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Contentment
I preached from Philippians a few weeks ago with the sermon, A Sure Supply. Today, I am led to preach again from this great little letter from Apostle Paul. As you know, this epistle was a “thank you” letter from Paul, who was incarcerated in a Roman jail. Paul was concerned more about their wellbeing than his own safety. He told them, in essence, “Don’t worry about me. No matter what happens, I will be alright. Just don’t you get discouraged! Just because I am in jail does not mean you will also be incarcerated.”
That’s What Mothers Do
Sisera was the captain of the army, which was in a battle against God’s people. His mother, who remains nameless, was living in his household. In following the custom of that culture, widowed mothers and unmarried sisters were under the care of the oldest living son. Sisera’s mother was constantly peeping out of the window with anticipation that her son would return uninjured from this battle.
Accept No Imitations
Caveat emptor! Buyer beware! Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations. It seems for everything genuine, there is a cheap imitation. You can get imitation diamonds, Rolex watches, pearls, IPhones, and the list goes on. The same is true when it comes to the gospel. There are all sorts of imitation gospels for people to pick and choose. Many people choose the one that fits their present lifestyle. This way, they do not have to change.
Accepting The Savior’s Acceptance
God’s Word is filled with astonishing paradoxes. In fact, our walk with Christ is filled with paradoxes. Why would a holy God be concerned with rebellious, sinful humankind and send His Son to save us? Sometimes, we are overwhelmed and astonished at the paradoxes God’s amazing grace produces. These two scriptural passages are examples of how we can be thrown aback by the privileges that our relationship with Christ affords us. John the Baptist and Peter both had a problem accepting Jesus’ acceptance of them. Let’s draw some principles from these two Scriptures.
A Sure Supply
This epistle is a “thank you” letter from Paul to the little church at Philippi. As my mother would always say, “You should always say ‘thank you.’ It will cost you nothing. Just make sure it is sincere.” In spite of their material poverty, they gave cheerfully and generously to send a love gift to the apostle. Their gift was sufficient to meet his needs. Their thoughtfulness revived him, their love encouraged him, and their sympathy comforted him. Paul did not want these generous Christians to second guess themselves and regret their generosity toward him. Paul wanted them to know, that, just as they had “been there” for him, God would “be there” for them.
Stewardship
It is said in our oral tradition that church membership allows us to sail on seven other ships: the worship, the discipleship, the stewardship, the friendship, the fellowship, the partnership, and the leadership. As the late Pastor Clay Evans, founder of the Fellowship Baptist Church of Chicago, often said, “Sometimes we cruise the most on the fellowship and the least on the stewardship.” (This is a verbal play on words that loses some of its linguistic cuteness when confined to pen and paper.)
Jesus: The Barrier Buster
We hear a lot these days about individuals who have broken barriers or pierced the glass ceiling. It is nothing new. I have heard it all of my life. Let’s be real. They always refer to minorities and women. We applaud them, because they had to work harder than others to achieve success. The designation of the first Black, the first woman, or the first Hispanic is a pinnacle of achievement. It also comes with a lot of scrutiny and almost unbearable pressure to succeed. These “firsts” represent an entire ethnic group or an entire gender. Think how much more they could have achieved, if there had been no barriers. We can only speculate.
If Jesus Wants It, He Can Have It
It was on the first day of the Passover week that Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Until this time, He had kept His Messiahship veiled. He even asked some of the people He had healed not to spread abroad the news of the miracle. Again and again, when the excitement and enthusiasm were growing high, He would escape from the crowd and hide Himself in solitude beyond their reach. On this day, which we now call “Palm Sunday”, He changed His modus operandi. He openly declared, He was the long-awaited Messiah.
Built To Last
Ministry can be draining. For that matter, life can be draining – very draining. Sometimes, you need to be by yourself to recharge. Sometimes, you need to be with a small group to recharge. We all need quiet time with the Lord.
Jesus and the apostles had a demanding schedule. They made long journeys to meet the needs of people. Jesus took them on a ten-day retreat to Caesarea Philippi to recharge. During this retreat, He conducted a survey. He wanted to know what people thought of Him. He wanted honest feedback. There were two questions on the survey. Who do people in the public say that I am? Who do you personally believe that I am?
Another Chance To Get It Right
This parable is easy to understand; yet, it is powerful in its many theological implications. Today, we will focus only on one of the principles inherent in the parable: the principle of the long suffering of God.
Take Me To Your Leader
Science fiction often depicts little green men or other weird-looking creatures from other worlds landing on earth. Their vehicles are usually called flying saucers. The typical request of these aliens, to the first earthlings they meet, is, “Take me to your leader.” This phrase has become part of contemporary culture. It does affirm the importance of leadership.
In our text today, there were some Greeks who were attending the Jewish Passover, who asked the same question.
The Power of Perseverance (The Rewards Of Resilience)
This year is a milestone for both America and Black History. 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and 100 years ago, Carter G. Woodson instituted Black History Week, which was later expanded to an entire month. Initially, the second week in February was given the designation because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on the twelfth and Fredrick Douglass on the fourteenth.
Please stay with me as I take a sharp right turn on this sermonic highway. It will make sense in a little while. There are athletes who broke records, and afterwards, it was later discovered that they had used drugs to enhance their performance. Their records were not expunged, but an asterisk was placed by their names with a footnote explaining tactfully the violation of the rules. America has achieved greatness, but we must put an asterisk by the accomplishments.