In Hebrews, chapter 11, there is a whole list of people who had exceptional faith. I’d like to read part of the list to you.

[Read verses 32-38]

One of the things I find fascinating about these people is that their faith was based on limited information. It is true that God sometimes appeared to them in ways which He does not appear to us. But, those appearances were quite rare. Also keep in mind that the people in the Old Testament did not have the Bible as we know it. It wasn’t written yet. They were living out the stories which would later be written down in the Bible. But most of all, the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 did not have the advantage of hindsight. Though they had been given the promises of a coming Messiah, they did not have the opportunity to see those promises fulfilled. I’m sure that many things which we can now see and understand were a mystery to them. But whether they fully understood or not, they believed. Verse 13 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” (NIV)

But there is something which I find even more remarkable. Verse 39 reads, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (NIV)

It boggles my mind that not only can we find inspiration from the lives of those who have gone before, we have the opportunity to share in the same kind of faith for which they were commended. It is only together with us that they are made perfect. Verse 1 of chapter 12 goes on to say, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV)

Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. The people of faith in the Old Testament were looking forward to His coming. It was that hope which kept their faith alive. Their hope was fulfilled, long after their earthly deaths, in Jesus. It is in Him, that they are made perfect. In order to keep our faith alive we, too, need to keep looking at Jesus. The difference is that instead of looking forward in anticipation of what Christ would do, we have been commanded to look back and remember what He has already done. That is why we take communion each week. It’s a reminder to help keep our faith alive. It reminds us that only through Jesus are we made perfect. The bread and the juice remind us of the price that Jesus paid so that, not only the people of faith mentioned in the Bible but, we also can be made perfect.

Let’s pray.

Each Sunday, if not every day of our lives, we’re confronted with a question. It’s the same question a judge asked almost 2,000 years ago. An accused man stood before him and declared, “… I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37 NIV) The judge responded, “What is truth?…” (John 18:38 NIV)

Unfortunately, the record we have does not preserve the tone of voice with which the judge asked that question.

He might have asked the question as a scoffer. “What is truth? I couldn’t care less what the truth is, whatever truth may be.”

He might have asked the question with the bemused chuckle of a pragmatist. “What is truth? Truth is a fine ideal and all that, but we live in the real world. Don’t you realize that this trial has nothing to do with truth?”

He might have asked the question as an incredulous skeptic. “What is truth? You’re claiming to be the truth? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

He might have asked the question because he was confused. “What is truth? Huh? Come again? I don’t get it. I don’t follow what you’re trying to tell me.”

Or, he may have asked the question from honest doubt. “What is truth? I really wish I knew what is going on here.”

From the world’s point of view it was Jesus who was on trial before Pilate that day but, in reality, it was Pilate who was on trial. The Truth was standing in front of him in the person of Jesus Christ. Pilate’s destiny depended on how he answered the question that he, himself, had asked. How would he respond to to the truth? Would he accept it, or would he turn away from it? We know the short-term answer because we know the outcome of the trial. Pilate rejected the truth. He turned Jesus over to be crucified. Did Pilate ever have the chance to change his answer to the question? We don’t know. Some say that Pilate eventually became a Christian, a follower of the man he had condemned to death. Others say that as a result of rejecting the truth that day, Pilate went insane. We don’t know.

The more important question is how we are going to answer what Pilate asked. How are we going to respond to the truth? What are we going to do with Jesus? Jesus said, “…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV) In light of what Jesus said, our relationship to God depends on how we choose to answer Pilate’s question about truth.

In a sense, every Sunday we are on trial, as Pilate was, when we contemplate the communion. The bread represents Jesus’ body. The juice represents His blood. The truth stood before Pilate in the person of Jesus. The truth is before us in the emblems which represent Jesus. What will we do with the truth? How will we respond to it? Will we accept or reject?

