Today I want to share a word about soul thirst, as I comment on Psalm 63:1-8. This Scripture reads:
O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Have you ever been thirsty? I am sure you have, and I certainly know I have had that experience. In fact some events and periods in my life are punctuated by the memory of an intense thirst.
Physical Thirst:
One of the first of these memories is when I was a child and my father took my sister and me to the county fair. It was a lovely, but very warm, fall evening in the Deep South, and all was well until we went into the adjoining baseball stadium for the free variety show that came with our fair tickets. On the way in, my dad bought us popcorn, and the vendor must have sprinkled a pound of salt on my box. By the time the first act had finished, my mouth was burning from the salt and all I wanted was to drink something; anything! I barely paid attention to what I was told later was a pretty good show. All I could remember was my thirst.
A few years later, my dad had begun growing a garden each spring. When I say garden, I really mean a truck farm! Dad’s garden had multiple acre-long rows of corn, peas, beans, potatoes, and melons. I enjoyed the process of preparing the ground and planting during the springtime, but when it came time to pick the produce, it was a miserable experience for my tender young self. To avoid something he called “rust,” we could never pick peas and beans in the cool of the morning, so we had to wait until afternoon, after the morning’s dew had been boiled off by the noonday sun. Then in the heat of the day, we would go harvest the produce. It probably wasn’t as bad as I remember it, but I do remember the terrible thirst I would experience on those hot, humid summer afternoons.
I still don’t know what this “rust”was that we were trying to avoid, so it must have worked.
A third memory is from when we were missionaries to West Africa where, except for December and January, that part of the world is either extremely hot and extremely dry, or it is extremely hot and extremely humid. Either way, we regularly experienced extreme thirst. I would drink water until my stomach felt like it would burst, and I could still feel thirst. My mouth gets dry just thinking about it!
On those occasions, and during others too many to name, I found thirst to be an overwhelming sensation to the point of obsession. When a person is truly thirsty, nothing else will satisfy their craving for liquid. When I think of the times when I was parched, my words fail me; I cannot describe the sense of desperation I have felt when overcome by thirst.
Soul Thirst:
In Psalm 63, the Psalmist described his desire for God as a thirst. He used the metaphor of physical thirst to illustrate how much he wanted to have God in his life, and how much he needed God’s help. Nothing else would satisfy him and he was driven to despair at the thought of not experiencing the Living Water. Nothing else would satisfy his cravings; nothing else could satisfy his soul.
In reading Psalm 63, the question comes to me, do we in the 21st Century church thirst for God? By observation, I would have to admit, sadly, that we do not. We treat our relationship to God more like getting a cup of coffee at a drive-through window than we do a person dying of thirst in the desert. No wonder we are never satisfied; no wonder we search for the next big thing; no wonder we look more and more like the world around us.
Another memory of my childhood, which I often share, is of my mom. She would prepare a wonderful meal for our family, with many delicious dishes. As we ate with gusto, she merely pick at her food. Sooner or later she’d say, “I’m just not satisfied.” Then she’d go to the refrigerator and get some sliced bologna, She’d pull off and toss away the red, stringy rind, and then dash hot sauce on it before folding the bologna into a slice of light bread. She’d sit back down and enjoy that simple food, and smile would spread across her face. For her that was a feast, and it satisfied her when nothing else would.
Are We Thirsty?
We need to get back to place where, like the Psalmist (and my mom), we know what really satisfies us, and then forsake all else to embrace it whole-heartedly. We should start with complying with Jesus’ commandments, such as,
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Today I want to share a word about heavenly citizenship, as I comment on Philippians 3:17-4:1. This Scripture reads:
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
So, let’s talk today about heavenly citizenship.
If you are someone, like me, who needs to keep up with trends in the Evangelical world, you might have come across a heated discussion that is currently taking place about the subject of Christian nationalism. This is the idea that some pastors and church members have conflated their Christian identity with their patriotic identity. In other words, they have confused their US citizenship with their position in the Kingdom of God. It is a hot topic, and bottom line up front, I will not be resolving that argument today.
