Fill ‘er up?

I think many people miss the point: God loves us. The evidence is crystal clear. The days of punishment are over. Jesus took care of that on the cross. 1 John 2:2

2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

So why don’t we accept our free gift of salvation. I like free things; I’ll bet you do too. And yet… we are stubborn. It’s like we don’t trust him. Why? Why aren’t there more people in church today? Why? I’ll bet if there was free gas down at the Shell station right now, the line would be down the street. Heck, I’d be there. The fuel (notice I didn’t say gas) offered here is free, yet we are a small church.

I know, I know, it’s difficult to get people to come. But understand this: the responsibility for getting people in line for the free fuel here is not yours alone. God is in control, always. Jesus understood this perfectly in Luke 22:41-42

41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

One of the things I appreciate about Steve Mason is his understanding of this fundamental fact, and his willingness to accept it. Steve knows what is being offered and he realizes the emptiness in all of our lives that can only be filled by Jesus. And yet, as hard as he works, as hard as we all work to share our testimonies and live godly, righteous lives, we are inadequate and unable to affect those around us anymore than God will allow.

But don't stop praying, and don’t stop believing. We all know how this ends. Isaiah 45:22-23

22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

So, regardless of our personal agendas, God has that part covered. Our families, friends, and neighbors will come when the time is right. While we wait, let’s join together and pray for our community.

Prayer: Father God, I pray today for my brothers and sisters here. Please strengthen our faith through your word. Please continue to love us and provide for our families. I also pray for our community. Please use Oasis Church as a magnet for those in need of your word and your love. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The title of my message today is “Fill ‘er up.”

I am not a pastor; I am, however, a teacher. God blessed me with the skillset required to teach young people, and yes, I will accept your daily prayer and encouragement.

A few moments ago I asked why more people don’t seek God to fill in the very obvious God shaped (not apple shaped) hole in their souls. I suspect that the answer has to do with our being willful and stubborn. And that’s interesting because God clearly made us that way.

Back in the day, Adam and Eve spent time in the garden with God who gave them everything they could ever need, all they had to do was… nothing.

Now, I want to pause there for just a minute and imagine what that must have been like: Adam and Eve hanging out in the garden with God. Think of it: a private audience with the creator. All questions answered and an infinite amount of everything. Sounds heavenly, right? I can’t wait.

But Adam and Eve couldn’t just do nothing. They were curious.  That led to deception which led to disobedience, and that was the end of the party. Genesis 3 tells the story.

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Do you think the apple was worth it? Worth the price paid? I’m sure it tasted amazing at first; but that flavor quickly faded while the penalty was permanent.

The Israelites had all the manna they could eat along with protection and clear instructions from God; yet they quarreled, groaned and complained while wishing to return to slavery. They even built a golden calf to idolize in place of their loving father. Moses himself, who had direct contact with God, got frustrated and overplayed his hand drawing water from a rock. That penalty kept him out of the Promised Land. Listen to Numbers 20:10

10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. 12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” 13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.

David, a man after God’s own heart, clearly chosen as a leader of his people, whose lineage would eventually lead to Jesus himself, sinned again, and again, and again. Why? Why do he push God away? Why do we think we know better than the Creator of the Universe? The UNIVERSE people??

Remember the saying: big God equals little problems? Our problems seems larger than the universe to us; but they are nothing to our Father who actually created this universe AND loves us. Yes, US includes you and me specifically.

Why do people like Adam, Eve, Moses, David, you and I push God away? When he wants to fill our tanks, why do we try to keep running on empty? The answer can be found in one of the most quotes verse in the New Testament. But people rarely read it in context, so here is all of John 3:16-20

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because THEIR WORKS WERE EVIL. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

I want to review two verses here, John 3: 19-20

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Combine that with Judges 21:25

25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Here we start to understand the issue. While God is omniscient, ever-present, and everywhere we look, he is not, for many, our King. Even though many have heard the messages about the importance of God sitting on the throne of our lives, and how that leads to happiness, for some stubborn reason, we resist.