Today please think carefully before you take the emblems. If you really accept Jesus as the Truth, the Way and the Life, then take the emblems with joy. But if you aren’t willing to accept Him as the Truth, then the only honest thing to do is not participate.

What is truth?

In computer circles there is a saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” What it refers to is that even if you have a perfect program – one without any glitches or bugs in it – you will still get bogus results out of it if you feed it the wrong data. The same thing is true of our thinking. If we have the wrong information, we will arrive at the wrong conclusion no matter how clearly we think.

While it may be amusing to receive computer generated mail addressed to the cat because someone entered the wrong information into their system, there is another type of data which can actually harm or destroy the system through which it passes. If you’ve ever opened the wrong sort of email attachment, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The same thing applies to our minds. What we think about, and the way we choose to think, can actually change us. I saw a really good illustration of this concept in a classroom. Above the door was a drawing of someone pouring the contents of a garbage can into his head. The garbage he puts into his mind spills out of his mouth. Garbage in, garbage out, and in the process of flowing through us, the garbage affects our minds.

For example, one of the philosophies which is gaining a lot of ground in our world is that reason itself, and therefore thinking, is invalid. To express it another way, all conclusions are equally valid because there is no objective truth. There is no correct way to think. I’m sure that you’ve all heard one of the outgrowths of this philosophy – the notion that all religions are just different ways to get to God? In 2nd Peter 2:12, the Apostle Peter compares false teachers to animals. Why? The Greek phrase which is used there implies that the false teachers are without reason. In other words, they have messed up their ability to think. They have turned away from reason.

In Romans 1:21 Paul writes, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (NIV) What Paul is saying is that what we think, and how we think, has a definite effect on our characters. If we don’t guard our minds, we will wind up in spiritual darkness.

How can we guard our minds, and our thinking? Colossians, chapter 3, contains the key. It instructs us to set our minds “on things above, not on earthly things.” (3:2 NIV) Paul goes on to say that Christ is our life. (3:4) The idea is that we should be so full of Christ that wrong thoughts and the wrong way of thinking will not have a chance to affect us. We tend to compartmentalize things. We tend to separate church from the rest of life. But it shouldn’t be that way. We need to think and act as Christ would all the time, just not for an hour or two on Sunday. It’s not always easy. The world bombards us every day with all kinds of things which will mess up our thinking and take us away from Christ.

In this context, I am very glad that we have a tangible reminder of what God has done for us through Christ. Every week we come together to renew our commitment to live for Christ. The unleavened bread and the juice ground us in reality. They center us. Whenever the world starts to mess with our heads, these symbols remind us of God’s love. They remind us that Jesus really did walk this earth, and really did sacrifice Himself for us. They remind us that Jesus rose from the grave and that He is coming again. These emblems remind us that we are precious to God. No matter what the world throws at us, these emblems, which represent Jesus’ body and blood, can clear our thinking and remind us of what is really important.

Let’s pray.

Probably one of the most disturbing things in life, at least for a man, is the feeling of not being in control. And, there are plenty of situations in life which are beyond our control. For example, we can’t control the weather. We can take steps to minimize the effects of weather, but we don’t control it.

We can’t control the economy. A lot of people are suffering because of the melt-down in the home mortgage markets.

We can’t always control our health. There are several in the congregation who are facing very serious health problems.

There are plenty of other areas in our lives which we don’t control. When you stop and think about it, we live in a very uncertain world. For a lot of people, this lack of control and uncertainty really causes a lot of stress.

What’s the antidote to the uncertainty and stress? In Philippians chapter 4, verses 6 and 7, Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) From this we can see that one of the keys to coping with what the world throws at us is to pray about it. God may, or may not, change our circumstances but, when we pray about our circumstances, He will give us peace.

What Paul writes in Philippians is really just a practical example of what Jesus Himself said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV)

But how does this work? What’s the mechanism? Shortly before His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

“I have overcome the world” When Jesus was crucified it sure didn’t look like it. From a human point of view it didn’t look like He any any control at all over what was happening to Him. But He did. On the Sunday morning after His death it became obvious that He really had overcome the world. The world had thrown its worst at Jesus but it couldn’t keep Him in the grave. He rose to life again.