What I can do, however, is to consider what Paul had to say to the church at Philippi about our heavenly citizenship.
Paul's Citizenship:
Paul, of course, was a Roman citizen, and he was not shy about claiming the benefits of being a citizen of that empire when it benefitted his ministry and the spreading of the Gospel. At the same time, he did not wear his Roman citizenship on his sleeve. This could be because at the time Paul lived, the Roman Empire had largely abandoned the democratic system which had cause it to prosper. In addition, Roman democracy had always limited to the elites of society in any case. One can admire the Roman Empire for its many achievements, but sadly, championing liberty and freedom for all people was not one of them.
Paul was somewhat more bold in claiming that he was a “Hebrew of the Hebrews.” He was a Jew and a member of that nation also, and he wasn’t ashamed of it. He was glad to remind doubters of his Jewish heritage and to claim every benefit he could from that relationship also. Of course, the Jewish nation as a whole, as well as the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, had turned their back on God and were punished for their faithlessness and rebellion.
Paul was a member of two great nations, Rome and Israel, but his primary loyalty was to neither. He much preferred the Kingdom of Heaven to either earthly sovereigns.
He knew that all things on this orb are limited and frail and imperfect, and they pale in comparison to the things of Heaven. He knew that human sovereignty is limited and frail and imperfect, and it pales in comparison to the Lord of Heaven and Earth. He knew that the righteousness of people, nations, and kings is as filthy rags as compared to the righteousness of God. He knew which kingdom should claim his ultimate loyalty, and which kingdom had the power to transform his life. And, if the answer isn’t apparent by now, it wasn’t Rome or Israel.
Our Citizenship:
If Paul were an American Christian today, he’d be a good citizen and a good neighbor. He would not be ashamed of his citizenship and he would take advantage of it as he preached the Gospel. He would recognize that the US is a nation that has done many good things and also made some mistakes. He’d know that we have corrected many of our historical mistakes while, because we are human, we continue to make others. I believe he would be glad to live here in the USA.
Paul would also recognize, however, that the greatest benefit of our the political liberty and freedoms we enjoy is not so we can make money, or enjoy recreation, or even live how and where we want. No, he’d see that the greatest benefit of our nation is that we are free to choose a higher loyalty; loyalty to the Cross of Christ, and our Lord’s redeeming and transforming power in our lives.
Heavenly Citizenship:
In preferring the realm of Heaven to any earthly sovereign, Paul was merely agreeing with Jesus, who taught us, in Mark 8:36,
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
And, let's be honest with ourselves, how can we argue with Jesus?
Today I want to share a word about Baptist cooperation:
In 2005 there were 1,182 local associations affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The mere existence of something does not imply it has a purpose: for example, the human appendix.
This reminds me of a cartoon I once read: In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Lucy asks Charlie Brown, “Why are we here in earth?” Charlie replied, “To make others happy.” Lucy them asked, “Then why are the others here?”
Why are local associations and conventions here in Baptist life? What purposes do they serve? Are those purposes Biblical? I will attempt to answer this question from an historical perspective, a Biblical perspective, and a practical perspective.
Let’s begin by reading Galatians 6:1-6.
Brethren, if a man is [a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
AN HISTORICAL ANSWER:
Let’s remember our Baptist origins:
Most scholars today agree that Baptists originated with a late 16th Century attempt to reform the Anglican Church. Some of these Puritan reformers decided to separate from the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church, with the Crown behind it, began to repress this new faith group.
By 1608, some of these English Separatists, led by John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, fled to Holland, where they could freely worship, but where they did not feel at home. In 1609, Smyth’s church began to baptize believers by immersion, thus becoming the first true Baptists. In 1612 Thomas Helwys led a group of Baptists to return to England and establish the first Baptist church in Britain.
