1. yesterday afternoon I was over at the coast, near Rockaway. The radio reception was bad. I couldn’t pick up the Oregon – USC game. I wanted to hear some good news. I wanted to hear that Oregon was winning.
2. last night I was at Canby Grove’s benefit dessert. They weren’t giving World Series updates throughout the evening. I want
ed to hear some good news. I wanted to hear that Boston was winning.
3. in ancient Greece or Rome I would have said – I want to hear some gospel.
4. turn to 2 Timothy 1:8-12. Paul, at the end of his life, confined to prison in Rome for his faith in Christ, writes these words to his protégé Timothy. According to William Barclay, few passages in the New Testament have in them & behind them such a sense of the sheer grandeur of the gospel.
5. I want to talk today about the gospel. and I’ll tell you why at the end of my message.
this word ‘gospel’
1. the word gospel is an old word. It can be found in Homer, the Greek poet, who wrote the Iliad & Odyssey. Some date him as far back as 1200 BC.
2. The noun form of gospel means messenger. The verb form means announce. The word came to describe the message of victory over defeated foes. Or the message of personal or political news that brings joy & gladness.
3. I finally heard the ‘gospel’ of Oregon’s victory over USC listening to the post-game report. I read the ‘gospel’ of Boston’s victory over the Rockies on the internet after I came home from the dessert (Jacoby Ellsbury of Oregon State was one of the game’s heroes!).
4. gospel came to describe the good news of the life, death & resurrection of Jesus & his victory over sin, death & Satan. The good news that brings gladness & joy.
5. in 2 Timothy 1:8-12 the gospel unfolds in 5 stages
1st the gospel begins as grace before time (9)
1. the grace of God’s saving gospel was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. If we trace the river of the gospel to its source, we must look back beyond time to the eternal past. Literally, before eternal times.
2. think of this. We were given grace in Christ before…
Þ the world was created
Þ history unfolded
Þ we were born
Þ we did any good works
3. this is called election, predestination. God’s choosing of us for salvation before time began. Election is difficult to wrap our finite minds around. How does God’s sovereign choosing dovetail with human choice & responsibility? God chooses us in the eternal past & we choose him in the eternal present. Our choice is fueled by his grace.
4. John Stott writes that election should 1) engender deep humility & gratitude on our part & 2) bring us a sense of peace & assurance.
2nd the gospel enters time in the historical appearing of Jesus Christ (life, death, resurrection)
1. Paul links God’s electing, saving grace to a person – Christ Jesus. How? Through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus (10).
2. what was decided about grace in eternity past, makes its way into history in the person of Christ. The Word became flesh. God become a man. Jesus, God’s Son, was born to Mary.
3. God’s eternal purposes become rooted in history, in space & time, in Jesus.
4. Jesus destroyed death. We know of 3 kinds of death. All 3 are due to sin. And Christ in his life, death & resurrection has destroyed them all (10):
Þ physical death – separation of the soul from body
Þ spiritual death – separation of the soul from God
Þ eternal death – separation of body & soul from God forever
5. all 3 forms of death have been destroyed in Christ’s death & resurrection, in part now & in whole later.
3rd the gospel comes to us as God’s personal call through preaching & teaching
1. and of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher (11).
2. apostles formulated the gospel; heralds proclaimed, preached the gospel – Christ died & risen from the dead with a summons to repent & believe; and teachers instructed people in its doctrines & ethical implications.
3. notice, what is to be preached & taught is the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ.
4. the gospel is our defining characteristic as a church. This is what we have to offer people. This is our specialty. NOT a new building. NOT a bunch of programs. NOT a great pastoral staff. NOT you-fill-in-the-blank. But the gospel as we attempt to get its message out however we can through word & deed.
4th the gospel calls us to live a holy life
1. what happens after you respond to the gospel & say “yes” to Jesus as your Savior & Lord? Is it all over? Do you just sit back & wait to die & go to heaven? No, no way! The journey has just begun.
2. the gospel calls us to a holy life (9). Salvation is far more than forgiveness of sin. Salvation is to be progressively transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ.
3. 4 of our high school students ran on the Canby High cross country team this fall – Lindsay VanAcker, Hannah Bennett, Molly Minson & Liz Barton. All 4 joined the team. That was just the start. Mr. Millbrooke’s mission was to RUN them into shape. They were called to a running life.
4. saying ‘yes’ to Jesus is just the start. Living a holy life, becoming like Jesus, follows, till the day we die.