One of the reasons we gather each week is to remember that Jesus overcame the world. It is because He overcame, and because He allows us to share in His victory that we can know peace. The bread that we eat and the juice that we drink remind us of a lot of things. One of them is that Jesus overcame. He rose from the dead.

We can’t control what goes on in the world, or even in our own lives. But the communion reminds us of the fact that Jesus is in control. Because He is in control, Paul was able to write, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV)

As we take the communion today, let’s remember that Jesus has already overcome the world. In Him we find the strength to face the uncertainties in the world.

Let’s pray.

I’m sure that all of us here have a very high regard for Jesus. He is not only our savior but also God in the flesh. Scripture says that, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV) Other Scriptures talk about the fact that the universe was made through him (Hebrews 1:2) and that he is sinless (Hebrews 4:15).

Because Jesus is such an exalted person and we have such a high regard for Him, it’s difficult for us to imagine that He would ever need to have learned anything. Even worse, we would consider it almost sacrilegious to suggest that Jesus was once less than perfect. The fact is that Jesus did have to learn something, and He was not able to perfectly fulfill the role of Savior until He had learned it. In Hebrews 5:7-9 it says, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…” (NIV)

Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered. It’s easy to be obedient when things are going the way we want them. But the real test comes when we are told to do something we don’t want to do. Jesus prayed that He would not have to die. The text says that He was heard. Ultimately Jesus was saved from death. He rose on the third day. But his prayer to be spared from having to die was answered with a “No!” It’s in those times when we are told, “no” that we learn to obey. It was His obedience which made Jesus perfect for the work of saving us.

The unleavened bread which symbolizes Christ’s broken body and the juice which symbolizes Christ’s blood, remind us each week of His obedience. More than that, the emblems are a personal reminder that we, too, are called to be obedient. Jesus told his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10 NIV)

As we look back over the last week, I’m sure we are all aware that our obedience hasn’t been perfect. We often fall short of what we should be. Learning the lesson of obedience is not easy. But let’s not be discouraged. These emblems not only remind us of the need for obedience, but of Jesus’ love. We have another chance. We can confess our failures and move on. Let’s use this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to learning the lesson of obedience and remaining in Christ’s love.

Let’s pray.

We live in an era of rapid change. For example, this year (2008) is the hundredth anniversary of the first powered flight by the Wright brothers at Kittyhawk. When you stop and think about it, that really isn’t so long ago. Many times I’ve heard my Dad reminisce about how as a small child an overflight by an airplane was a novel event. When a plane flew over they would run out in the yard and wave. The pilot would wave back from his open cockpit!

Dad has also told me about hearing the remark a man made after reading in the newspaper that someone had driven a car from a certain town in California to another town. “You know, there just might be some potential in the automobile after all!”

In my own experience I remember, in high school, being asked to draw a picture of a computer. It was a shock to realize that I didn’t even know what one looked like. Fast forward to today. We have 4 or 5 computers in our house which are used almost every day.

Back when I was in school people were concerned about climate change. Only then, they were worried about the possibility of another ice age. 35 years later people are agonizing over global warming.

It’s not just science and technology which is changing. Our society and culture are also changing. Many of us here this morning have vivid memories of the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s.

One of the philosophies which is sweeping through our culture right now is Postmodern relativism. In other words, there are no absolutes. Truth depends on the perception of the individual. In their high school English literature classes, my children have been exposed to the notion that meaning is not determined by what the author wrote, but by the reader. At times the teachers assign grades not on how well a student understands what was written, but on how much the student can read into the piece.

All this change can be confusing and disorienting. We can be left wondering whether there is anything we can depend or count on. Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Is there any stability?