The climate of religious persecution in England posed serious issues for Baptists. They needed mutual support in the face of a hostile government and culture. They needed help in deciding issues of theology. They needed help to propagate Baptist ideas, but lacking a hierarchical structure, they needed a means to mutually communicate and cooperate. How were they to answer this challenge?
The answer to these issues was the forming of local associations.
In 1626, five Baptist churches in London joined together to communicate with Dutch Mennonites. In 1644, seven Baptist churches in London issued a confession of faith. In 1651, thirty Baptist churches in the Midlands issued a confession of faith.
The first formal Baptist association was established in South Wales in November 1650. Soon, Baptist churches all across Britain, both Calvinistic and Arminian, were forming associations.
The first Baptist association in America was established in Philadelphia in 1707. Like in Britain, Baptist churches all over America began to form associations. Two of these associations, Charleston and Sandy Creek, gave rise to two themes in Baptist life that persist unto this day: order and ardor!
So, we can clearly see that both in Britain and America, Baptists decided that self-government did not justify isolationism. From 1650 until 1800, associations were the only form of denominational body. It took the rise of the modern missions movement to change that.
William Carey began his campaign for missions in the Nottingham Association in England in 1791. It is important to note that the Modern Missions Movement had its beginning in a Baptist association! In 1792, Carey and a group of ministers formed what today is known as the Baptist Missionary Society, or BMS. In America, the Triennial Convention was formed to be a missionary sending agency. It was the first national body for Baptists in America.
The first state convention formed was in South Carolina in 1821 and the Alabama Baptist Convention was chartered in 1823. By the time that the Southern Baptist Convention was formed in 1845, there were nine state conventions in the South. And the rest, as they say, is history!
In 1933, E.P. Alldredge gave ten great contributions of associations to Baptist life:
Winning of religious freedom
Establishment of Baptist schools
Aiding churches in doctrine and discipline
Disseminating denominational information
Bringing great leaders into touch w/all the churches
Saving the cause of missions
Unifying our Baptist people
Demonstrating the principles of democracy in religion
Preparing the way for larger organization & life
Warding off the attacks of other denominations
This is an impressive list, and we do have a rich heritage, but is associating together and cooperating in ministry Biblical?
A BIBLICAL ANSWER:
Beginning in the Old Testament, we can see that Interdependence was expected among God’s People, as we can see in Joshua 1:9-18:
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ” And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall [d]pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
From this passage, we can see that all of God’s people were needed to take Canaan. Reuben, Gad, and the Half Tribe of Manasseh had their land, but God still expected them to help their brethren. In fact, not only were they to help possess Canaan, but they were also to lead the charge!
In the New Testament, we find that churches cooperated to decide doctrine as we see in Acts 15:1-5:
And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The early church’s missionary enterprise had gotten ahead of their doctrine. They had caught some fish (Gentiles) they had not anticipated! So, did Paul the missionary (an apostle himself) unilaterally decide what to do? No! The church involved, sent Paul and Barnabas to inquire from other churches about what was proper.
We also find in the New Testament that Churches cooperated to send benevolence as we see in Romans 15:22-29:
For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you, whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while. But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
The Jerusalem church was being severely persecuted by Jews and the Romans. Churches in Asia and Europe cooperated to send help. Paul collected their offerings, and accompanied by their representatives to ensure accountability, he delivered their gifts to the church at Jerusalem.
In that same passage we see how New Testament church cooperated to send out missionaries. The Jerusalem and Antioch churches sent out missionaries, and a number of churches cooperated to support Paul. Note that in the passage above in Romans 15, Paul asked the church at Rome to support his mission to Spain, even though they had never met him!
Finally, the New Testament churches cooperated for mutual encouragement:
The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. All the brethren greet you.
Corinth is in Europe, however, the churches of Asia greeted them. The churches in Asia had gone through their own doctrinal trials and they wanted to show their support and love to their brothers and sisters in Corinth, whom they had never seen, nor would they until they met in Heaven.
