God's Sovereignty Always Trumps Circumstances

I'm nearing the end of the book of Job as part of a chronological reading plan a group of men in our church began at the start of 2013.  Without "beating around the bush" let's say it as it is.  Job is one of those books where halfway through you are tempted to walk away and shout, "enough already!"  From Job's "friend's" ridiculing comments to the "in your face" reminder of the brevity of life, it's tempting to skip a few paragraphs...or chapters.  Don't!  We need the repetitive reminders, regardless of how painful it is to read.

We need to read about how Job's worst fears became a reality for him (Job 3:25).  We need to acknowledge the reality that life is hard and the routines of life often seem futile (Job 7:1-3).  We need to revel in Job's wonderful sarcasm in Job 12:2 (one of my favorite verses in the whole book) and cheer his outright rebuke of his friends in Job 16:2.  We need to shout "amen" as we read the age-old question asking why the wicked seem to prosper (Job 21:7).  More than anything we need to marvel at the little nuggets of truth sprinkled throughout the book regarding the incredible sovereignty of God. 

Over and over again we read about God's amazing knowledge (21:22), His power (Job 9:8) and His omni-presence (Job 36).  Each of these nuggets of truth are sandwiched between two earth-shattering statements; one in the first chapter and one in the last chapter.

After Job literally lost everything in his life he responded by saying, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!" (Job 1:21)  All I can say is, "wow!"  The book could have ended right there but it doesn't.  41 chapters later we read Job's pronouncement of God in Job 42:2: "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted."

What's the lesson of Job's ridiculously harsh suffering?  God's sovereignty always trumps our circumstances.  It doesn't matter if we are "on cloud 9" or in the deepest darkest days of depression.  God still reigns! 

Near the middle of last year I was scheduled to preach on what God's Word says about pain and suffering (listen here).  In God's providence, four days before I was to preach that message I sat in the doctor's office with my wife as she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  As we stared at each other in disbelief the message of Job was still reverberating in my head: God's sovereignty always trumps our circumstances.  It was true for Job.  It has proved to be true for me and my family.  It is true for you.  No matter how deep the pain, how raw the wound...God is in control.  His purposes cannot and will not be thwarted!

Here's my wife, describing her journey at our 2012 Fall Women's Retreat:

The Big Ten

This past Sunday at Geist Community Church I revisited a sermon series for the second time in under three years.  (The series is available here) Why would I review the same sermon series twice?  It's THAT important!  We live in a world that is attempting to redefine and/or eliminate truth.  Everything from the definition of "marriage" to defining when "life" begins seems to be up for grabs.  Yet, as we again begin a new year it is vital that we be reminded that truth never changes.

The great D. L. Moody once said "the best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick alongside it."

The Bible is our "straight stick."  Every decision, every thought, every action, every word must be held alongside the unchangeable, perfect, infallible Word of God.  With that in mind, there are 10 unchangeable truths (the "Big Ten") that you MUST believe if you're going to call yourself a Christian.  These truths are non-negotiable, life-changing truths.  Remember them, uphold them, proclaim them, take a stand for them.

Truth #1: The Bible - is God's Word, inspired by God, without error in the original writings and the final authority for faith and life

Truth #2: The Trinity - There is one true God who eternally exists as three divine persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each of whom is equally and fully true God.

Truth #3: The Nature of God - God alone is Creator, all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present.

Truth #4: Humans - uniquely created in the image of God

Truth #5: Sin - because of Adam's sin every person is born spiritually dead

Truth #6: Salvation - is only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ

Truth #7: Jesus - is fully God and fully man

Truth #8: The Holy Spirit - permanently indwells every believer and provides unity, power and gifts to God's people

Truth #9: The Church - is the new covenant community of the Spirit with specific God-given responsibilities

Truth #10: Hope - Jesus will physically return to earth as King

(you can listen to the original Big Ten sermon series by visiting www.geist.org, click on "sermons")

My Comments at Geist Community Church Regarding Tragedy

Two days ago the peaceful silence in Newtown, Connecticut was shattered by unimaginable evil as 20 children and six adults were ruthlessly killed.  The horrific stories coming out of this small town are beyond what we can fully grasp.  There is no way to measure the loss that has occurred, nor is it possible by any human means to recover what has been lost.

Only a few days prior to this terrible event, on the other side of the country, a man walked into a shopping mall in Portland, Oregon and opened fire, killing three people.

