One of the themes which is sounded in just about any political campaign is the need for change. Very rarely will a candidate run for office with the promise that he or she will keep things just as they are. No, the politicians promise that if we will just elect them, they will make things better; they will solve our problems; their agenda will bring peace and prosperity.

I don’t need to tell you that the promises rarely come to pass. The problem is that the politicians are responding to symptoms. They react to consequences rather than the root cause of our difficulties. What is the root cause of the worlds’ troubles? It’s not the lack, or unequal distribution, of capital or natural resources. It’s not circumstances. It’s not environment. It’s not even climate change or global warming. It comes down to just one thing: Fallen human nature. Mankind was given a choice between good and evil and we chose evil. All of our problems stem from that one basic choice. Jesus said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:19 NIV)

We don’t need a change of circumstances, we need transformation. Until and unless our hearts are transformed, changing our circumstances is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The ship is still going down regardless of how skilfully or artfully you place the chairs.

In a sense, we can’t blame the politicians for only addressing symptoms. That’s really all they can do. They don’t have the power or ability to change anyone’s heart – including their own. Oh, they can pass laws to restrict or regulate certain sins, but they are powerless to change whatever it is in a person which makes him want to sin.

Is the situation hopeless, then? Not at all. Though the politicians don’t have the answer, transformation is possible. In 1st Peter 2, verses 9 and 10 the Apostle Peter writing to Christians says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (NIV)

How did this transformation from not being a people to being the people of God, from not receiving mercy to receiving mercy, take place? Peter gives the answer in chapter 1, verse 3: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (NIV)

We are transformed by being born anew. It’s not just a change of circumstances, it is an entire new life: a different nature. A nature that is in tune with God and His will rather than opposed to Him.

The new birth doesn’t just happen, though. It is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead which makes it possible. Notice the progression: If Jesus hadn’t died, He couldn’t have been raised. If He hadn’t been raised we couldn’t experience the new birth. If we hadn’t experienced the new birth we wouldn’t have hope. We would still be locked into the old, sinful human nature which gives rise to all the problems we see around us.

Every Lord’s Day we gather to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The piece of bread we eat reminds us of Christ’s body. He had to die that we might live. He had to rise so that we could have new life. We drink some juice which reminds us of Christ’s blood. It is His blood which covers our sin.

Today as we eat and drink these emblems let’s remember that it is through Christ’s resurrection that we are transformed. Let’s remember with gratitude what we were before and what we are now because of His great mercy.

In 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 12, Paul writes about people who are perishing. They aren’t headed for destruction because of a chance or random event. They aren’t headed for destruction because of the actions of someone else. Paul writes that they are condemned because of a deliberate choice they made. What was the choice? They delighted, or took pleasure, in wickedness. Involved in this choice was not believing the truth. It’s not that they didn’t have the opportunity to know the truth; it wasn’t that the truth was beyond their capability to understand. They turned away from the truth for moral reasons.

In contrast to this group of people, Paul writes in verses 13 and 14, “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 NIV)

If we belong to Christ, there are several things in this passage for which we, like Paul, can give thanks:

1) That we are loved by the Lord.

2) That God chose us, from the beginning, to be saved.

3) That the Spirit sanctifies us – that is that the Spirit sets us apart from evil and sin and makes us holy.

4) That we believe the truth.

5) That God has called us through the gospel.

6) That we can share in Christ’s glory.

Unfortunately, we humans tend to forget just how much God has done for us. Even though we have been blessed so richly, we can very easily start to take God’s blessings for granted. Even worse, we can begin to think that we somehow deserve them.

Perhaps it is for this reason that just before He sacrificed His own life so that we might have salvation, Jesus gave His disciples a memorial – something which would always remind us of what He has done and how much we’ve been blessed. “When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”” (Luke 22:14-20 NIV)

One of the things which impresses me in the accounts of what we know as the ‘Last Supper’ is that Jesus gave thanks. Stop and think about it. Jesus was about to go through an incredibly agonizing death. He knew full well what He was facing. In addition to the physical agony was the trauma of being betrayed and deserted by His friends. On top of everything else, He knew that taking the sins of the whole world upon Himself would force His heavenly Father to turn away. For God cannot look upon sin (See Isaiah 59:1-2, Habakkuk 1:13). The close relationship that Jesus had known with the Father from all eternity would be broken.

In spite of all this, or maybe because of it, Jesus gave thanks. The accounts do not tell us why He gave thanks. Perhaps it was to consecrate the bread and the fruit of the vine (See 1 Timothy 4:3-5). But I suspect that there was more to it than that. I suspect that one of the reasons He gave thanks was to set an example for us. It was to remind us that no matter how grim our circumstances may be, we still have much to be thankful for.

Because of what God has done for us through Jesus, we have salvation. This morning as we partake of the emblems which remind us of the price which was paid for our salvation, let’s do so with thankful hearts.

(Given on a ‘Mission Sunday’ when various missions were presented to the congregation.)