A PRACTICAL ANSWER:
In the Great Commission in Matthew 28, and in Acts 1:8, God has given our churches their marching orders. Every local church is charged with going to the entire world and make disciples of all peoples.
How can a local church do this? Someone must be responsible, because as the old saying goes, “Everyone’s job is no one’s job.” If a job is too big, people will just throw up their hands and not even try. Another old saying is that “Many hands make light work.” Southern Baptists do this through cooperating in ministry.
Southern Baptists cooperate to call out, send, and sustain missionaries
Southern Baptists cooperate to equip, train, and educate missionaries and pastors
Southern Baptists cooperate to provide benevolence, human needs, and disaster relief ministries
Southern Baptists cooperate to encourage and edify each other and our churched
Southern Baptists support these cooperative efforts financially through the Cooperative Program, and the various missions offerings, like the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions
Through these means, Southern Baptists have sent out thousands of missionaries and chaplains, and they have trained and educated untold numbers of pastors and other church ministers. Without cooperation, ministry at this scale would not be possible.
For Southern Baptists, the answer to the question, “How can a local church fulfill the Great Commission?” is “Through cooperating with other Southern Baptist Churches!”
CONCLUSION:
I have personally served as an international missionary, a North American missionary, an associational missionary, and chaplain. Everywhere I went, and in everything I have done in those roles, the Southern Baptist Churches I represented were right there with me.
Whether they knew me or not, and whether they knew my contemporary situation, they were there with me as I faced the challenges and enjoyed the successes and blessings of ministry. Their support was always an encouragement to me, and I trust and pray that I represented them well.
So, in my mind, there is no question, but a confident certainty. Baptist cooperation is not only good, and permissible, but it is the very best way to pursue the Great Commission.
Today I want to share a word about turning points, as I comment on Revelation 2:1-7. This Scripture reads:
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
One of our enduring ministries in the CBA is our partnership with Samford University in hosting classes for the Samford Ministry Training Institute, through which we offer Bible college-level classes here in our county. Pastor Ed Ganus was the founding director of our center nearly 40 years ago, he and served faithfully as our director until the end of 2017. I have been trying to fill his shoes for the past four years, and I believe that SMTI is a great equipping ministry. I wish more of our church leaders would take advantage of it!
Prophetic Turning Points:
I am currently teaching on the Minor Prophets, and the author of our text, John Phillips, noted four turning points in prophetic history in the Old Testament:
Urbanization and a change to a mercantile economy caused greater contact with other nations for the Children of Israel.
Assyrian Imperialism changed the face of foreign affairs for the Children of Israel.
The captivity and deportation of the Kingdom of Israel left Judah vulnerable and it ultimately capitulated to the Assyrians as well.
When Judah returned from exile to Jerusalem their spiritual condition did not materially improve.
Potential Turning Points:
God led me to apply those same turning points to our current situation in America:
Urbanization and a change to a mercantile economy has caused greater contact with other nations.
The rise of militant Islam and a return to an expansionist policy in Russia has changed the face of our foreign affairs.
National debt and competition from China left has left our national economy vulnerable.
When COVID-19 transformed from a pandemic to endemic, will the spiritual condition of God’s people materially improve or not?.
So, where does that leave us and our churches?
Points To Ponder:
In many ways, I believe we are like the church at Ephesus. Our doctrine is sound, our missions organizations are strong and innovative, our seminaries and Christian universities are filled with great professors, and our prosperity is such that we can fund any ministry we decide to to support. These are all great aspects of our ministry and our churches, but I wonder, are we excited about church anymore? Are we excited about worship? Are we excited about missions and evangelism? If not, why not?
As we learn to live with COVID-19 we are approaching a critical turning point for our churches. We may not have any influence over the first three items on our list of potential turning points, but we can affect the last point. It is up to us to reengage spiritually and to rededicate ourselves to evangelism and discipleship.