I’m grateful that in the midst of change we do have a fixed reference point. In Hebrews 13:8-14 it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” (NIV)

Fads may come and go. Technology will change. Society and culture can go through revolutions. But one thing which will never change is our need for Christ. Every single one of us has blown it. We all have sinned. Because we have sinned, we need the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. He never changes. His sacrifice will never lose its power.

One of the reasons we come together each week is to remember that sacrifice. The bread reminds us of Christ’s body. The juice reminds us of His blood which cleanses us from our sin. Though the world changes all around us, if we are in Christ, we have a source of strength and stability. As long as we cling to Christ, we can never be swept away by the tides of change. Even though, as the old hymn says, “Change and decay in all around I see…” we have an unchanging hope because Christ, and His sacrifice for us, remains the same, forever.

Let’s pray.

(A meditation given at Christmas time.)

It’s Christmas, and all over the world people are taking the time to at least pause for just a little while and think about the baby who was born in a livestock shed 2,000 years ago. It is appropriate to remember Christ’s birth for He is the Savior of the world. While people think about the child lying in the feeding trough, I hope that they also take the time to remember why He came – to redeem us all from sin. After all, even our custom of gift-giving is intended to remind us of the gift which Jesus gave, of reconciliation to God.

Yet, in one sense, it is strange that we should set aside a holiday to remember Christ’s birth. Nowhere did Jesus ever command His disciples to remember it. It is especially strange in light of the fact that the thing which Jesus did ask us to remember is His death. You see, Jesus’ birth is only significant in the context of His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. We celebrate Christ’s birth only because He died and rose again.

Why is it important that we remember Christ’s death? Certainly, the piece of unleavened bread which we eat each week, and the cup of juice which we drink helps us visualize the sacrifice which Christ made for us. It’s good to be reminded that we need that sacrifice. We stood before God, condemned as a result of our sin. Jesus paid our debt and became our righteousness. It’s good to be reminded that we aren’t accepted by God because of our own efforts or because of our own goodness, but because of what Jesus did for us.

But there is more. In writing about the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, the Apostle Paul says something very interesting. “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26 NIV)

“Until He comes.” Christmas is intended to remind us of Jesus’ birth. Communion is designed to remind us of Jesus’ return. In those three words, ‘until he comes,’ there is a world of hope. John writes, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2 NIV) You see, Jesus didn’t come just to redeem us from sin, He came to transform us. One day we will be like Him. One day He’s coming back and we will see Him as He really is. One day we will be with Him forever. Communion reminds us that death and the grave are not the end. It reminds us that Christ rose from the dead and we can live in hope that we also will rise and will live with Him.

Paul writes, “…if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-22 NIV)

This Christmas season, by all means, let us remember Christ’s birth. But let’s remember it in the context of His death, and let’s remember that it is Christ’s resurrection that gives us hope. Today, as we eat the bread and drink the juice, let’s remember that it is a token of the promise we’ve been given that Jesus is coming back again and that all those who are in Him will be transformed to be like Him.

This is a good time to ask yourself whether you are in Christ. Do the promises apply to you?

Let’s pray.

There is a notion in our culture that greatness is achieved at the expense of others. In order to get ahead you’ve got to tear someone else down. This is ironic because in kindergarten children are taught to share and help one another. But somewhere between kindergarten and graduation the message changes. Our children are told that in order to succeed they must be better than others. The one with the higher test score wins. Sports teams must crush the opposition. Among girls the pecking order is determined by who is considered the most beautiful. This sort of competition is carried over into adult life. Remember the bumper sticker which said “The one with the most toys wins”?

Destructive competition is also rampant in the business world. Many think that in order to climb the corporate ladder it is necessary to trample underfoot anyone who gets in the way. The same thinking often occurs at the company level as well. It is not enough to generate a good return on investment, companies seek to plow under those they see as competitors. For example, why is Microsoft so hated? It’s not so much because it’s big, but because people have the perception that it has achieved its size and market position by unfair and unethical business practices which destroyed its competitors.

