confident there were more) that he cried out for mercy. And he received mercy, though not in the way he had asked.  Instead of relief, he got strength to endure.  Instead of a painless life, he received one that was grace-filled to overflowing.
Instead of the pride that comes with physical wholeness and health, he received humility that made him more like Jesus.

“My strength is made perfect in your weakness…” God told Paul, and He tells us.  And with His strength, we can always be content.

Last week, we discussed in this column that the call to care like Jesus involved the sacrifice of our time.  You cannot truly love someone to whom you aren’t willing to “give” your time.

But caring like Jesus also means being willing to get our hands “dirty” with the hard work of serving others.  Loving like Jesus means, as He did, we must be willing to walk with people in hard places:  hospitals, convalescent homes, courtrooms, jail cells, and other places where human need is crying out for attention.

It also means we are willing to walk with… and let me be clear that this means IDENTIFYING with… others in their distress.  I remember the first time I sat with a family in a courthouse hallway awaiting a sentencing hearing for their errant son who broke the law and got caught.

In those places, the people waiting outside in the hallway are all lumped into one to the people who walk by.  I felt the disgust, the “shame on you,” the judgement, and the disdain of the “nice” people who traveled up and down the courthouse environment.  The family I was with was not well dressed (and for one, not well bathed).  Their hair was not beautifully coiffed, and their clothing was older and not stylish.  And I realized, “They think I’m part of the people … of this family… that I’m sitting with.”

I wasn’t… really.  But it was in that moment that I realized, as a person seeking to care like Jesus… that I was identified as if I myself were waiting for a hearing before the judge.  And it was uncomfortable.  And it was an education.

If we are going to care like Jesus, our hands will not stay clean, nor our clothes spotless.  We will find ourselves being identified with people mired in sin, and sometimes that mire splashes onto us.

Squeamish people cannot care like Jesus.  We cannot follow One Who became “at all points like as we are, yet without sin” without being identified with the hurting for whom we are caring.

The world will not be won to faith in Christ by people determined to “keep their distance” and never walk with people into the raw pain of their world.  We must “keep ourselves unspotted from the world” of course.  But that doesn’t mean we keep ourselves apart from a sinful world.

We must bring the presence of Jesus, living within us, into that brokenness.  And sometimes that’s hard, and distasteful, and dirty.  But if that’s what it means to care like Jesus, then that is what we must do.

I thought about the verse that says, “He was numbered among the transgressors” as I sat in the Jefferson County, Kentucky courthouse that day long ago.

And I knew that it was a price I was willing to pay to follow My Lord.

“Jesus loves me, this I know.” Well, how exactly do we “know” that Jesus loves us? If you are familiar with the Bible and the Christian faith, you will answer, “by what He did.” And you would be correct.

Christian love is about more than “feeling” in love. We are called to love people all the time for whom we have no particularly “loving” feelings. So Christian love may or may not involve the engagement of loving emotion.

Yet, we are also called to love…and care…for people as Jesus did. It must be true of us as well that our feelings must be laid aside in favor of our actions toward others. And if we sit and wait for our feelings to give us direction, we will never get around to the hard work of “doing” love.

One of the most difficult and yet most important ways our love flows out is in the sacrifice of “our time.” We must remind ourselves that, when we came to Christ, everything about us became His property. We willingly signed it over with all the “bad” stuff in our lives. He owns it all. “You are not your own, you have been bought with a price.”

Therefore one of the highest prices we will pay
for Christian discipleship and learning to care like Jesus is the willing sacrifice of time. It takes time to invest in others in discipleship, and it takes time to step into the pain of other people and it takes time to stop and pray with a hurting person. Jesus didn’t just give His life when He came, He gave His time.

And if we are going to learn to care like Jesus, the first sacrifice we will make is the right to claim time as “ours.” Give it to Him. He knows how to make better use of “our” time than we do!

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God bless America, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home sweet home.