The overarching message of the Minor Prophets is that since Biblical Israel had lost their love for God, they would be replaced. We know now that God has chosen to work through the church as He brings His plan to its ultimate fruition.
While God will not replace the church as His instrument, our Scripture for today tells us emphatically that God will replace individual churches. We need to take the warning to the church at Ephesus seriously, and evaluate our love and commitment to God on both a personal and a corporate level.
The stakes are high! We have a choice to make! Which will you choose?
Today I want to share a word about waiting upon the Lord, as I comment on Psalm 37:1-11:
Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret--it leads only to evil. For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
The Impulse to Act:
When a crisis occurs or when trouble comes, one of the most common human reactions is, “We must do something!”
Often, that cry for action reaches the ears of our political leadership and the result is hastily drafted and flawed legislation which is usually expensive and might even make the situation worse. Because, “We must do something!”
One commenter has called this hasty impulse to act “moral panic,” and he may well be right.
The Wisdom of the Psalmist:
In fact, the wisdom of the Psalmist is just the opposite of a moral panic. The Psalmist’s answer to a crisis or trouble is to wait. Specifically, he urges us to wait upon the Lord. God’s timing is always perfect and when we get ahead of Him we usually make things worse. The Bible is full of examples of just this type of mistake.
One example is when Abraham and Sarah decided that he should have a son by Hagar, Sarah’s servant. From this act the Arab nations were born, and a conflict was sparked between the Jews and the Arabs that continues to trouble us until the present day.
Another example is how King Saul failed to wait for Samuel to arrive at Gilgal and make a sacrifice to the Lord which, Saul was not authorized to do. His troops were scared, and Samuel was delayed, so Saul “had to do something,” but actually he didn’t, since Samuel appeared just after the sacrifice was made. Because he failed to wait, Saul lost his crown.
A third example is when King David recaptured the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines. He didn’t wait for the Levites to come from Jerusalem to carry the Ark, but placed it on an oxcart. When the ox stumbled, a man named Uzzah placed a hand on the Ark to steady it, and God killed him for violating the Law. Of course, it was really David who had violated the Law, and he was so shaken he stored the Ark outside of Jerusalem for three months. A man’s life was a high price to pay for being impatient.
The Work of Waiting:
Military commanders have learned through hard experience that the first reports of both success and failure are inevitably wrong in some way, and often wildly so. Good commanders are patient and they have learned to wait for confirmation before responding to either good news or bad. So, when trouble comes, we need to learn to wait upon the Lord and not give in to moral panic. As we wait, however, God has given us some tasks to do:
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Take delight in the Lord and commit our way to him.
Be still and do not fret.
Learn to be meek and put away wrath.
If we focus on our relationship to God we will sooner or later see Him act to bless us and to glorify His Name. Like in the Parable of the Sower, grass may spring up today, and wither on the morrow. God is not laying down a sod lawn in our lives, but He is planting trees that thrive in living water. Trees take a considerable time to mature but they are inherently strong and resilient, especially when compared to grass.
The Fruit of Our Efforts:
A great example of waiting on God is found in Acts 1 and 2. At the Ascension of Christ, the Disciples were told to go back to Jerusalem and to wait for the Holy Spirit. They did and while they waited, they prayed and sought God. On the Day of Pentecost, not before and not after, the Holy Spirit came, and a great harvest of souls was gathered in.
God is growing spiritual trees in our lives and when we short-circuit that process we are the ones to suffer. Let’s learn to patiently and wisely wait upon the Lord!
Today I want to share a word about the affairs of the heart, as I comment on Jeremiah 17:5-10. This passage reads:
Thus says the LORD: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the LORD. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse-- who can understand it? I the LORD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings.
On February 14th many people around the world celebrate St. Valentine’s Day. This feast day in the Anglican Church tradition has come to symbolize romantic love, and like many traditions, its origin is somewhat murky, with little agreement about the details of why we celebrate romantic love on this day of the year.
