Itchy Noses--Sermon Recap

This time of year, it seems that everyone that I bump into is coughing or sneezing all over me. Not sure why this happens, maybe I am just approachable and sneezeonable--but it happens. Watery eyes and itchy noses abound, and it seems that all the students at Myrtle Beach Primary are sickly.

Growing up, an itchy nose meant something entirely different. I am unsure if this saying meant the same thing up north, so I am asking for a little clarity. When I would say to my mom, "My nose is itching" her reply would always be the same. I am wondering if my mom was weird, or normal. I have my inclinations, but need a bit of wisdom here.

Northerners, If you would have made that statement to your mom, what would the answer have been?

One reply--"It means that you will soon be kissing a fool."

Another--"It means that someone would come to see you with holes in their britches."

Ok--possibly we are on to something. What about you folks that call yourself, southerners?

Answer-"It means that you would soon have company."

Well, I guess my mom was a true dispenser of all things Southern, because that was her answer.

Now, the question that I have, and this does have a point, is that why is it that whenever someone comes to our house, we always apologize for the looks of the house?

Even if we have just cleaned up, if someone comes in, we always apologize and say,"Please excuse the mess." Why do we feel like we need to be better than we are.

Why is it that sometimes we sweep everything into a closet and hope that it will not be found until we can actually get back to it?

OK--wives, what if you have swept all the junk into a closet. All the broken toys, all the piles of dirty laundry, and all the garbage that you hastily gathered is hidden. Then mother in law arrives, and walks over to the closet. You try to distract her, you tell her how great her hair looks, you offer to paint her toe-nails, anything to keep her from finding you OUT. She reaches for the doorknob anyway and.....

The scripture today speaks to the condition of our lives. It is one that makes me quake in fear.

Revelation 3

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.

Wow-it is as if Jesus has gone over to the closets of the church at Laodicea and opened it up. All the halfway mess has came crashing down. We realize that we too are in the same situation. We know what we are to do. We know what God's word says, but yet--we are content to do things are own way. The terrible part of this approach to life is that, IT MAKES GOD VOMIT.

When we eat something that makes us sick, how often do we run right back to it and try it again. Once that taste is in our mouths--we want to forget about it. A friend of mine got sick at a Cracker Barrel one day, and has yet to go back. It evokes bad memories, not to mention, his gag reflex.

If Jesus ignored that which made him vomit--we would be in such a desperate situation. But the text does not end with the vomiting experience. There is good news for you, and me. It concludes this way:

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

He has opened the closets of our lives, and became sick. But, he helps to clean us up, and invites us to begin again. He comes back, and knocks on the door--he longs to fellowship and eat with us. He longs to know and enjoy us, he longs to laugh, hold and love us.

Does your nose itch?

Perhaps he is knocking. Company is coming--will we let him in?

Sermon Recap--"Recession?"

This year I have been spending quite a few hours in the primary school. This has been valuable, as I have been given many sermon nuggets and also techniques for teaching. One thing that I have learned is that kids learn anything if you put it in the form of a song. For about 3 weeks, I have heard the following song about money. There are a couple of kids here on the from row that may be willing to help, as well. (They did.)

I like money...to buy things at the store.

Money, Money, Money...I always want more.

The penny's worth one cent

The nickel's worth five

The dime is worth ten cent

The quarter's twenty-five

I like money...to buy things at the store.

Money, Money, Money...I always want more.

A building's on one cent

A building's on five

A torch is on ten cent

An eagles on twenty-five.

I like money...to buy things at the store.

Money, money, money...I always want more.

Lincoln's on one cent

Jefferson's on five

Roosevelt's on ten cent

and Washington's on twenty-five.

I like money...to buy things at the store.

Money, money, money...I always want more.

This week on my day off, I was running errands and popped in a local Starbucks. They were introducing a new coffee and I had been captivated by the ads and "had to have it."

So, I pulled out my money--to buy things at the store.

Hard to get that tune out of your head, Isn't it?

I paid and walked over to the prep area. You see my life and coffee is not complete until I put just the right amount of half and half in the cup of JOY. Wow, I love me coffee!!

Sitting just to the right of the prep area was what seemed to be Grandma, Mom and son, ages approximately 60, 38 and 6. There were stacks of Pokemon cards on the table. The Grandma asked the little boy, "Do you have all the cards?" His curt reply, "No Gramma--that is what ebay is for!!

Money...money...money--I always want more.--I sang to myself.

"So, the grandma said, there are a lot more that you need?"

"Gramma--there are so many more things that I need that I do not have."

The mom noticed that I had been smiling as I listened in on the conversation. She looked at me, and said--"now that will preach."

So---It has.

We are told from an early age that we need more stuff and must have more stuff. This stuff will make us happy. When will we learn?

Many parables deal with Money and the slippery spot that we get ourselves in with it. Luke 12 is one such parable told by Christ.

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him, "Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?" Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."

Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, "Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!"

But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."

He said to (his) disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

If life is not about stuff--then what is it about???