5th the gospel promises us life now & life to come
1. brought life & immortality to light through the gospel (10). Jesus brings life. Life now & eternal life to come. Immortality. We’ll never die. We’ll live forever in the presence of God himself.
2. this is what makes the gospel so important. The stakes are sky high. It’s not just about now – it’s about now & then. It’s about forever. It’s about heaven & hell. It’s about where you’re going to spend eternity.
a mature church
1. what is the gospel? It is the good news that brings gladness & joy. The news of Jesus Christ. His life death & resurrection that saves us when we say ‘yes’ to him.
2. gospel begins as grace before time + enters history in the person of Jesus Christ + comes to us through preaching & teaching + calls us to live a holy life, becoming like Jesus + ushers us into eternal life! The gospel stretches from eternity past to eternity present to eternity future. It transcends time.
3. Thursday night our elders met together – me Norm Beck Mike Higgs Mel Yamase Marlin Myers. The main agenda item was the annual review of my job performance. I was asked to share some elements of my vision for the future.
4. I referenced Stu Weber, pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church out in Boring. After his sabbatical he wrote in Leadership Journal, I want to help Good Shepherd become more assertive in the community. I want to help the church blossom to a new level of responsibility and impact as a truly mature church.
5. I told the elders that part of my vision for the future is this – I want CAC to collectively grow to the next level of maturity. And I defined that maturity, in part, as sacrificial service for our community, even globally.
6. I heard Bono say at their U2 concert in Portland, we attempt to live life as large as we can. To live our Christ-following lives as large as we can means to live Christ-following lives for others. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that the church is the church only when it exists for others.
7. We are beginning to do this more & more. We’re off to a good start. I wonder & I pray what God has in store for us next. Maturity for us will mean, in part, a fuller understanding & practice of the gospel:
Þ election – we participate in something far bigger than we are; ours is to live lives of gratitude; ours is to make ourselves available to God’s work to touch others called by God
Þ Jesus Christ – ours is to make Jesus the Center of all we are & all we do. Jesus is our vision. NOT Jesus + my job, my bank account, my dreams BUT Jesus period
Þ witness – the apostolic preaching teaching part. Getting the gospel out. Spreading the word. Living the life. Making the main thing the main thing. We exist by the gospel & we exist for the gospel.
Þ holiness – we’d better be different for having confessed Christ. If our lives don’t match our words the game is over. Is there anything different about us?
Þ life – spiritual life, eternal life, life everlasting THAT impacts today.
8. it’s time to grow up. To take this gospel thing seriously. To reach the next level of maturity. To not only grow deeper in Christ but to grow further outward because of Christ.
Music I listened to while sermonizing this week – Coldplay, U2, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens
Books I read & studied this week while sermonizing – Scot McKnight, A Community Called Atonement; John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals; William Barclay, the Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon; John Stott, The Message of 2 Timothy; Gordon Fee, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus
2 Timothy 4:9-22
1. we’re in!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ø thanks for help yesterday
Ø have to get used to living here, iron out the wrinkles
Ø no food or drinks in the sanctuary please
2. flowers from Bethany Church – Larry Parks
3. thanks to Jeff Reister for cross
4. good news – the rental house sold this week!
Prayer
1. as we move into our new facility today I want to speak about community, the importance of relationships. For we would not have survived the fire & this building would not have been built if we didn’t have a strong sense of community in this church.
2. community is 1 of our 5 church values – worship, prayer, transformation, community & mission.
2 Timothy 4:9-22
1. last written words of Paul that we have in our Bibles. He is languishing in a prison cell in Rome. At the end of his life. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (4:7). Write that down. Determine in your heart that when you grow up you will finish well just like Paul. Less than 30% of the leaders in the Bible do so.
2. tradition tells us that Paul was beheaded just outside the city limits of Rome.
3. 19+ people named. Paul lived his life & did ministry in community with others. Relationships were everything to Paul His last words ooze wfith community.
4. I want to share 3 things: those who deserted & opposed Paul + Paul’s needs as a human being + Paul’s team
1st Desertion & Opposition
1. Demas – because he loved this world he has deserted me & gone to Thessalonica (4:9)
… His desertion painful to Paul
… Previously close associate, fellow worker
… Fallen in love with the world – drifted away, pursuing things other than Christ & his kingdom
2. Alexander the metalworker (4:14-15)
… Did Paul a great deal of harm – what?
… Strongly opposed the message of the gospel
… Warns Timothy about him
… The Lord will repay him for what he has done
3. everyone at his first defense (4:16-17)
… under arrest at Rome for the gospel & put on trial
… among all his ministry & travel companions & all the Christ-followers in Rome NONE stood by him!