There are a lot of stories out there in the world. There are a lot of different messages. Every day we are bombarded with all sorts of ideas and concepts. But, when you get right down to it, there is one story the world needs to hear above all else. It is the only story which can bring peace to the troubled and war-weary. It is the only story which can bring light into darkness. It is the only story which can bring reconciliation to those who are alienated from God. It is the Good News of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today, we are going to share with you what this congregation is doing to take the Good News to other parts of the world. Before we do, it’s worth asking the question, “Why? Why should we care that others hear about Jesus?” It boils down to one simple fact: We should care about taking the gospel to others because somebody cared about sharing it with us. They, in turn, heard the message from somebody who cared about them. And this chain of love stretches back all the way to God. The Apostle John puts it this way: “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19 NIV)

When we think about love, we often associate it with emotions or feelings. But love is far more than that. Love also involves action. This morning I want to mention three action words that are included in God’s love.

The first word is ‘sent.’ The Apostle John writes, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10 NIV)

A second word which is associated with God’s love is ‘came.’ It would have been pointless for God to send Jesus if He never arrived at His destination. But Scripture says, “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:17 NIV) In another place it says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15 NIV)

God’s love not only prompted Him to send Jesus; love not only prompted Jesus to come, but that love also prompted them to give. Paul writes, “…live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1 NIV)

Because God loved, He sent. Because He was sent, Jesus came. When He came, He gave.

We’re reminded of that gift each week in the Lord’s Supper. “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”” (Luke 22:19-20 NIV)

But the bread we eat and the juice we drink should not only remind us of God’s love and Christ’s gift, it should also remind us of a responsibility we have. Jesus told His disciples, “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21 NIV) Are we willing to go and to give so that others may receive the gift of eternal life? Think about it as we eat and drink in Christ’s memory.

Even a casual glance at the news is enough to make you realize that there are a lot of conflicts and wars going on in the world. Depending on how you count them, there are somewhere between 10 and 30 wars going on right now. This is not unusual. A brief look at a history book tells you that war and conflict are one of the constants of human existence.

Although war and conflict have been with us almost from the beginning of human history, there is something in us which tells us that this is not how it ought to be. Though, in one sense, war and conflict are normal, we consider it abnormal. Listen to some of the lyrics of one of the most popular songs of the Civil War.

“Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts looking for the right
To see the dawn of peace…” (Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground, Walter C. Kittredge, 1863)

Because war really is abnormal; because we believe that people really do have a right to see the dawn of peace, wherever there is conflict, there are those who are working diligently to restore peace. We have peace commissions. There are peace conferences. The Nobel organization awards prizes to those whom they feel have done the most to advance the cause of peace. Yet, no sooner than one conflict is resolved, another breaks out.

Why has all the effort expended to bring about peace failed to solve the problem? It is because the conferences and commissions only deal with the symptoms of conflict instead of the root issue. What is it that causes wars and quarrels? James writes, “…Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1 NIV) In other words, conflicts and wars are external expressions of inner desires. There will never be lasting peace until man’s desires and covetousness are addressed.

But the problem really goes deeper. The conflict in our world is a reflection of mankind’s alienation and conflict with God. In order to have peace with one another, we all must first make peace with God. There’s a song from the 1970’s with the lyrics, “There will never be any peace until God is seated at the conference table.” (There Will Never Be Any Peace, Imperials, 1975)

How can we have peace with God? Speaking of Christ, the Apostle Paul writes, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation– if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel…” (Colossians 1:19-23 NIV)

It is through Christ’s blood that God has reconciled us to Himself. It is through Christ’s body, through death, that God has made us holy and free from accusation. But notice that there is a condition. We must continue in our faith. We must not abandon the gospel.

One of the reasons we meet together each First Day of the week is to strengthen our faith. We meet to remember the gospel, which is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. We participate in Communion in order to remember. The piece of bread we eat reminds us of Christ’s body through which God has made us holy. The cup of juice we drink reminds us of Christ’s blood through which God has reconciled us to Himself. Today, as we eat and drink let’s remember that it is through Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf that we have peace with God.

Join me in prayer.

In writing to the Christians at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul makes an interesting statement. He says, “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NIV) It’s not like these people didn’t already know or hadn’t already experienced God’s love. They had already accepted Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf. They had already experienced salvation. I think what Paul is saying is that they needed to develop the same kind of love that God has. They needed to demonstrate God’s love in how they lived their lives and interacted with one another.

What grabbed my attention in that verse, however, is that Paul prays that their hearts would be directed into Christ’s perseverance. Your translation may say, “into the steadfastness of Christ.” Why do we need to be directed into steadfastness or perseverance? Well, if you’re like me, it’s easy to start projects. It’s easy to get excited at the beginning of something. But sometimes it’s not so easy to finish what I’ve started. Unexpected problems crop up. Excitement gives way to discouragement. It can be very tempting to abandon a project before it’s finished because something new has come along.

There’s more to perseverance than just helping us to finish projects. Paul explains it this way in chapter 5, verse 4 of his letter to the Romans, “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (NIV) Notice that it is perseverance which builds character. Why is this important? Because it is character which produces hope. In the next few verses, Paul goes on to say that our hope rests squarely on the fact that Jesus died for us. It is through His blood that we are justified and reconciled to God.