If Adam, Eve, Moses, and David had consistently held God in his proper position, then perhaps their lives could have been better. But then of course, we would not have the benefit of their experiences to learn from. They, like us, were stubborn and independent thinkers, made that way by God, and given a choice.

It is a daily decision to pick up our crosses and walk with Jesus as described in Luke 9:23

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

And that is where we fail, each and every one us, and everyone else who is not here. We forget to pick up our cross daily and follow him. Now, this is not for lack of effort. I pray every (most) mornings and evenings. I read my bible (almost) daily. And yet, moment-to-moment in my life I lose my focus on God. Not because I don’t want him, but because of my humanity. I am not God. I am made perfectly imperfect.

Did Adam and Eve sin? Of course. However, they were prompted by evil. The temptation was always there, but it wasn’t until the serpent stepped in to influence the originals that they succumbed to their curiosity. They chose their own way instead of God’s way. I wonder why God would allow the temptation and the deceiver to spoil the garden experience?

I think the answer is in God’s desire to have us CHOOSE him over the temptations in our lives. God wants us to want him more than sin, more than stuff, more than everything else he has created for us. He created all of this for us; but he wants us to want him more than the gifts.

It’s like Christmas presents. Don’t you buy others the gifts they desire because you love them and want to see them happy? I do. As a parent, one of my greatest joys is watching my children be joyful. That feeling is enhanced when I can connect it directly to something I have purposefully done for them. And there is no better feeling in the world then when one of my kids hugs me and tells me they love me. When was the last time you gave God and hug and told him you love him? (Ok, well, maybe not a bear hug, but you get my point.)

But like children, sometimes spoiled children, I think many people sometimes exploit God’s giving nature: if God has created all this for me, then why can’t I have it all now? Why didn’t God want Adam and Eve to eat they Apple? Because once they did they learned of good and evil and immediately hid themselves from each other and from God himself. God doesn’t want you to hide from him; he wants you to fellowship with him. That was his design in the Garden of Eden.

God gave the Ten Commandments to the Jews to bring them closer to him and back to the garden model. But what did they do? They immediately backslid to what was more comfortable to them and wandered further away from God himself.

Moses had a terrible task: Leading the Jews through the desert for 40 years, and then 40 more. I can’t even imagine it. I hope they brought Yatzee or Uno, or something with them from Egypt to pass the time. I can’t even drive more than an hour with my little girls in the car before the, “Are we there yets?” start. Just put yourself in Moses shoes for a moment. Personally, I would have struck that rock way sooner.

God used the Jews and their time in the desert to make a huge point that we can learn from today: Patience. I’ve learned that the only way to learn patience is to experience challenges that force me to be patient. It’s hard for me. I think it’s hard for most of us. Especially in our “Burger King” culture: you know, “have it your way.” But our way is not always God’s way, unless we put God’s way first, and that is a real challenge in patience. Just ask David.

David won favor with God early in his life. God pursued David, but David continued to choose his own path over God’s, even to the point of murder. After trying to manipulate Uriah, David purposefully placed him in danger just so he could have Bathsheba to himself. Yet God continued to pursue David. God does the same for us. No matter what your sins may be, no matter how many times you turn away, God will invite you back, like the prodigal son, and celebrate your return to Him.

So return to Him, and fill yourself up with his love. John relates the story of Jesus at the well speaking to a Samarian woman in John 4:7-15

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

At the risk of being redundant, allow me to repeat:

…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Sounds good to me; way better than free gas. So, I encourage you to fill yourself with the living water of Jesus Christ. Yes, we are all stubborn. Yes, we have all sinned. And yes, God is waiting for you to return to him today, right now. He’s also waiting for your family, your friends, and your neighbors. God loves us and wants to spend time with us in the garden.

Whatever it is that keeps you from God: temptation, impatience, or repeated sinfulness, repent. Lay your burdens down at the cross of Jesus Christ. Then, pickup your own cross, daily, hourly, moment-to-moment, and seek him in all that you do. Will you lose focus? Yes. Will you misstep? Yes. Will you sin? Yes. But understand that God knows all of things already, and Jesus has already paid the price. God is waiting for you in the Garden right now (so to speak)!