But is this notion that greatness is achieved by destroying others really true? One of the most influential books on business management back in the 1980’s was titled “In Search of Excellence.” Some of the concepts discussed in that book have since been debunked, but there is one statement in it that I have never forgotten. The authors wrote, “…one of our most significant conclusions about the excellent companies is that, whether their basic business is metal bending, high technology, or hamburgers, they have all defined themselves as service businesses.” (In Search of Excellence, Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr., Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, p.168)

This is a radical departure from the way a lot of people think. But what is really sad, is that it took a couple of highly paid business consultants to point out that the way to greatness is through service. I say it is sad, because this is something which we should already have known. You see, Jesus taught this fundamental principle to his disciples two thousand years ago. “…You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 NIV)

According to Jesus, the path to greatness is not competition or doing the other guy in, but by serving. It is not through getting, it is through giving. Greatness is not achieved by lording over others, but by ransoming them. We become great, not by elevating ourselves but by raising others.

With Jesus, this was not just theory. These were not idle words. He lived them. In Philippians 2, verses 8 and 9 it says, “…he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name which is above every name…” (NIV)

Every week we gather together to remember what Jesus has done. His exaltation was preceded by humble service. We eat a piece of unleavened bread which reminds us that Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. We drink a cup of grape-juice which reminds us that we are ransomed by His blood.

As Christians, we are called to follow Christ’s example. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, let’s ask ourselves what our service quotient is. Let us remember that greatness is achieved through humility. Let us put others first, just as Christ put our interests ahead of His own.

Let’s pray.

(Note: This meditation was given on the occasion of appointing Elders.)

As we prepare to appoint men to shepherd this congregation, it would be well for us to consider both what it means to shepherd and to be in the care of a shepherd.

Jesus provides the ultimate example of what it means to be a good shepherd, and He tells us what it means to be a good sheep. John records Jesus as saying, “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…” (John 10:10-18 NIV)

According to Jesus a good shepherd places the interests of the sheep above his own. He not only cares for, but cares about the sheep. He knows his sheep. He works to bring sheep of different places and backgrounds into one united flock. And, he lays his life down voluntarily.

To Jesus these were not merely words. He backed up those words by actually doing what He said a good shepherd would do – He gave his life for his sheep. Each week we gather to remember what Jesus did. We eat a piece of bread which reminds us that Jesus sacrificed His body for us. We drink a cup of juice which reminds us that Jesus voluntarily bled for us. As we partake, those of us who are being appointed as shepherds of this flock need to ask ourselves what kind of shepherds we will be. Will I put the interests of the flock above my own? How much do I really care about the spiritual well-being of the people in this flock? Do I know the sheep under my care? Am I actively working to heal the rifts between people and bring them into unity of faith? Will I voluntarily sacrifice myself for the flock?

But Jesus not only talked about the Good Shepherd, He also tells us what it means to be a sheep. As you take the bread and the juice, today, you need to think about how Jesus’ words apply to you. The first thing I notice is that the sheep belong to the Shepherd. You would think that this would be pretty self-evident but it’s amazing how many want to hang around the fold but don’t want the Good Shepherd to own them. Before you partake ask yourself whether you really belong to Christ. If you don’t, then to eat the bread and drink the juice is participating in a lie. It will do you harm, not good.

The sheep also know the Shepherd. How well do you know Jesus? Do you recognize Him, or do you follow anyone who happens to come along? Are you trying to learn more about Him?

Another thing Jesus said about His sheep is that they listen to the Shepherd’s voice. Do you listen to Jesus? Do you do what He tells you to do?

Let’s use this time to not only ask ourselves these questions, but to rededicate ourselves; to commit to becoming one of Jesus’ sheep if we’re not already and to being a better sheep if we are. It is only when we belong to the Good Shepherd and listen to His voice that we will experience the life which He came to give us.

Let’s pray.