… Christ-followers accused of: atheism (against idolatry & emperor worship) & cannibalism (spoke of eating the body & drinking the blood of Christ)
4. community is not perfect. Flawed Christ-followers compose community. Community can bring pain. It did for Paul. It might for us.
2nd Paul’s needs
1. for people to keep him company – called for Timothy (4:9) & Mark (4:11)
2. Timothy – 1 of Paul’s inner circle
Ø 4:9: do your best to come to me quickly (while Paul was still alive)
Ø 4:21: do your best to get here before winter (before navigation would be impossible)
Ø 1:4: I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy
Ø Paul needs community; needs people; needs support & companionship
3. Mark – get Mark & bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry (4:11)
Ø Deserted Paul on 1st missionary journey
Ø He & Barnabas argued over Mark for 2nd journey & parted company (Barnabas took Mark; Paul took Silas)
Ø Later reconciled with Mark (Col 4:10; Phm 24)
Ø Now wants Mark by his side!
Ø Beautiful picture of reconciliation WHICH must mark our relationships
4. a coat to keep him warm – asked Timothy to bring his cloak (4:13). Roman prisons were not heated & clothes were not issued
5. reading material to keep him occupied (4:13) – bring my scrolls, especially the parchments. Roman prisons did not have a library or magazine subscriptions or internet hook-up
Ø most likely Paul’s version of the Greek Old Testament
Ø life-long learner up till the end!
6. a reconciled team mate. A warm coat. A bag full of books. This is community. In Christ we become to others what they need & they to us.
CAC thanksgiving
1. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed after the fire. We faced a mountain of challenges, questions, needs. For days on end I lived out of a notebook full of my “to do” lists that were unending. There were days were I felt like if I have to make one more decision my brain is going to crash.
2. 28 months later, almost to the day – June 16, 2005-October 14, 2007 – here we are. Our mountain of needs matched by a mountain of help & volunteers that I simply never forget! Community in action under the power & inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God!
… God Father Son Spirit – faithfulness, provision, turning a tragedy into an opportunity
… CAC congregation – ideas, dreams, vision, financial support (almost $738,625!), patience, work
… Elders & Governing Board (Norm Beck, Jim Brands, Mike Higgs, Marlin Myers, Mel Yamase + Lynne Applegate, Doug Beck, David Bennett, Harry Lee Kwai, Nancy Pickett, Cam Quinlan, Paul Knopp, Jim Trigg, Brad Wilson) – ldshp, vision, perseverance
… Jennifer Brands, Kim Lee Kwai, Erika Scott, Julene Trigg (interior design team) – colors, floor coverings, decorating
… Dennis Trussell – computer networking
… Paul Knopp & Norm Beck – landscaping
… Harry & Kim LeeKwai – buying & picking up furnishings
… John VanAcker – sound, lights, media
… Lee Gellinger & Dick Colenso – in-house project managers
Paul’s team
4:9-13
1. Luke – he alone is with Paul in his imprisonment; the physician; unflinching loyalty
2. Tychicus – I sent Tychicus to Ephesus (4:12)
… Elsewhere described as a brother & faithful minister in the Lord
… Carried Paul’s letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Titus
4:19-22
1. Priscilla & Aquila -
… More ministry team members – fellow workers in Christ Jesus (Romans 16:30
… Stayed at their house while in Corinth
2. household of Onesiphorus – 1:16-18
… Paul chained in prison in Rome
… One found Paul, refreshed him
3. Trophimus – I left…sick in Miletus
… Companion of Paul on 3rd missionary journey
… Left sick = God heals but not everyone
5. the Lord (4:17-18, 22) – Paul’s strength & power are derived from Christ in the face of desertion, opposition & coming death
… stood at Paul’s side & gave strength
… delivered from the lion’s mouth
… will rescue me
… will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom
… to him be glory
… be with you
CAC Community
1. We would not have survived the fire & this building would not have been built if we didn’t have a strong sense of community in this church.
2. a church is not a building or a piece of land or an address for phone number or website. Church is people.
3. I remember being interviewed by someone from KGW the night of the fire. All I remember saying in that interview is something like – we lost our building but we didn’t lose our church. The church is people. The church will go on.
4. God has turned a tragedy into a new opportunity – a facility that is more than we’ve ever had or dreamed of. The ways of God are beyond understanding.