A few weeks back, Bob and Elaine Moody and I went to Charleston for a Doctor's appointment. I drove them down and we stopped at Burger King to get a salad because we could not find a Wendy's. We did not have enough "gap" time to go into a "sit down and have someone serve us" establishment. Bob ordered his Chicken sandwich and Elaine and I ordered a grilled chicken salad. We got to the table and opened the salads. I looked all in the bag and in the packaging for a fork. There was none to be found.

I walked back to the condiment station and scanned the area: ketchup, mayo, mustard, napkins, spoons, knives, lids for the drinks, coffee stirrers, sugar, creamer, splenda, equal, and sweet-n-lo, but NO FORKS!!

I walked up to the counter and asked for a fork.

"I am sorry, was the reply from the cashier, we are out of forks."

For one of the rare times in my life--I was almost speechless. But that did not last long.

"Well, Perhaps you could tell me how I am to eat a salad without a fork?"

"Oh, we will go to the store and buy some."--She said.

"I am sorry, but we are en route to a Doctor's appointment. Perhaps we could get something else.

She allowed us to trade in for a non fork item!!

The point is that all the stuff we think we need in out lives are like the salad. The look good and make our mouths water. Jesus is like the fork--he is the only way that we can truly enjoy any of it at all.

Rich Mullins sings about stuff and the things we think we need in his song, "My One Thing."

"Everybody I know says they need just one thing

And what they really mean is that they need just one thing more

And everybody seems to think they've got it coming

Well I know that I don't deserve You

Still I want to love and serve You more and more

You're my one thing

Save me from those things that might distract me

Please take them away and purify my heart

I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing

'Cause what will I have when the world is gone

If it isn't for the love that goes on and on.

Our challenge as believers is to always remember that Jesus is all we need. I ask that as we sing our closing hymn, we pay close attention to the words and look how diametrically opposed they are to the "Money" song I shared earlier.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I’d rather be His than have riches untold;

I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;

I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Refrain:

Than to be the king of a vast domain,

Or be held in sin’s dread sway;

I’d rather have Jesus than anything

This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;

I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;

I’d rather be true to His holy name

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;

I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead

So, the good news for Christians is that perhaps a "Recession" isn't really all that bad after all.

Sermon Recap--"The Moment of Truth"

Throughout history there have been many party games and game shows that focus on some sort of Truth. There was the popular game--"Truth or Consequences" and "To Tell the Truth", we even played "Truth or Dare" as kids and young adults. There is a new game show on now that is called "The Moment of Truth." The premise of the show is that the contestant has been hooked up to a lie detection device and asked a lot of questions. All they have to do to win a ton of money is to have there answers revealed before a live and national audience. The more answers that they truthfully complete, the more money they make. These are terrible questions like, "Do you think you are a better mom than your own mother?" Guess who is asking the question---that's right, it is the MOM. I cannot even watch this show because it makes Sarah ask me a bunch of questions that are foolish and often unanswerable--plus, I am not getting any money for it!!

Some of the TRUTH questions that have caused the most havoc on the show are:

Have you ever had sex to move up on the job?

Have you ever cheated on your wife?

If you knew you could cheat on your wife and get away with it...would you?

Do you regret breaking up with your last boyfriend?

If he wanted you back--would you leave your current boyfriend?

Does your mom meddle too much in your marriage?

Do you hate your mother in law?

Have you ever stolen anything from work?

Just watching these people squirm and sweat and lose their friends, family, and reputation for a few thousand dollars is beyond reason to me. Most of the contestants stop when they win 100,000 bucks. After taxes that is 50,000 and after the divorce it is 25,000 before lawyers fees. TRUTH is we are a GREEDY society.

Jesus speaks to us about truth when he says to us in John 14 the following:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus defines himself as the TRUTH, the WAY, and the LIFE. Thomas is involved in a "moment of truth" when he is face to face with Jesus. Jesus tells Thomas that he does not need a GPS to get to heaven--as a follower of Jesus, his life and eternity is secured. Jesus will return and secure all those who are his.

Think about all the cross road decisions, moments of truth that we see in the scripture:

Adam and Eve in the garden

Noah building the ark

Abraham and Isaac at the altar

Daniel in the lions den

David and Bathsheeba

The woman at the well

Peter denying Christ

Some made great decisions in the moment of truth and some did not.

Now--think about your life, as I think about mine. Each day we too encounter moments of truth. Opportunities in life to walk as Children of TRUTH and LIFE that know the WAY through the pitfalls and landmines. Sometimes we navigate them easily, and sometimes we stumble.

This too is a moment of truth. This is a time to realize how sinful we are, but yet how gracious Christ is. He calls to us this day:

If you confess, I will forgive.

If you believe--I will increase your faith.

If you listen, I will speak.

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE---In me, all things are possible.

Readings for March

1- Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church by D.A. Carson

Carson presents a conservative argument and explanation of the Emerging Church movement. If you are reading Books by McLaren, Burke, and the rest of the leaders of this movement--it is always good to read something that is being volleyed back from the opposite side of the net. Carson brought up some very valid points, and I see this as a good read. I give it 3.5 stars.