Live the victory over sin for which Jesus suffered. He did it so that you could release yourself from the guilt you feel over your own sin and join him in the Garden. Remember, God made you perfectly imperfect the way you are. God accepts and loves his creation. Will you love yourself enough to allow him back into your heart?

Let’s pray. Father God, I ask your blessing on everyone here today. Please strengthen us and give us all that we require to repent of our sins and return to you now. Thank you for Adam, Eve, Moses, and David, your children, and our predecessors whose lives we study and from whose examples we benefit. Please continue to encourage, protect, and love us. Please fill our souls up daily with the living water of Christ. In Jesus name, Amen.

I Need a Miracle

Everyday. It’s how we’re all created. And the wonderful thing is, the miracle is available everyday, if we’ll be courageous enough to claim it.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus clearly tells us, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” These instruction are repeated in Mark 8:34 and in Luke 9:23. But how do we do this?

We all get stuck. Instead of letting the tar of our lives hold us captive like a soon-to-be-extinct brontosaurus, deny the frustration of the moment and focus on Christ and his victory on the cross. Frustration is a selfish emotion, and your self is not going to free you from your sin. Only Jesus can do that.

Bear the burden or your circumstance (your cross). Be inspired by the Stations of the Cross. After being beaten to the point of death, Jesus carried his cross up to Calvary with only the reluctant assistance of Simon of Cyrene. Along the way he kept his focus on God’s love.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That’s exactly where we need to keep our focus, every moment, of every day. Eternal life starts now with the miracle of Jesus on the cross.

Unlike Simon, we have the enthusiastic assistance of the Holy Spirit. We can be filled with the strength to bear our burdens and endure our trials.

Think about it: the creator of the universe gave his son as a sacrifice so that he could have a relationship with us free from our sin. This relationship transcends death on Earth and lasts forever. Forever. That is a miracle I need everyday.

Perfectly Godly Love

Our goal is to be like God, perfect in all things. The creator of the universe is an excellent role model for he is perfect in all things. But what does perfection look like to God, and what can we learn about ourselves from God's view of perfection?

In Genesis, God makes three starts: first in the Garden, then with Noah, finally with Abraham, (and that's just in the first book of the Bible.) One can easily argue that these re-boots were all part of God's plan, for he is omniscient. But there is no denying that human beings are a pesky group for their creator.

In Job, God actually uses sarcasm when responding/arguing to Job. We often look at sarcastic people as sinful in someway. God is not sinful, so does that mean that sarcasm, while not necessarily tasteful, is not sinful either? If God can be sarcastic and perfect does the same rule apply to people?

Then there is Jesus' place in the great story of our lives.  Jesus is the perfect incarnation of God on earth. Jesus came to save us. The timing of his appearance seems to suggest yet another, and arguably the final, opportunity for humans to get God right. Jesus' paid for his perfect love for others with his life.

My purpose is to point out that God doesn't see perfect the way that we do. In God's eyes, it's not how many attempts you make, or the way you speak, or the things you sacrifice that makes you perfect or godly. It's your heart.

God's love for us is perfect. It never fails, it never ends. God is patient and will never, ever, abandon us. We are loved in a perfectly godly way that should inspire us to love others the same way, even when it's difficult and we get frustrated. And no price is too great to pay to demonstrate our love for others.

That's perfection.

Job 38:5

<sup>Job 38:2-7


2</sup> “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
³ Dress for action^[a] like a man;
   I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
   Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
   Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
   or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ when the morning stars sang together
   and all the sons of God shouted for joy?


In verse 5 is God being sarcastic?


If he is, are there other examples of God's sarcasm in the Bible?


What is the significance of a sarcastic God?