Did you know that these words, made popular in our culture by Kate Smith’s distinctive voice, are actually a prayer? On the evening of Sept 11, 2001 after two towers had fallen, a plane had crashed, and with the death toll of American casualties still rising…Congress met and stood on the steps for an impromptu meeting. Republican stood shoulder to shoulder with Democrat… fierce enemies politically had now, for the moment, forgotten their animosity. Something bigger was at stake…our future as a nation. They broke into a spontaneous prayer that night as every eye in America was on them and someone began singing, “God Bless America… a song written in 1938 as war began to rage in Europe. And it was written first as a prayer, and only later was set to music.

Can we pray that today? Can we ask God to bless the things that are happening around us in our nation? Can we hope these continue into the lives of our children and grandchildren? Do we really want God to bless America as things are now? Are we now the nation we truly want our children and grandchildren to inherit?

We are no longer the “United” States of America. To say we are united is almost a mockery. We are more divided than we have been since the country broke into Civil War. Politically, ethically, morally, our views of how we see gender and sexuality, race, and the economy. Unity does not define our nation. While we tried to bring diversity to the forefront of our national consciousness, what we inadvertently brought was disunity.

But by the good grace of God, it may not be too late for Him to hear, one more time, the Christian family…the Body of Christ…praying again; pleading again; turning in repentance. No culture has risen to the heights we have known in America; no country has been lavished with more opportunities… no nation has been quicker to aid and assist those who are hurting.

Certainly, there is still greatness. But the days are turbulent, and the circumstances are growing darker, and the time is getting shorter. It’s time to pray. It’s time to ask God to forgive us. It’s time to recognize that politics, or a growing economy, or a unified Washington will not bring the change needed. Only God can do that.

And by His grace, we pray He will bless America!

Occasionally we need to be reminded of what we already know. We need to be reminded because it is vitally important that we not forget. Ever. And it is important because, if you’re a Christ-follower today, it is to be your priority-not just to bring us to salvation, but to bring everything in our life under this radical truth. The Gospel, lest we forget, says:

We were dead in our trespasses and sin.
Religion couldn’t help us.
New resolutions to change couldn’t help us.
Jesus, the baby born of a virgin in Bethlehem, was the Son of God.
He did what we couldn’t do.
He lived a righteous life that pleased God.
Still he got crucified on a cross under the curse of sin. He did that for us. He died in our place.
But Jesus was raised from the grave to offer new life in his Spirit. Jesus gives this new life to all who call upon him in faith.

The beauty of the Gospel is that those who trust in Jesus need never again fear alienation from God. In Christ you are secure. In Christ you are loved. In Christ you are whole. In Christ you are chosen. In Christ you are pure. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8: 1)

Remind your heart often of this. Remind and tell those you love …and even those you don’t about this. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”

If you have been transformed by the Gospel, you have been commissioned by Jesus to share it with others.

It is, after all, the most important thing in your life!

When we begin to teach our children as they are very young our “lessons” tend to be very practical: “How to” tie your shoe. “When to” say please or thank you. “How to” spell hard words

As they grow older the lessons become more complex. “How to” drive. “How to” pick a major in college. “How to” know when we’re really in love

But much larger and more important questions must also be undertaken by parents who wish to see their children embrace the faith:

• WHERE did we come from?
• WHY are we here?
• WHERE are we going?

These questions loom large in our lives and we will seek and we will find answers, though not always the right ones

Don’t allow this present world to squeeze your children into its mold (Roman 12:1-2). Teach them. Answer these questions from the Bible’s perspective and you will set their lives on the right path.

A Christian worldview will inform almost every decision your child makes. Be certain they hear the truth from you first.

And then, when they are old, they will not leave the way they should go.

Start with the three questions above. You will never be sorry they heard it first from you!

Marriage is a mystery, according to Paul. A “mega” (great) mystery in fact! Many would agree with that assessment, whether you’re in a brand-new marriage, or a broken relationship, or if you’re ready to walk away from your spouse. It’s a profound mystery to us.

It’s a mystery how men and women manage to get together. And then, when they get together, they find themselves in a relationship with a person that is in many ways the opposite of who they are or who you may have thought they were.

It’s a mystery how to make this thing work. You may, again, be just starting out. The journey from where you stand today looks daunting. How are we going to make it “till death do us part” since the adjustments of the first few months have been brutal.