2- The Shack by William P. Young

I usually do not read Christian fiction. No, I am not being a snob or anything, I just never really got into it. My father in law has been talking about Christian fiction for years, and I still avoided it. Maybe I need to listen more? Sorry Gramps!

This one was sent to me by a great friend and since I value his opinion, I was morally obligated to read the darn thing. Especially since he would ask me how I liked it!!

The first 10 pages, I was angry that he sent it--but then I fell into it and LOVED it.

So, thanks Scott! You will find things that make you mad, and you may have some theological issues depending on your "stances". It is a book that makes you think, and that is something that is lacking in many of our lives. I give it 4.25 stars.

So, Scott--I am looking for something that starts horrible and ends well to recommend for you!

Sermon Recap- "Exposed"

Some of my sermons could not be preached at the First Baptist Church, or First Methodist Church, or while wearing a formal, black Genevan Gown in the First Presbyterian pulpit. Each week, I try to share my life and attempt to find out what God is saying to us all through those events. This week, has been a bit awkward.

I visited my mom this past week, and not too long after arrival, I noticed a large knot. It kept getting larger and became throbbingly painful. I knew that I needed to go to visit a local doctor, but since I did not have one of my own, the urgent care clinic was my destination.

Now this seems like a pretty simple and straightforward story, but from the sermon title, you will quickly understand that this was not a pleasant experience for me. The bump was in a "sensitive" spot, below the waist that generally is not viewed by a lot of people. If you need more info, it was front side, below waist, awkwardness. Now, we are on the same page. See, I told you this sermon would not "fly" at a formal church. (Laughter erupts)

So, once I get in the room, I tell the nurse what is going on. Her reply, "Oh my!" Just what I was thinking myself. She said, "The Doc will be right in to check that out."

He came in and move me to a surgical area. He did what docs do with lumps in that area, and then he called the nurse in to help with the gauze packing and taping. He gave me instructions, gave her instructions and left the room.

I could hear the buzz of the fluorescent lights as the awkwardness enveloped us.

She said, "I see that you are from Myrtle Beach, What brings you here?" I felt like she was wanting to make small talk. Although I was in no mood for talking at all, especially after the shot I had just received. I explained that I was visiting my mom and that she was so happy to be spending time with my 6 year old son. Hoping this would end the small talk, but quickly finding out that the person gawking at a place ungawked at often was quite the chatterbox.

"So what do you do, at the beach?"

I sighed and replied, "I am a chaplain."

"Well, let me ask you a question chaplain--Do ya mind?"

Since I was being held captive, I had no choice--"No, that is fine, go ahead."

"Well, I was married for 30 years and my husband cheated on me. We divorced and a year later he got prostate cancer. I think he got what he deserved. Yep, I think God punished him because of what he did. What do you think, Chaplain?"

Now, I am in trouble, she has me in a precarious situation. Before I tell you my response, I ask you, "What would you say?"

Well, the scripture speaks to us about things such as this. In the form of a Narrative, we learn about the kind of relationship Jesus wants with us. Let's look closely and see what there is to learn.

Luke 10: 38-42

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

The nurse that was patching me up, was a Martha. Her idea of rightness with Jesus was being busy doing good things. Martha was expected by the society in which she lived to be about working and preparing. She became indignant when Mary was comfortable sitting in the presence of Christ. A relationship with Christ is not about DOING, it is about BEING. We are to BE His.

On the way home from the upstate, a jeep passed me going super fast. It had written on the back and sides, "My soldier is coming home today." I am not sure of the drivers name, but she reminded my of Mary. With every part of her being she longed to be in the presence of the ONE who loved her. He was hers, and she was his. It is all about the BEING!

Now, BEING in Christ should lead to an outpouring of DOING. But we can never base our worth to God on how faithful we are. If that is the case, then our salvation is a work. That would make the work of Christ on the cross to be insignificant. But if our relationship with God rests firmly in our BEING one that Christ redeemed...now that is where TRUTH stands.

Because we are redeemed, then our lives should reflect love, grace and forgiveness. But because of Christ death, when God looks at us, He sees Perfection. Jesus blood, covers us, he took the wrath of God for us. See...it is all about BEING his.

So, what did I tell the nurse? What I just told you, in a simpler form. Relationships are never easy, we all fail each other--even when having the greatest and best of intentions. Sickness is an effect of living in a sinful and fallen world, and that God is not a scorekeeper. If God did keep score, none of us would be spared. Jesus already paid all that debt for his children.

I went back in a few days later. The lady was a different person. She seemed to be free from her anger. When she patched me up after the doc checked me out, she said, "Where do you preach, Chaplain."

I answered her, wondering what was next.

"I will check you out when I come to the beach," was the reply.

The Gospel--the Naked truth of the love of Christ--is the only way to "expose" us to the lavish love of God.

That, my friends is Good News.