Still Fighting It

Good morning, son.
I am a bird
Wearing a brown polyester shirt
You want a coke?
Maybe some fries?
The roast beef combo's only $9.95
It's okay, you don't have to pay
I've got all the change

Everybody knows
It hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
And you're so much like me
I'm sorry

Good morning, son
In twenty years from now
Maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers
And I can tell you 'bout today
And how I picked you up and everything changed
It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
It sucks to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
You'll try and try and one day you'll fly
Away from me

Good morning, son
I am a bird

It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
Tt hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
Oh, we're still fighting it, we're still fighting it

And you're so much like me
I'm sorry


-Ben Folds

4 Simple Rules

1. Love God
Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

2. Eat Healthy
Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

3. Exercise Daily
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

4. Love Others
Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Where Are You Going?

Where are you going, with your long face pulling down?
Don’t hide away, like an ocean
But you can’t see, but you can smell
And the sound waves crash down

I am no superman
I have no answers for you
I am no hero, oh that’s for sure
But I do know one thing for sure
Is where you are, is where I belong
I do know, where you go, is where I want to be

Where are you going, where do you go?
Are you looking for answers, to questions under the stars?
If along the way you are growing weary, you can rest with me until a brighter day
It’s okay, where are you going, where do you go?

I am no superman
I have no answers for you
I am no hero, oh that’s for sure
But I do know one thing for sure
Is where you are, is where I belong
I do know, where you go, is where I want to be

Where are you going, where do you go?
Are you looking for answers, where do you go?

Where are you going?
Where do you go?
Let’s go.

-Dave Matthews

Great Expectation

Expectations are the problem. We have great expectations for our lives that are all based on falsehoods, lies, and purposeful deceptions. There is only one expectation that is real: Jesus' return.

So long as our lives are focused clearly on Jesus, all is well. He will come back for us, and make all of this that makes no sense unimportant and irrelevant.

But we are not focused on Jesus. Not really. Not even those of us who want to be. We are focused instead on the treadmill of life, the drama, the hang ups, and the disappointments. All of which are avoidable.

Christmas isn't about Christ; it's about consumerism dressed up as good will towards men. Christmas is on Sunday this year. How many will go to church?

I suppose I am a cynic. Credit it to my own missed expectations. But through my failures I fully recognize my need for Grace.  And I thank God that his offer is free and everlasting.



“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
my ear has heard and understood it.
What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
But I would speak to the Almighty,
and I desire to argue my case with God.
As for you, you whitewash with lies;
worthless physicians are you all.
Oh that you would keep silent,
and it would be your wisdom!
Hear now my argument
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Will you speak falsely for God
and speak deceitfully for him?
Will you show partiality toward him?
Will you plead the case for God?
Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
He will surely rebuke you
if in secret you show partiality.
Will not his majesty terrify you,
and the dread of him fall upon you?
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.
(Job 13:1-12 ESV)

Armstrong, Folds, and Jobs

I'm trying to understand.

Lance Armstrong, Ben Folds, and Steve Jobs have indirectly, but strongly, influenced and inspired my life. I respect them for their achievements, work ethic, creativity, and contributions. However, all three of these men are either agnostic or ambivalent about God. How is that possible?

Clearly God is using these guys, and others like them, in amazing ways. I don't believe for a second that any of them could do what they do or have done without the power of the Holy Spirit. And yet, none of them acknowledge God in their life. In fact, mostly because of their upbringing and personal experience, sometimes they are hostile when discussing their creator.

And yet God uses them to inspire and move others to be great in their own lives without recognizing the source of the greatness, or the purpose of the life lived. I don't get it. I also don't understand why God doesn't promote believers into similar positions of influence. As much as I hate the Broncos, I absolutely love what Tim Tebow brings to the field of professional football. But Tebow seems to be the exception.

I understand that there is the world and there is God's Kingdom and those are two different but not mutually exclusive places. I just wonder what the world of Armstrong, Folds, and Jobs would be like if Jesus sat on their throne. Would their focus turn away from their own accomplishment and thereby make them less great achievers? Or would a proper focus in their lives propel them beyond what they achieved without asking God for direction? And how would the world be better?

I want God to use me in great ways. I know that I am uniquely created for a purpose, to love God. Also to spread his love to others and to be open to his direction and path as I navigate through my life. I wonder what it would be like to be as influential as one of my heros. I suppose I am in smaller, more personal ways with the people who I encounter daily. I still wonder.