The legends of St. Valentine’s Day are many. One such story has St. Valentine being martyred by the Roman empire for illegally marrying Christian couples. Another story asserts that the night before his execution, the future saint send a goodbye note to a loved one signed “Your Valentine,” from which we get the modern practice of sending Valentine’s cards. A third story details how St. Valentine would give heart-shaped pieces of parchment to couples to remind them of their marriage vows and of God’s love.
These stories are not endless, but they are copious!
Whatever the actual truth may be, it is complicated by the fact that there were at least two leaders of the early church named Valentine who were martyred by the Romans for obeying God’s law above human law. This too, is romantic, but not in the way St. Valentine’s Day portrays romance. There is something very appealing, however, about Christian believers who choose following God even to the cost of their own lives.
If we could inquire about the affairs of the human heart to Jeremiah today, his concern would not be about romantic love, or cards shaped like hearts. His concern would be if our hearts were aligned with God’s will or if they were in rebellion against God. And he would be concerned for the right reasons.
If our hearts are not right with God, the rest of our lives will be out of balance as well. Like the David in the 1st Psalm, Jeremiah clearly argues that the key to a happy life is not a happy wife as the saying goes, but a right relationship with God that transforms our hearts.
Because our hearts are naturally wicked, they must be made new by the power of God. When our spiritual lives thrive, that sets the conditions for our natural lives to thrive as well. Conversely, when we are spiritually weak, the ability to thrive in our natural lives will be equally compromised.
Celebrating St. Valentine’s day the way we do is fun and harmless. If we really wanted to celebrate the martyrs who share that name, however, we need to renew our love relationship with our Heavenly Father, so I will leave you with this command from Jesus:
Today I want to share a word about putting first things first, as I comment on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. This Scripture reads:
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you--unless you have come to believe in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them--though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.
Follow the Proper Order in a Recipe:
I am not a good cook. In fact, I really can’t cook at all except for breakfast. When I was young, my dad would cook breakfast on Sunday mornings before church, and when I was a teenager I began to help him. I quickly found that dish that I cooked the best was hominy grits.
Grits as a food are a blank canvas. By themselves they are almost tasteless, but when properly seasoned, they can be very tasty. The key that I have discovered for preparing good grits is simple, but essential: you must add salt to the water BEFORE you boil it and BEFORE you add the grits.
It may not matter when you add the ingredients or the spices in the case of many recipes, You can just toss everything into a pan or bowl, add the right amount of heat for the right amount of time and, voilà! You have a masterpiece of a meal to serve. On the other hand, this is not true for many, even most, recipes, and it is certainly not true in my experience preparing grits. To me, there is no substitute for salting the water before adding the grits.
You may think I am crazy, but I believe that I can always tell when someone has failed to salt the water properly when cooking grits. I don’t think the salt can properly infuse the grits if you wait until later to add salt or only add salt when the grits are served. I am convinced of this fact, and you can’t tell me otherwise.
Sorry! I am just a grits snob, I guess!
Follow the Proper Order in Serving God:
What does this have to do with our focal passage for today? Just this: Paul wanted to make sure that the Corinthian Christians got the order correct in their minds and hearts. To Paul, it did not matter what you added into your spiritual life if, at first, you didn’t embrace the Gospel. The Gospel was essential, and it came first!
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul discussed the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the work of the church.
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul discussed how you can be a very gifted person, but that you’d essentially be useless without embodying God’s love.
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul discussed how you can be expressive in worship, but without God, all that would do is confuse people.
In our passage today, Paul took the Corinthians back to the core and essence of their faith, the Gospel, and reminded them without having the salvation of Christ all of the other things he talked about meant nothing. Paul taught firmly and directly that unless we embrace the Gospel first, we are hopeless, helpless, hapless, and, in truth, harmful to ourselves and others.
Conclusion:
If Paul was here addressing us today he’d tell us to put first things first! The Gospel must be first in our lives, or we will be as tasteless as unsalted grits. To be the the salt of the world we first must be infused with the Gospel!