Living for Christ is not always easy. The initial excitement and joy of being forgiven can turn into discouragement when we find out that we still have to overcome problems or bad habits. Sometimes we face opposition. Sometimes it would be easier to just go along with peer pressure or the standards of our culture.

Fortunately, Christ Himself set us an example of perseverance when the going got tough. Can you imagine what would have happened if He had decided not to follow through with God’s plan of redemption? We would still be in our sins, with no hope at all. But Jesus did follow through. When the time came for Him to sacrifice His life for us, Scripture says that He “…resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 NIV) He could have walked away. He could have called 10 thousand angels to destroy His enemies. He could have come down off the cross. But He didn’t. He saw it through. Because He persevered, we have the hope of eternal life – provided that we persevere in following Him.

Each week we take the time to remember what Jesus has done for us. We eat a piece of bread which represents Christ’s body which He sacrificed for us. We drink some juice which represents His blood which cleanses us from sin. Today as we partake of these emblems, let’s not only remember His sacrifice, but also Jesus’ perseverance which sent Him to the cross. Let’s remember the hope we have because of His perseverance in providing salvation.

Let’s also renew our commitment to live for Christ. Let’s follow His example of perseverance. As it says in Hebrews, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV)

Let’s pray.

(This meditation was prepared for a participatory assembly where people from the congregation shared their insights from the Psalms.)

This morning we’ve talked about several of the themes which are found in the Psalms. There’s the theme of God’s glory. There’s the theme of God’s care and protection. We’ve shared some of the lessons we’ve learned. But there’s another aspect to the Psalms as well. They point to the coming of Christ. For example Psalm 2 looks forward to Jesus as the Son, as conquering King and Judge. Psalm 23, pictures Jesus as our Shepherd.

But perhaps the most remarkable prophecies about Christ are found in Psalm 22. This Psalm predicts His death. Let’s take a look at it.

[Read Psalm 22]

Jesus quoted from verse 1, while He was on the cross.

Verses 7 and 8 tell how the crowds mocked Jesus as He was dying.

Verse 15 predicts Jesus’ thirst.

Verse 16 describes crucifixion, a type of execution which was unknown when David penned this Psalm.

Verse 17 tells how the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothing.

But then, the tone of the Psalm changes. Though on the surface it looks like God has abandoned anyone who would die such a horrible death, verse 24 says that God has listened to His cry. Do you remember what it says in Hebrews 5:7? “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.” (NIV)

Verse 27 of Psalm 22 goes on to say that people of all nations will serve the Lord.

Verse 30 predicts the spreading of the gospel to unborn generations.

Why am I taking the time to point out these things? Because Jesus has asked us to remember His death. Just before His crucifixion, Jesus took some bread and gave it to His disciples and told them to eat it as a memorial of His body. He also took a cup and told His disciples to drink from it as a reminder of the New Covenant which He was making in His blood.

These emblems remind us of Christ’s death. But when we eat them, we also need to remind ourselves of the answer to the question, “Why was it necessary for Jesus to suffer and die?” The short answer is that Jesus had to die for our sins. He gave His life for ours.

We are told in 1st Corinthians 11:28 that we ought to examine ourselves before we eat of the bread or drink of the cup. Have I been living for Christ this past week? Am I coming before Him with a clean heart?

Before we partake this morning, we’re going to sing part of another Psalm. This is a Psalm of repentance which David wrote after his sin with Bathsheba. If there’s something you need to make right with the Lord, why don’t you do it while we sing? Then you can partake of the emblems with a pure conscience.

Psalm 51, Create In Me a Clean Heart

When we talk about God’s Word, our minds go to the Bible. And that is appropriate, for the Bible is God’s Word. But the term ‘God’s Word’ is used in another sense as well. John’s Gospel opens this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:1-5 NIV)

Just as John says, God’s creative Word has been active right from the beginning. The very first words in the Bible are, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3 NIV)

If the the role of God’s Word had been limited to the creation, it still would have been fantastic and awesome. But there is more. Much more. John goes on to say, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV) John is speaking, of course, about Jesus. Before Bethlehem, the person we know as Jesus was God’s Word. By taking on flesh, He showed us who God is.

The Word (that is Jesus) was not only involved in the creation, He sustains us today. After the feeding of the 5,000 the people expected Jesus to keep on providing free meals. After all, hadn’t Moses fed the people manna in the wilderness? “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:32-35 NIV)

The people didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, so He explained further, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” (John 6:51-56 NIV)

They still didn’t get it. They thought that Jesus was teaching some form of cannibalism. So Jesus had to explain what He was talking about in plain terms. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63 NIV) I think what Jesus was saying is that just as food and drink sustain our physical bodies, so it is His Word which sustains us spiritually. We cannot live unless we eat and drink of the living Word of God.

I think it is interesting that when it came time for Jesus to leave this earth, He selected two things as a memorial to what He has done for us and of the New Covenant He established with us. Bread and fruit of the vine. He said that they represented His body and His blood which were sacrificed on our behalf. These are the same two things He referred to after the feeding of the 5,000.

Today as we eat and drink the Communion, commit yourself again to the Bread of Life – the living Word of God – who sustains our life.

Let’s pray.

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.