I wonder too what happens to those who God loves but who don't love God back. What do they decide when the day of reckoning comes? I can't imagine anyone rejecting Jesus face to face. But if one doesn't invite Jesus into his or her life while living, will death really change their attitudes? And how would you like to be the person who realizes too late that you really weren't the one in the driver's seat of your life; that all our your "accomplishments" were really nothing without God?

Explain that.

2 December Talks

I'm teaching the youth group these next two Sundays preceding Christmas. We're between books in the Bible so I'm being given some freedom. I selected two short stories from my younger days that while not explicitly biblical, do have biblical themes and connections.

This Sunday I will share Dr. Seuss' Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The King of Didd has decided that he is tired of the four things that come down from the sky, and so he orders his royal magicians to create something new to descend from the heavens. The next morning green globs of goo begin to fall and create a sticky mess for everyone in his kingdom. Only Bartholomew, his page, has the good sense to try to warn the kingdom; but he has little success. Finally Bartholomew confronts the King and shames him into repentance. Once the King announces that he is sorry, the oobleck quickly dries up and disappears. I am connecting the story to Pslam 51. King David had similar problems with wanting to live life his way, and not God's way. David paid a heavy price, as did his kingdom. The lessons closes on David's words, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me." Excellent advice at Christmas time.

Next Sunday I will read Tolstoy's Where Love is God Is. I first read this short story in Bill Bennet's Book of Virtures. I often read it to my high school classes at the beginning of the year. Martin Avedeitch is a cobbler who wants to be closer to God. One day he has a handful of encounters with strangers passing by his shoe shop. In each case Martin has the opportunity to help someone in need. Later as Martin reflects on his efforts to help others, he reads Luke 6:27-31, Luke 7:41-50, and finally Matthew 25:35-40. Jesus' words, "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." This hits me right in the chest. I often wonder while performing a random (or not so random) act of kindness who it is in fact that I am serving. For all I know Jesus himself could be that homeless guy on the street corner, or the elderly grandma in the Circle K.

I hope that the youth group gets as much out of these two stories as I did when I was first introduced to them. I pray that God will use me to make a connection to their hearts that clearly defines Christmas and that miracle that is God's love for us.

God Wants Us; We Need God

God spoke the universe into existence so that he could have a relationship with you and I. We were all created uniquely with a single uniting purpose: to be in a loving relationship with God. Everything you see around you is there to support this goal. Jesus is the tangible embodiment of God that we can understand in human terms. The Holy Spirit is our friend who is with us always to guide the way. But God does not demand this relationship of us. He patiently waits for us as we live out our lives. We are to come to him in our own time by our own freewill. The Father is always there, drawing us closer to him daily as he molds and shapes us. God wants us.

Because God gives us the space to grow we sometimes lose sight of our need for God. Especially when we experience success that we do not attribute to him. Giving God the credit does not come naturally to our sinful selves, particularly in the culture we presently live in. And when we fail, which we ultimately will, it can be difficult to repent. But repent we must. We need God far more than God needs us. When God created us he left a void in our souls that only God himself can fill. God is waiting to fill that space with an intimate personal relationship with him built on trust and love. We need to seek a relationship with Jesus to reach the ultimate self-awareness. We need God.

Bread & Wine

I was wrong, everybody needs someone, to hold on
Take my hand, I’ve been a lonesome man, took a while to understand

There's some things we can’t live without,
A man’s so prone to doubt,
Faithful are the wounds from friends.
So give it just a little time,
Share some bread and wine
Weave your heart into mine,
My friend

-Josh Garrels


^{Proverbs 27:4-6}

Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
   but who can stand before jealousy?
Better is open rebuke
   than hidden love.  
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
   profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Patience Manuscript

Preach with Patience

In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Paul implores Timothy, a Christian man and leader of his church, to preach the word with patience:

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Value of Patience

As Christian men and leaders of our church we are all examples to those around us who look to us as sober-minded role models. Our children, our spouses, our friends, our colleagues, (for some) our students or players, and definitely the members of our church look up to us. They seek inspiration, guidance, good council, direction, feedback, perspective, and all the things they lack in themselves. They look to us to fulfill our ministries.