Tragedies such as these are a chilling, unsettling reminder that the world we live in is in serious trouble.  The apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians makes it clear that the world, as it stands today, follows the prince of the power of the air, Satan.  Those who continue to live in disobedience to God and in rebellion against Him serve to fulfill the purposes and plans of Satan. (Ephesians 2:2)

In his second letter to the Thessalonians Paul again mentions the work of Satan in the world and reminds us that God's Holy Spirit now restrains his work.  Unfortunately, the tragic events of this past week are just a glimpse of what the world will be like when God's Spirit steps away and Satan is given full, unrestrained access to the world. (2 Thess. 2:7)  This darkest period of human history will occur just before the second coming of Jesus during a period of unparalleled tribulation upon the earth.

Why does evil continue to raise its ugly head in the world?  There are two reasons:

(1) We live in a world under the influence of Satan.
(2) Every person is born with a sinful heart

Every single person is born with a selfish, sinful, spiritually depraved heart.  God made a startling observation of mankind just prior to the great flood where He destroyed every living creature on the face of the earth except for Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark.  God looked out across the world and he saw that "every inclination of the thought of man's heart is only evil all the time." (Genesis 6:5)

Romans chapter three echoes the same truth: that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  We are all sinners and the payment owed by us, because of our sin, is death. (Romans 6:23)

In the midst of this helpless situation the words of the angel that appeared to the shepherds give us hope: "there is good news of great joy that will be for all people!" (Luke 2:10)  The "good news" is while we were still sinners, God sent his Son, Jesus.  He was born in the manger; born to suffer and die and rise again, conquering death.  Jesus alone made the necessary payment for sin, once for all, by dying in our place.  The undeniable truth of the Bible is that those who believe in Jesus would have eternal life.

We know THE way, THE truth, and THE life.  His name is Jesus and He is coming again very soon.

Sadly, we now live in a nation where mentioning the name, Jesus, is called offensive.  Ladies and gentlemen, what we are seeing is the reality of Romans chapter 1.  Paul wrote to the church at Rome who were living in a very tolerant, everything goes type culture.  The lines between right and wrong had disappeared.  It was very much like our own nation.  Here's what Paul wrote:

Read Romans 1:16-32

What a description for our nation.  We have glorified and promoted man above God.  Our culture not only willfully allows sinful behavior but it promotes, legalizes and encourages it.

The remedy to this carnage and evil is not government, gun control, tolerance, or positive thinking.  The only solution to the problem of evil, sin and death is the baby born in the manger, Jesus, the Christ.

When tragedies such as these strike we must do what Jesus called us to do in Luke 13:1-5.  In Luke 13 we read about a guy named Pilate.  Pilate had killed some Galileans while they were offering sacrifices: a tragedy!  In Luke 13:4 Jesus references 18 people who died when a tower tragically fell on them.  The point of Jesus' teaching in Luke 13:1-5 was that being killed or not being killed is no measure of a person's righteousness or lack thereof.

Anyone can die at anytime; even little ones sitting in a classroom.  However, only God's grace causes anyone to live.  Physical death is a common denominator for everyone.  Unless Christ returns first, we are all going to physically die.  Jesus said that unless you repent and trust in Him you will also perish for eternity.  God sent his Son, that those who would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

When tragedy strikes we should grieve with those who grieve.  We should go home and hug our kids and our grand-kids extra tight.  We should tell them about Jesus, our only hope.  We should repent and turn back to God.  We should weep, mourn and wail for the sin of our nation as the prophet Jeremiah and so many others have done.

I read this wonderful synopsis of several Psalms somewhere online after the events in Connecticut:

"How long, O, Lord?  How long before you return to eradicate all evil, redeem all tragedies, and make all things new?  How long, O, Lord, how long?  Your Bride weeps and waits for you."

I invite you to join me as we kneel before our Father, as an act of contrite humility, and pray.

(prayer)
Our infinite God of mercy, comfort and justice.  We come before you humbly this morning confident in your love and mercy for your people.  We confess that our nation has turned away from you.  We confess that far too often we love sin more than we love you.  We come before you asking you, as the God of all comfort, to comfort those who mourn today over the loss of children, grandchildren, wives, husbands, friends.  We acknowledge that you are the God of justice and we know that some day all wrongs will be righted.  We ask for a spirit of repentance and revival to dominate our land.  We thank you for the blood of your Son, Jesus, that is greater than all our sin.  We pray that people will turn and trust in Jesus.  We pray that we, as your church, will be salt and light in this dark, sinful, lifeless world.  Father, give us courage to share the hope that is only found in our Lord, Jesus Christ, the baby born in the manger.  May we boldly proclaim: Immanuel! God is with us.  In the Name of Jesus, the Christ, we pray.  Amen.

