Sermons - Archive
A Good Spring Cleaning
April 11, 2010
The trees are starting to bud. Little green blades of grass are peaking out where the lawn had gone dormant for the winter. People are beginning to notice pollen and mold spores and other allergens floating toward their nasal passages. March Madness is winding down and the baseball season is heating up. These are all signs of spring. Even our clocks have “sprung forward.” And that means it’s time for a good spring cleaning.
When I was growing up, I soon learned the difference between spring cleaning and just a normal Saturday straightening up. The curtains and drapes came down to be washed. The eaves on the outside of the house were swept for cobwebs and dirt daubers’ nests. Toys and clothes that were no longer used or seldom worn were piled up and hauled off. It was just a sign of spring.
Perhaps it’s time that we engage in a little spiritual spring cleaning, the kind that removes the buildup and clutter that sometimes goes unaddressed. While the world around us awakens from winter, we, too, can spring back to life. It is not just a sign of the season, but of seasoning, growing, and maturing.
As you gather your supplies and get ready, may I offer a few quick cleaning tips?
1. Remember Whose you are.
The reason we must keep our body, our earthly house, in good shape is because we are borrowing it from the Owner. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own.” (1 Cor. 6:19)? Nobody has the right to say, “it’s my body, I can do whatever I want to it.” You belong to God. Everything you have is from Him. That means you’re going to have to give it all back. So, “glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20). The best way to do that is by keeping it clean from all of the worldly impurities that defile and corrupt.
2. Start at home, not your neighbor’s
Spring cleaning sometimes doesn’t go very deep because we start noticing what bad shape everyone else is in. We’ll think, “I have weeds in my flowerbeds, but they’re not as high as his.” Or, “my shelves are dusty, but look at the cobwebs in her closet.” Jesus said that you don’t have the right to criticize other peoples’ imperfections when you have not even addressed your own. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye.” (Matt.7:3)? Stay focused on your own messes. If you’re like me, that ought to be enough to keep you busy most of the time.
3. Clear out the junk drawer
Surely you have one, don’t you? That’s the one where you put things that don’t have a place: twist ties, used batteries, expired coupons, and little plastic pieces that you have no idea what they used to go to. Isn’t it amazing how we feel the need to keep things around that have no value or use anymore? But we do the same thing with our spiritual baggage. We are instructed to “run with endurance the race that is set before us” only after we “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us” (He. 12:1). If it’s junk, if it has no use, if it’s a piece from the past, throw it away. Get rid of it. Just because you’ve found a hiding place for it does not mean that you’ve taken care of it.
4. Get a good finish.
Discouragement is a big deterrent to spring cleaning. When you start pulling everything out, it can look more cluttered than when you started. Progress is often slow. Before long, you get overwhelmed and just put it all back where you found it. Paul commended the church in Corinth for the benevolent work they had begun. But a good beginning was not good enough. “Now finish doing it also, so that just there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability” (2Cor. 8:11). Any job worth doing is going to have its moments where you want to turn back. But we must press through the difficulties and press along to your destination. When we finish, we’ll wonder why we didn’t start sooner.
You won’t regret a good spring cleaning. It will bring seasons of refreshing. It will bring you back to life.
Words That Encourage
December 20, 2009
One of the greatest leaders in the Bible was Nehemiah. He hears of the ruin of the city of Jerusalem and decides to lead his people in the rebuilding of the wall around the city. His goal is met with fierce opposition yet he is still able, in 52 days, to motivate his people to complete the task. Perhaps we can take courage from his motivating words in our times of struggle
“You see the bad situation we are in… Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.” Neh. 2:17
Nehemiah saw firsthand what terrible shape the city and therefore the people were in. He simply reminded the people of the condition of the walls and the city to motivate them to do something about it.
We need to stop and evaluate where we are. Are the walls of our life in shambles? Are we a reproach to Christ by what others see in us? When we honestly see where we are and the shameful mess we are in, shouldn’t that turn our thinking toward getting out of our current situation? Nehemiah gave them the hope they needed to change their situation
“Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” Neh. 4:14
The people of the city were motivated by Nehemiah’s words to begin the effort. They worked feverishly and the wall was built to half its height in approximately 2 1/2 weeks but the trouble came. The surrounding nations began to increase their efforts to discourage the work by threatening the lives of the workers. Their efforts were successful. Nehemiah simply told the people to “remember the Lord, ” don’t forget what God can do, He will take care of us.
In and and every worthwhile effort, there will be opposition that forces that gut-wrenching decision to continue to do what is right or stop the effort. Let’s remember God and His power and why we are fighting the battle in the first place. Nehemiah mentions their families and homes, in our case, we may be fighting for our own spiritual strength, our families, or the church. Don’t forget God nor what the battle is about.
“The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Neh. 4:19-20
Nehemiah understood the enormity of the project and that their individual focus on their part of the work may leave them open to the enemy. Therefore, he set up a system by which they could come to each other’s aid. They depended on each other to complete the project. And lest the thought of the fight frighten any of them he reminded them that God would be there fighting for them
What about your battle to straighten out your life? When it gets hard and you are feeling overwhelmed and fearing that the enemy may gain victory over your soul… lean on your brother or sister in Christ. Call out to them for strength and help in the fight. Remember again who is fighting for you… God, and He will be victorious.
Nehemiah was an incredible individual. He accomplished in 52 days what had been left undone for decades by pointing out the problem, turning the people to God, and uniting them together to do the work. Let’s use the same formula to address the difficult issues in our lives
Christmas Time
December 13, 2009
It’s Christmas Time! Radio, television, newspapers, and special church programs repeat the “Christmas Story”. Crib and manger scenes depict the story for all Americans to see. The question of whether communities have the right to display nativity scenes on public property has made its way to our highest court. Erroneous speculation and truth mingle in the commonly told “Christmas Story”. It sounds good, but is this the way Jesus wants people to remember Him? The Biblical answer is clear; it is not!
Noah Taught His Family
December 6, 2009
Noah was “a preacher of righteousness”(2 Pet. 2:5), who did much of his teaching at home. Consequently, “in the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Jepheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark” (Gen. 7:13). Indeed, this was a great day, for Noah saved his family. (..read more)
What to Expect When you Visit
November 15, 2009
Many people are hesitant to attend worship services at an unfamiliar church. To help alleviate any apprehensions you may have regarding this congregation, we would like to explain what you can expect when you visit with us at the Traders Point church of Christ. (..read more)