Constant Scrutiny

Consequently, being a leader, especially one who identifies himself with Christ, is no easy task. We are under constant scrutiny, both externally and internally, from below and above. When we are not providing for the needs of those around us, we are preparing to provide for the needs of those around us. We go to bed at night completely spent, but knowing that we have done the best we could to serve those we love.

And it’s not easy. Once we step out in faith, whether publically or privately, the attacks come from below. Temptations, misunderstandings, misplaced desires, confusion, exhaustion and other moments of weakness all build up to tear us down. Thankfully, because we stand up for Christ, we are under constant supervision by the Holy Spirit who stands up for us. He empowers us to continue to produce as he battles evil on our behalf.

Sometimes We Forget

The Holy Spirit’s battle against evil is not always visible to us. As a result, sometimes we forget who we are as men of God and so we become impatient as we perceive personal failure. Paul understood this feeling. Paul recognized his failings before his conversion. He knew who he was as Saul, and who he had become in Christ. Paul drew his strength from the recognition that it was not Paul, but God himself, who strengthened him with all power, endurance and patience. Consider Colossians 1:11-12

11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Paul recognized that if he was not patient with himself and his sinfulness that his impatience would result in an even greater sin: the sin of blocking God from doing his will in Paul’s life. God worked through Paul to reach sinners and, “share in the inheritance of the saints of light.” Paul’s inspired words compose much of the New Testament. Just think how different the world would be now if Paul decided to push Jesus away.

Jesus’ Patience

But this talk is not about Paul’s patience with himself; it’s about Jesus’ patience with Paul, and the example that provides us of just how much God loves us and wants to use us and our experiences in life with Christ as examples to the others who are watching our lives so closely. See, one of the most impactful ways we can show others that we love them is by being patient with them.

Everybody sins. Everybody. How we react to both our own sin and to the sins of other people is crucial. We can all be guided towards a more meaningful response to our sin by the way those we respect react towards our sin. Ever had a coach who made a big negative deal about a strikeout? Did their reaction motivate you to improve your next at bat? Maybe. How about a coach who took that same failure and turned it into an opportunity to grow (which is exactly what failure is: an opportunity to grow.) The second coach is the more patient coach, and a patient coach, parent, pastor, or leader, will be far more effective then an impatient or negative one.

They Waited

Sometimes patience takes a long time. A really long time. Think of Noah and his family. They waited 40 days for the rain to stop. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for a baby. The Israelites waited 40 years to enter the Promised Land. Being patient means sometimes we have to wait for those we love to grow. How long has God waited for you?

1 Timothy 1:15-16

In 1 Timothy 1:15-16 Paul writes:

15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Foremost

In verse 15 Paul reminds us of the good news of Jesus Christ: he came to save us. Paul identifies himself as the “foremost” of sinners. The word foremost can be defined as, “most prominent in rank, importance, or position.” Here, Paul is referencing his persecution of the church as Saul, before his conversion. As Saul he hindered or blocked others from coming to Jesus.

However, this wretched past allowed God to save Paul as a supreme “example” of grace. An example we follow now. If God can use 1^st Century Christian Public Enemy #1 and the experience of Paul’s conversion that occurred two thousand years ago, then He can use us as examples right now, no matter who we are, no matter where we are, no matter what we’ve done.

Perfect Patience

But we have to let him. WE have to allow God to use us. How? By relying on his perfect patience with us in order to be patient with ourselves. Then, God can use us to be examples of how he will be patient with others. If Paul didn’t rely on God’s patience with him, then God would not be able to use him as an example for others.

The result of the gospel in Paul’s life was transformation. Isn’t that also true for us? We (men of leadership) serve those around us in the present as Paul did in the past. We are the contemporary “examples” that Paul writes about in verse 16.