The Combination to Your Heart

Every heart has a combination.  Everyone has something or someone that unlocks their heart.  It's like the master password that protects the financial and other identity information on your computer or smartphone.  When that person or thing collides with your heart it reveals what's really inside.

In Mark chapter 14 we discover the combination to the heart of one of the 12 disciples.  Judas had spent almost every waking hour for three years of his life with Jesus.  Yet, when the right combination collided with Judas' heart it revealed a rotten core.  What was the combination to Judas heart?

In Mark 14:1-9 Judas witnessed a woman pour a very costly oil on Jesus.  As keeper of the money bag, Judas chastised the woman for wasting the oil when it could have been sold to help the poor.  After witnessing this event Judas when straight to the religious leaders and offered to deliver Jesus over to them in exchange for... you guessed it, money.

For three years Judas ate with Jesus, he ministered in Jesus name and even cast out demons in His name.  Yet, he was bought off when the right combination collided with his heart.

What's the combination to your heart?  Let's face it, Judas isn't the last person to exchange Jesus for money.  What will you give up Jesus in exchange for?

Another way to look at it is by asking this question: Where do you draw the line in following Jesus?  You may not verbalize it, but there are many who think things like: "I'll follow you Jesus unless 'this' happens or unless 'that' happens."  or "I'll follow you Jesus, as long as it's convenient for me but the moment I have to step out of my comfort zone I'm done."

Here's what you need to do: Put your heart on "trial."  The purpose of going before a judge or jury in a "trial" is to try and reveal the truth.  Sometimes our human courts get it right and sometimes they fail miserably.  There is One Judge that never get's it wrong, God.  Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts."

Ask God to put your heart on "trial," so that your true heart might be revealed.  I'm warning you from personal experience.  It may be painful...It will be hard...but it will be worth it.  Getting the correct combination to your heart will enable you to "live the life" God has called you to live. (Eph. 4:1)

(This post is based on the sermon I preached at Geist Community Church on October 28, 2012.  You can listen to/watch it or download the notes here.)

Know the Truth; Live by the Truth

A couple weeks ago my two kids and I were out in the backyard.  Grant (five) was swinging on the swing set while three-year-old Grace decided to grab a spray bottle filled with water.  She was spraying the flowers, patio, grill and anything else that crossed her circuitous path.  I knew what she was plotting as she inched closer to her brother sitting innocently on the swing. 

Grace glanced back at me, knowing that dad had told her she could spray anything in the backyard except for her brother.  She knew if she squirted him the spray bottle would be taken away just as dad had promised.  Yet, like Eve in the Garden of Eden, she couldn't resist the ONE thing she wasn't supposed to do.  Grace knew the authority, she knew the consequences of her disobedience, yet she chose to allow her own desire to trump the authority of her father.

In Mark 12:18-27 we read about a group of religious leaders who were acting very much like my three year-old daughter.  They allowed their own interests and desires to trump the authority of God's Word in their lives.  In the middle of that section Jesus zeroed in on two reasons they failed to submit to the authoirty of God's Word:

(1) "you know neither the Scriptures" - They didn't know the Bible!  The Sadducees only viewed the first five books of the Old Testament (the Books of Moses) as authoritative, so they really didn't know and understand the truth of the entire Old Testament Scripture.

(2) "nor the power of God" - Since they didn't know the Bible, they failed to know it's Author, God.  If the Sadducees would have truly known the Scriptures, they would have understood and believed that God can do anything - including raising people from the dead.

May we not stumble down the same path as the Sadducees; failing to know the power of God because we fail to know His Word.  We must know the Truth and we must live by the Truth.

          "The law of the LORD is perfect,
                  reviving the soul;
            the testimony of the LORD is sure,
                  making wise the simple;
           the precepts of the LORD are right,
                  rejoicing the heart;
            the commandment of the LORD is pure,
                  enlightening the eyes; "
                                        - Psalm 19:7-8

Living Under Authority of Civil Government

The following blog post is a synopsis of a sermon I recently preached at Geist Community Church as a part of our continuing series through the Gospel of Mark.   You can listen to or watch the entire sermon here.

As Election Day draws closer with each passing day the media frenzy continues to build at a frantic pace.  Each news organization is probing deeper with more challenging questions in hopes of stirring up some new controversy.  In most cases they simply want to create a stir and increase ratings.