5. Will, Brenda, Jeremiah, Issac I hardly know what to say to you. This whole process has been a source of great pain & suffering in your lives. I can’t tell you how much all of us love you. I pray for God to reach deep into your souls with his healing touch. To turn sorrow to joy, questions to faith & guilt to forgiveness.
6. one of Will’s blogger buddies says it best (Judas Hate) – whether by Jeremiah’s hands the church burned down is not the question. It is however, why. Could be he needed to touch someone in the community and needed the new building to assist in welcoming this person to his house. Could be the old building was unsafe and through Jeremiah he made the necessary changes. Could be you weren’t yet adorned with enough armor to protect you from what was yet to come & this was his way of preparing you. Whatever the case, it is done & you have forgiven him. God has forgiven him. Now you just need to forgive you.
7. community has brought us this far. And community will bring us into the future & whatever comes next. We are family. God has bought each of us together in this place. Not just to love each other & live in this new home. BUT to love him, love others & to advance his kingdom here & wherever he leads us.
Music I listened to while studying for and writing this sermon – Coldplay, Brian Doerksen, David Crowder Band; the American Boys Choir
Books I was reading and studying when writing this sermon – Praying With The Church by Scot McKnight, The Message of 2 Timothy by John Stott, Through the Bible Through the Year by John Stott,
(Hebrews 1:1-4; 10:31; 12:28-29; 13:15-16)
**1 year ago today Harry & I worshiped at Sam Sesay’s church in Lungi, Sierra Leone…..I write to say hello to you all. We are doing fine in Lungi . Everyone is busy doing something for the Lord and the family. Please pray for Joseph he is going t o take his public exam on monday for the second year in college. It is very difficult for them but with hard studise and prayers he will do well. Pray also for the pre-school teachers and the clinic staff for commitment. Pray for the new primary school we have started in Samuya village for Government to approve so we can pay the teachers. Pray for me. I am suffering from sharp pain on my left leg. I am planing to go to Guinea to see a doctor for examination God willing the frist week in November. Sam.
1 Our mission – to make disciples of Jesus Christ who love God & love others. This is Why we exist.
2 We’ve identified 5 values to guide our disciple-making – worship, prayer, transformation, community & mission. As we continue our series on This is Why I want to tackle our worship value today.
3 on August 12 Mike Higgs preached one of the best messages on worship I have every heard. You can access it on our sermon blog @ canbyalliance.blogspot.com.
4 what I want to do today is pull together a few verses from the book of Hebrews that address our worship of God.
the letter to the Hebrews
1 The letter was written by an unknown author to a local church of Jewish Christians, perhaps in or near Jerusalem. They were in danger of going apostate, were being persecuted & were theologically confused.
2 the book is about Jesus. New wine has burst the old wineskins. Christ’s priesthood, sacrifice & covenant supercede anything found in the Old Testament. Jesus is greater than any other Old Testament prophet, priest, king or holy man.
Jesus – 1:1-4
1 this letter strikes fire immediately with a magnificent Christological statement – 7 realities defining Jesus’ superiority:
2 1st Jesus is the heir of creation – but in these last days (God) has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things. All things are Christ’s.
3 2nd Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory (1:3). Just like the radiance of the sun is inseparable from the sun itself, so Jesus’ radiance is inseparable from God’s. Why? Because he himself is God!
4 3rd Jesus is the agent of creation – through whom he made the universe (1:2).
5 4th Jesus is the exact representation of his (God’s) being (1:3). He is not merely a reflection of God. He is the absolutely authentic demonstration of God himself.
6 5th Jesus is the sustainer of the universe – sustaining all things by his powerful word (1:3). Jesus dynamically holds together everything he has made.
7 6th Jesus provided purification for sins (1:3). He died on the cross in our place to take care of our sin problem.
8 7th sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (1:3). His work of salvation is complete. He now actively rules with God as Lord over all.
9 this description of Christ hits like a bombshell. Who can compare to Jesus? This is the Jesus we worship.
Hebrews 10:31
1 context – in light of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin we are told to persevere in the midst of persecution. We are also instructed to fear the judgment of God if we disobey him (10:29-30).
2 The judgment of God. God is just. His justice makes his judgment a reality.
3 the author’s point – It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our worship of God must include our fear of God as the judge of his people.
Hebrews 12:28-29
1 context – This letter is written to a people who are in danger of apostasy. They know the truth about Christ & have lived it out. Now they are in danger of leaving the faith. And if they do, the price they pay will be great – the judgment & wrath of God.
2 God is a consuming fire (Deut 4:24 – warning against idolatry). Since God is a consuming fire our worship had better reflect this. Gratitude, reverence & awe are called for. The fear of God.