Mercy, Salvation, and Patience

There are three major spiritual concerns addressed in 1 Timothy 1:15-16: Mercy, Salvation, and Patience. While no man in this room would presume to think of himself as having the same footprint on the world that Paul had, the truth is that we are all on equal footing in God’s heart. Like Paul, we are blessed to receive mercy (forgiveness) from God. Like Paul, Christ came to save us. And just like Paul Jesus displays his perfect patience through his love for each of us so that others can be inspired to turn to Jesus for their own salvation and eternal life.

Solutions

The passage offers us three useful solutions to apply if we are to be effective leaders and men of God. First, we must look to Jesus, who judges us faithful, to appoint us to service through his mercy. Remember, Christ appointed Paul to service knowing his past sins.

We all have our agendas and our areas of strength. But be careful. Look for God’s timing and his appointment to the areas where you focus you attention and your talents. You may see a need that you desire to fill, but your observation alone does not qualify you as the person assigned to meet that need. Psalm 27:14 instructs us:

Wait for the LORD;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the LORD!

Second, we must lean on Jesus to support us through his faith and love because he came to save us. It’s all about Jesus, not you and me. We can’t save ourselves, let alone anyone else. Once we start to freestyle and go out on our own, we sin. It’s so tempting to wield the power of the gospel for our own battles, but that is unwise. We are in God’s army; Jesus is not our solider, he is our commanding officer and, should be our major resource.

Third, we should learn from Jesus because he offers us perfect patience. We all need a mentor, someone to help guide our path and give us inspiration; a person we can look up to as an example of how to behave in any given circumstance. Now, we have reached the distinguished point in our lives where people seek our mentorship. Reflect on Colossians 3:12

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

We are God’s chosen ones. Of course we need to look to each other for support. Moreover, we should always be looking to Jesus, the ultimate mentor, for guidance, inspiration, motivation, and direction.

Challenge

Leadership of Oasis Church, I challenge you to be patient with your selves and your faith in Christ, as your savior is patient with you. This challenge raises two significant questions: Why is our patience in our selves and our faith important to God? And, how do we find the strength to be patient with our selves and our faith?

Example to Others

Clearly our patience with our selves and our faith is important to God. Why? In verse 16 Paul explains that God uses his perfect patience in us as an example to others. What does this look like? God demonstrates patience in us to serve as an example of how we should be patient with our selves and others. But being patient is time consuming and difficult, and we are not God. How are we to find within us the ability to be as patient as God? The answer is found in the previous verse (15): in accepting God’s salvation through Jesus.

Important to God

In verse 16 we understand that our patience with our faith and ourselves is important to God because: God uses his perfect patience in us as an example to others so that he can draw others to himself, as he has drawn us. Paul writes,

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Salvation Transforms

What does it mean to be patient with your faith? Salvation transformed Paul’s life and salvation transforms our lives. This transformation process is ongoing. Salvation is both constantly available and constantly transforming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

We are sinfully impatient by nature. We want our faith experience to begin with a life-rattling epiphany, and the subsequent transformation to be immediate and permanent. But it doesn’t work that way. If it did we would abandon Grace by the roadside on our way to Damascus. We would never repent. And there would be no growth in Christ.

Be thankful that salvation is an evolutionary process that repeats a cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness and growth with a heading toward eternal life. Recognizing that we are in the midst of our own “salvation cycle” should make us more compassionate, broaden our understanding, and yes, our patience with others. Always demonstrate patience and mercy to others because God is using us as examples of faithful men who believe in Jesus for eternal life.

Ripple Effect

The ultimate goal of God using us in this way is a ripple effect that reaches out to many others. It’s like my theory on kindness. I believe kindness is not reciprocal, but cyclical. What kind acts I do for others I do not do for direct reward. Instead, I hope that those kind acts will motivate the recipients to act kindly to those around them. Eventually, maybe someday, I will receive kindness from someone whom I have never met, but that was indirectly affected by a kind act of mine in the past.

As we demonstrate kindness to others as a result of God’s patience with us, God uses us to draw others closer to eternal life. As those we inspire grow and mature in Christ, they become eligible to inspire others within their own realms of influence, and the ripple effect continues until even the farthest shores are touched.