The challenge for us as Christians, citizens of Heaven (Phil. 3:20), is to keep our focus off the controversies and on the Creator.  Rather than getting caught up in the hype we must remember our God-given responsibilities as it relates to authorities in this world, including civil government.  There are three clear biblical mandates that must guide us as we live within the civil framework of our society.

(1) Pray for those in authority

In 1 Timothy 2:1-3 the Apostle Paul urged Timothy, pastor of the Ephesian church, to pray for "all people" but especially for the leaders of civil government.  While Paul didn't explicitly specify the content of the prayers we can confidently say that it was for the salvation of the people and their leaders.  The minimum requirement of Christians who are living peaceful and quiet lives in the sight of God our Savior is to pray for those in authority.

(2) Participate in civil government

In Mark 12:17 Jesus says we are to pay our taxes, while at the same time asserting the need to honor God above all.  If we, as believers, were truly living as salt and light, we would effect change in the culture through our lawful participation in civil government.  There are crucial issues for which we must contend in the public arena.  We must stand up for the life of an unborn child.  We must graciously promote the truth of the Bible that marriage is a permanent bond before God between one man and one woman.

In our government we participate by voting for representatives that promote the biblical truth on these crucial issues.  We must vote on the crucial issues above all else.  We must vote on the policies and the practices, not the personalities or the parties.

Participating in civil government also means submitting to the authority and rule of civil government.  In Romans 13:1-2 we read that every person is to "be subject to the governing authorities" because "there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God."  We submit to civil government because any government only gets it's power and authority from God.  Every sovereign nation on the planet is sovereign only within it's own boundaries.  God has no boundaries.  He is sovereign over all.  Thus, the sovereignty of the state falls under the sovereignty of God.

Before Daniel was thrown in the lion's den he acknowledged it is God who removes kings and sets them up (Daniel 2:21).  Obviously, Daniel understood God establishes civil government but he also knew there are limits to our obedience.  We obey civil government until our obedience requires us to violate the commands of God.  The commands of God supersede and trump the commands of men since God is sovereign over all. 

(Caution: We must be very careful to discern what civil disobedience is indeed sanctioned by Scripture and what is not.  A personal preference isn't the same as a biblical ground.)

(3) Proclaim the truth of God

We must proclaim the truth of God even when it isn't popular...even when it causes us to be hated by others...even when our own families turn against us...even when our families or our own lives are threatened!

The Apostles clearly understood and believed Jesus' teaching.  We need look no further than Acts 4 and 5 to see them refusing to stop proclaiming the Gospel even though the government ordered them to stop.


Duty to God does not eliminate duty to government.  However, duty to government does not eliminate and must not overshadow our higher duty to God.

We may be citizens of the United States or some other country, but as believers in Jesus we are citizens of heaven above all.  There is coming a day when every nation on earth will cease to exist and the Kingdom of God will rule over all.

Until then, we pay our taxes and honor our leaders.  Our trust, however, must always be in God, not in any human government.

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

Use Your Time Wisely

Summer will soon draw to a close as our daylight slowly slips away and temperatures begin to fall.  It is amazing how quickly time seems to pass us by!  The prophet Isaiah acknowledged this truth more than two millennia ago when he compared our lifespan to that of grass in a field (Is. 40:7-8).  Almost 700 years before Isaiah, Moses drew a similar comparison in Psalm 90.  Our life is very short!

Before Jesus ascended into heaven He tasked us with ONE mission to complete during our short tenure this side of eternity: Make Disciples!  Jesus didn’t tell us to build our retirement fund or keep our house clean.  He told us to “deny ourselves” and follow Him.   We must follow Him by doing what He did: Make Disciples!

As we approach the fall, which if you believe the Mayans is our last, may we have a renewed urgency in our lives.  Steer clear of idle moments; avoid distractions; guard yourself from the allure of sin; run with perseverance focused on our God-given task. 

All Guts, His Glory

Many people believe that being a prophet of God was one of the most coveted jobs of all time.  In reality, it was quite the opposite. 

When God called Isaiah to prophesy to the people we love to dwell on the first part of his response in Isaiah 6:8.  If you grew up in the church you probably have Isaiah 6:8 on a coffee mug somewhere.  If you don't have it on a coffee mug I can almost guarantee that it's crossed your Facebook newsfeed on one of those cheesy "christian" pictures that may or may not accurately portray the truth of the Bible.