Or maybe you’ve just given up on your relationship altogether, deciding it’s way too mysterious to figure out how to go back to square one and start again, or how to choke out those words “I’m sorry” or “I forgive you” to the person to whom you are married.

Part of what makes marriage so mysterious is we don’t know how to read what the Creator of marriage said about it. He said things like:

• “It’s not about your happiness or fulfillment, but your sacrifice.”
• “It’s not about you always getting your way, but serving”
• “It’s not about you getting love, but about you giving love.”
• “It’s not about you winning, but you surrendering.”

Most of us turn to our peers, not the Bible, when it comes time to ask for advice or share our struggles with marriage. Our friends, steeped in the culture of the world, will advise you from the world’s vantage point to do just the opposite of what the Bible says.

The Bible’s counsel for marriage is summarized in Ephesians 5. There we see three “anchor” points or principles that help us navigate when the sea of matrimony gets stormy.

First, we are to exhibit a submissive spirit. Our primary submission is to “one another” in marriage… unto Christ. A submissive spirit, though assigned as the wife’s duty, is first of all to be given to the Lord.

Second, we are to exhibit a servant’s heart. This quality is to be exhibit from the husband to the wife. The husband is to serve his wife as he serves the Lord. His service to his wife is an act of worship to the Lord. We love our wife in the same way we want to love Jesus. No wife will ever resent being submissive to that kind of partner.

Third, we are to display sacrificial love. This is a love that, not only is willing to die for the beloved (as most husbands would claim they would), but that actually dies! Not the death of taking a bullet or throwing himself in front of a speeding automobile to save them, but daily dying to himself; his wants… his needs… for the sake of loving his wife.

This kind of marriage will truly glorify the Lord, mystify the world and please those involved in it. Don’t take your marching orders from the wrong source.

But the mystery extends to what our marriage shows. A Christian marriage demonstrates the love of Christ for His Bride, the church. Don’t give up on the picture. Your marriage is bigger than you, and more important than your momentary trials. The Gospel is seen as you live this out.

Live in the mystery. It is there that God shows His greatest power, and the world sees an astounding witness.

And one day, the mystery will become clear to us!

I will on occasion encounter an honest person who is in a troubled marriage who will ask, “Why should I stay? I’m miserable. She’s miserable. We fight all the time. She doesn’t like me anymore, and I really don’t think I like her.” Here is an answer.

We are stewards (managers) of a spiritual mystery. “The two shall become one” (though sometimes we fight over which one)! But marriage is “union without annihilation.” Both of us continue on individually, though spiritually, emotionally and in many other ways we are one. That is not an automatic, nor an easy transition to make. It takes time… and grace to see it happen.

We are one new creation in Christ. A caterpillar has to cease to exist to become a butterfly. There will be some things you must voluntarily “cease” being to be married. As a Christian your marriage is a way of showing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are people who see and understand God’s sacrificial love for us; His servant’s heart; His amazing gift… as they look at you working out your marriage… even though it may be in a season of trouble. So if your marriage prematurely ends, it distorts that picture… t closes that window. You are stewards of the GOSPEL when you marry. “I am speaking of Christ and the church,” Paul said. The Gospel says this: “We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same moment we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. “(Tim Keller). That is the only kind of relationship that will transform us. That is the only kind of love that will endure.

When Jesus looked down from the cross, he didn’t think, “I’m giving Myself to you because you are so attractive to me.” No, he was in agony, and he looked down at us—denying Him, betraying Him, abandoning Him—and in history’s greatest act of love, HE STAYED ON THE CROSS! He said, “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.” He loved us, not because we are lovely to him, but to make us lovely. “That is why I’m going to love my spouse.” Speak often to your heart like that… and then hold on to the promises you made on your wedding day.

While you may not be particularly happy in your relationship today, the reward comes as you endure… and wait for God’s renewing to come to your relationship. He started it; we can trust Him to fix what’s broken. “He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it.” Lean on Him fully in the storms that come to your marriage… He will see you through!