Share Your Experiences

Paul had his own public audience as well as people close to him like Timothy with which to share his experiences with a patient savior. We have our families, our friends, and our colleagues who scrutinized our every move watching carefully to see just how patient, or “saved,” we actually are. Not just patient with others, but patient with ourselves.

Personal failure is far more difficult to forgive than the failure of others. And we fail a lot. How we handle our personal failure and sin has a HUGE impact on our ability to be patient with the failures of others. In Matthew 18:21-22 Jesus answers Peter’s question about forgiveness:

21Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

If we are to forgive our brothers 490 times, then how many times are we to forgive ourselves? Patience with others starts with patience with self. In our daily lives we have multiple opportunities to be an example of how to be patient and forgive other people. So beware. Because we are identified as leaders, how we behave at the workplace, in the marketplace, in the home and in the church is amplified.

Accept Salvation

The preceding verse (15) gives us direct instructions on how we can be patient in our faith: accept God’s salvation through Jesus. Paul writes,

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost.”

In Process

We understand that all of us are in process and that God is in control, shaping and molding us daily, especially we men of faith, like Paul, “of whom I am foremost.” The danger we run into is the mistaken belief that our sin doesn’t stink. Paul’s life example was an extreme one that we thankfully do not share. Paul (as Saul) was directly responsible for blocking (and worse) the unsaved from salvation.

But just because we don’t share the aroma of Paul’s life/sin experience, does not mean that our own life/sin experience is not smelly. We all know exactly how messed up we are, and how we have sinned. Being leaders, some of our sins are public for all to see. But sin is a private matter between the individual and God. Your sin is NOT my business, and no Christian has any right to judge any other person for their sins. Matthew 7:5 states,

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”

These are important words for us to take to heart whenever we council others. Not that we don’t have authority to provide guidance, but that we understand the source of our advice is Jesus Christ and our life experience with him, and not from our “foremost” sinner selves.

Qualified

Of course, our “foremost” experience with Christ makes us that much more qualified to council our loved ones as God uses us as “examples.” Use your experiences as you grow and mature in Christ to share with, witness to, and council others.

To achieve a truly useful leadership role we must pursue a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus. The type of relationship that is developed over a long period of time and includes both study and experience. Then, We can share with other believers the intimacy of our relationship with Jesus.

Effective Role Models

If we are going to be effective role models with Paul, we must be patient with our faith as Christ is patient with us. If we are to be used by God in our marriages, in our homes, and in our church, we must exercise patience with others and ourselves as God has demonstrated patience with us.

Opportunities

The opportunities for leaders to win the unsaved for Christ and share the blessings of the gospel abound. How we handle these opportunities is important. The way we patiently live out our faith affects those around us, sometimes in ways that we do not calculate.

Very recently, I was formally introduced to a member of our church who recognized me as, “the guy rockin’ it down front.” Later the same day a member of my family told me privately that the way I worship God during worship time in church, with my hands raised, and tears in my eyes, made them uncomfortable. They are at a different place in their relationship with Jesus than I am, and they don’t understand my reaction. While on the one hand they are curious, on they other hand they feel disconnected from me. This is not good. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul writes:

“19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”

While I am not willing (or even able) to change the way I feel about Jesus, or the way those feelings manifest in me, as a leader of my family, a leader of this church, and a servant to all, it is important that I patiently consider the spiritual conditions of those who are watching my every move. Does that mean I tone it down in their presence, perhaps.  Paul continues:

“22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

In education we recognize that teachers must meet students wherever they are in terms of learning level, and then pull them, push them, and drag them along until the students reach the educational goals of the standards. The same is true for church leaders, whether it is Paul, or you and I, when we reach out to those God brings to us.

Success

If we are to be successful men of leadership, whatever role God assigns us, and useful examples of his perfect patience in us so that others are inspired to believe in him for eternal life, we must learn to live within his perfect patience.

Don’t panic when God’s schedule for your loved ones does not align to your own schedule. We must be as patient with them as God is with us. Remember:

1 Corinthians 7:14


“For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.”

and Isaiah 41:10

“fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

and finally, 2 Peter 3:15

“And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him.”