Isaiah's response: "Here I am! Send me!" is a wonderful response, but it's not his entire response.  If you read on, God gave Isaiah further direction in Isaiah 6:9-10.  Basically what God said was, "Good.  Now that you've signed up let me tell you what's about to happen.  You'll speak, but the people will never hear you.  Nobody's even going to care that you're there Isaiah."

If I had heard the same message from God while I was in seminary I've got to admit it would have been hard to keep going!

The second half of Isaiah's response is found in Isaiah 6:11.  He said, "How long, O Lord?"  That didn't sound like the ministry he thought he was signing up for!

What about Jonah?  God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and he ran the other way!

Jeremiah was in such deep despair that he said, "cursed be the day I was born!"  He then went on to write Lamentation, which is basically a bunch of really sad poetry.

Regardless of the despair; regardless of the futility; regardless of the fear (except for Jonah needing a bad fishing experience to change his mind) - these men were faithful to serve God.  It took faith and guts to answer the call. 

Will you have the guts to serve God no matter what the perceived results?  It's all guts, to the praise of His glory!

Serving God on His Terms

A.W. Tozer wrote in his book The Root of the Righteous:

          Many of us Christians have become extremely skillful in 
     arranging our lives so as to admit the truth of Christianity 
     without being embarrassed by its implications.
          So wide is the gulf that separates theory from practice in
     the church that an inquiring stranger who chances upon both
     would scarcely dream that there was any relation between them.

When we think about serving God our natural (sinful) tendency is to want to serve Him on our terms, not His.  During my first pastorate, fresh out of seminary, I was sitting in my office one afternoon when the phone rang.  The person calling cheerfully said, "Pastor, I'm driving by the church today at 4:30 is there anything I can help with?  Oh, by the way, I need to leave by 4:45"  While I don't believe it was an accurate representation of this individual's heart attitude, what I heard was, "I want to serve on my terms when it's convenient for me."

The Bible never promises us that serving God will be a life of "smelling roses and petting puppies."  In fact, it promises quite the opposite.  In Mark 13:13 Jesus promises His followers, "you will be hated by all for my name's sake."  Yet, countless buildings are filled on Sunday mornings with people who know the truth and say, "Lord, Lord," while their daily lives painfully reveal they do not really mean it (Matthew 7:23).  They only want to serve God on their terms.

Thankfully, we have a Savior, Jesus, who came to serve the Father no matter what the cost. (cf. Mark 10:45; Luke 22:42)  The writer of Hebrews admonishes us to look to Jesus, who endured the cross, as an example for our own service of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-4) 

May we look straight at the cross and gladly accept the inconvenience, pain and price we must pay to serve God on His terms!

Submit to Jesus' Authority

In Mark 11:27-33 the religious leaders (members of the Jewish Sanhedrin) challenged Jesus' authority after He rid the temple of the moneychangers and merchants who were defrauding worshipers for financial gain.  They were doing really well before Jesus showed up, but now their corrupt moneymaking business has been busted.  Rather than humbling themselves and submitting to Jesus they chose to rebel against Him.  They were more concerned with preserving their power, their wealth, their lives than they were discovering the truth.

Before we throw the religious leaders "under the bus" we need to take a long, prayerful look at our own lives.  Everyone challenges Jesus' authority.  The question is: How have you (or are you) challenging Jesus' authority in your life?

You challenge Jesus' authority when you:

(1) reject biblical truth - When you reject the Bible and it's teachings you challenge Jesus' authority.  Jesus is the Incarnate Word of God. (cf. John 1:14)

(2) remake "Jesus" - Many people today wrongly think they are submitting to Jesus when in reality they are following a "Jesus" that is vastly different than the Jesus of the Bible.  We must resist the temptation to turn Jesus into a "moral politician" or "spiritual guru" simply because we feel strongly about politics or love "spirituality."

(3) refuse to admit you're wrong - When people refuse to take responsibility for their sin they are challenging Jesus' authority because they think they know better than Jesus does.  Anytime we allow something else or even someone else to take the position of authority in our life we are refusing to submit to Jesus.

Rather than challenging Jesus' authority we need to submit to Jesus because He alone has all authority.  In Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."  Colossians 1:16-23 clearly describes Jesus' authority and power.  He is preeminent, second to none!

Submit to Jesus' authority by:
 - submitting to God and His Word (James 4:7)
 - submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21)
 - submitting to those in authority over us (Hebrews 13:17)