3 As we worship we need reminded that:
§ God is God & we’re not
§ God is infinite & we’re finite
§ God is eternal & we’re temporal
§ God is our Creator & we’re his creature
§ God is pure holiness & we are sinful
§ God is all wise & we can be embarrassingly foolish
§ God is untouchable & we’re blessed beyond measure to have been touched by him
4 God is a consuming fire. And this calls for worship marked with reverence & awe.
Hebrews 13:15-16
1 Context – the author is wrapping things up. Do this. Do that. Don’t forget this. Remember.
2 13:15 – a call to offer up to God through Christ a sacrifice of praise with our lips.
3 the background for this phrase is the Old Testament sacrificial system. God gave meticulous instructions for sacrifices. One thing they were to be – the 1st & best that one had to offer. The 1st & the best.
4 When we gather to worship God is your sacrifice of praise your 1st & best effort? Or do we offer him leftovers – whatever is leftover from our worship preferences or finances or energy or focus or time?
5 Do we want to experience God’s favor in our worship? All we have to do is use our lips to offer him our 1st & best sacrifices of praise!
6 13:16. But worship is more than just confessing & singing with our lips & lungs. There’s another kind of sacrifice that pleases God, that counts as our 1st & best – do not forget to do good & to share with others. Worship is action as well as words. Doing good to others. Sharing with others are acts of worship.
7 I hope our Food Panty team worshiped yesterday as they gave out food to the needy in the name of Jesus.
8 This week all of us have a grand opportunity to worship God by doing good & sharing our time to clean our new building, put shelves & bookcases together, move tables, chairs, office & sound equipment.
two examples
1 I want to close by sharing 2 examples of doing good & sharing with others. 1 ancient & 1 contemporary.
2 The early church was known throughout the Roman Empire for its radical acts of kindness toward the needy. City dwellers lived in tiny cubicles in multistoried tenements. Meals were cooked over open fires in 1 of the rooms. Sewage systems consisted of chamber pots that people dumped into the streets at night. There was no such thing as soap. Sickness was rampant. Life expectancy was less than 30 years. Half of all children died at birth. It was very common to see widows & orphans living in the streets & begging for food. Corpses were often abandoned in the street.
3 1/3 of the population of the Roman Empire perished in the great plague of AD 165. The philosopher Seneca thought that drowning babies at birth was a reasonable form of population control. Both Plato & Aristotle recommended infanticide as a state policy. Mercy was seen as a weakness.
4 How did Christ-followers respond? They showed mercy & compassion –
à Collected money for the poor
à Supported widows & orphans, sick, infirm, the poor, disabled
à Cared for prisoners
à Buried the dead when a family couldn’t afford to
à Cared for slaves
à Gave jobs to the unemployed
5 In short, they worshiped God by doing good & sharing with others & turned the Roman Empire upside down by love.
6 Today, when it comes to homosexuality, the evangelical church in America relies primarily upon 2 avenues of response – preaching & politics. Preaching against homosexuality & attempting to champion & pass legislation directed against same-sex marriage.
7 Research shows that only 10% of Christians are engaged in any form of non-political action on this issue. And only 1% prays for the homosexual community.
8 There’s a 3rd way to respond. I know of a church in Grand Rapids, Michigan who decided to do good and to share with others in the homosexual community of that city. They refused to take part in petition signings or public demonstrations against the gay community.
9 Instead, they welcomed gay people into their church. They clearly stated their belief that Scripture limits a sexual relationship between one man & one woman in a marriage. They began volunteering their time at hospices where gays were dying of AIDS. They got involved in HIV/AIDS causes in their city.
10 And they became known within the gay community of Grand Rapids as the church with compassion & love. They saw people in the gay community become Christ-followers. They saw people healed & reconciled. And they were criticized & ridiculed by fellow churches & Christ-followers for being ‘soft’ on homosexuality.
11 They worshiped God by doing good & sharing with those in need. And God honored them.
12 How can you do good to others? What can you share with them? Put hands & feet to your singing, praising, confessing worship:
§ Volunteer at a hospice for AIDS patients
§ Pound nails at a Habitat for Humanity house
§ Counsel pregnant girls & women at the Pregnancy Care Center
§ Give your time to an after school program for needy kids in our community
§ Show compassion & concern for those struggling with addiction to pornography – we hope to start a support & accountability for those struggling with pornography
13 Let’s bring reverence & the fear of God into our worship. And let’s learn to do better at worshiping God in our community through doing good & sharing with others.
