While We Can

Our primary text for today comes from John’s gospel: “As [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” (John 9:1-5)

 

The world – including America – is spinning out of control. Only the spiritually blind can watch television images from France, Spain, and other European nations and not recognize the lawlessness sweeping the continent. Only the spiritually insensitive can look back to what happened in America a few weeks ago on election day and not recognize the demonic antichrist policies of socialism and communism have been invited into our once-Christian nation which will bring social and economic disaster to our nation.

 

Is no one, except what seems a very few in the Church – is no one angry and stunned that – if we believe the polls – that voters placed gasoline and food prices above the wholesale and bloody murder each year of more than 800,000 babies in their mother’s womb? Eight-hundred thousand babies.

 

Do the math. That’s some 2,400 babies slaughtered every single day in America, including today. And tomorrow. And so forth.

 

Does it not frighten and anger anyone that voters placed their love of money above the increasingly widespread grooming of kindergarteners for a lifestyle of homosexuality and lesbianism and, in many cases, the chemical and surgical mutilation of young people who think they’re the opposite gender?

 

If there ever was, in the history of Christendom, a time that Christians must work while it is yet day, for the night is coming when no one can work – it is today in 2026 America.

 

Last week we looked at the passage in Luke’s gospel where Jesus asked what ought to be a very troubling question for each of us who call ourselves followers of Christ: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

 

It’s a good question.

 

So, to follow-on last week’s message of maintaining a consistent and obedient faith in God even when He says ‘No” to our prayers, today we look at our responsibility to Christ Jesus to stand for truth and light in the midst of our culture rapidly spreading lies and darkness.

 

And as your pastor, I need to remind us of our grave responsibility to Christ to be His hands and His feet and His heart extended to all who need His comfort, His forgiveness, and His commandment toward holiness. We must tell those who need to be told, and remind those who need to be reminded, that Jesus went to His torturous death on Calvary to rescue us from the wrath of God which is directed at all men and women who love lies and darkness.

 

But – and this is an important ‘but’- therein lies the challenge many Christians face: They WANT to fulfill the Great Commission of Matthew 28; They want to share with others the good news of salvation; But many believe they are inadequate to work for the Kingdom.

 

Inadequate? Says who?

 

Listen to what Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth about this idea of ‘adequacy’ for God’s work: “[It is] not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant . . .”  (2 Corinthians 3:5,6).

 

Christian, listen. According to the WHOLE testimony of Scripture AND the entire history of the Church through the ages, we do not need expert knowledge of God’s word to do what He has called us to do. We do not need to have perfect lives to be useful for the Master.

 

‘Adequate’ is good enough.”

 

And why is that? Because God is God, and He is able to take our ‘adequate’ to a supernatural level of fruitfulness for His kingdom. All He asks of us is that we be willing for Him to use us; Willing to say to Him, “Here I am Lord. Send me.”

 

What a comforting and hopeful promise that is, isn’t it? Whoever you are, whatever you’ve done – our supernatural God is able to take your adequate to a supernatural level.

 

He is able to take YOUR voice, a whisper that it might be, and filter it through His megaphone. Listen to His promise through the prophet:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)

 

Listen to His promise through His apostle Peter: “In your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. . .For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

 

You. Have. A. Voice. It doesn’t matter – it SHOULDN’T matter – if we see the results. We walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Not everyone is a John the Baptist. Or an apostle Paul. Or a Billy Graham. Or a Chuck Swindoll. Or a David Jeremiah. And it is a sulphuric lie of the Father of Lies that seduces God’s so-called ‘ordinary’ children like you and me to think that since we are not like those spiritual powerhouses, why should we even try? We come to believe we couldn’t be as they were if we lived a dozen lifetimes. And so, we give up in disillusionment – and therefore the devil silences our voices.

 

Listen, my Christian brothers and sisters, of course it’s true that the works some do for Christ are more noticeable, more evident, more visible than the work of others. But what was the name of the person who offered his home to Jesus and His disciples for the Last Supper? Who was the young boy who gave his lunch to Jesus on the day when He fed the five thousand? Tell me the name of the impoverished widow who contributed two pennies to the Temple treasury.

 

We don’t know their names because God didn’t tell us their names. And it is most likely He didn’t tell us their names so He might demonstrate that He uses EVERYONE who WANTS to be used in His work; Everyone of every age and every station in life.

 

Think about that unnamed widow in Mark chapter 12 that I just mentioned. Did she know the Lord Jesus was watching her?  Did she know what she did would be written down and passed on through 2000 years of Church history, even to this very moment?  Of course not. She didn’t know any of it. But her devotion to God despite her poverty has encouraged Christians for 2000 years to be faithful to God in every life circumstance.

 

Don’t ever let Satan’s whispers delude you into thinking that YOUR story is not being written down in God’s ledger to be reviewed by angels and archangels and by every sinner saved by grace who will live eternally with the story of what YOU did – even though you might have had no clue of what it was you did.

 

Gospel singer and song-writer Ray Boltz penned these lyrics some time ago. For the sake of time, I quote only a portion of the song, titled, Thank You (for Giving to the Lord).

 

As I read the lyrics, I urge you to think of your own work of faith and labor of love and your steadfastness of hope in your service for Christ over the years and decades:
 
I dreamed I went to heaven, and you were there with me . . . We heard the angels singing, then someone called your name. You turned and saw this young man [who said] . . . You used to teach my Sunday School when I was only eight. And every week you would say a prayer before the class would start, and one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in[to] my heart.

Then another man stood before you and said, remember the time a missionary came to your church and his pictures made you cry?
You didn't have much money, but you gave it anyway. Jesus took the gift you gave and that's why I'm here today.

One by one they came, far as the eyes could see. Each life touched by your generosity. Little things that you had done, sacrifices you made,
unnoticed on the earth, [but] in heaven now proclaimed.

 

How many will say to you and to me on that day words like: I’m so glad you gave. I’m so glad you smiled. I’m so glad you hugged me. I’m so glad that you said a kind word. I’m so glad you told me you’ll pray for me; I’m so glad you brought me food when I was sick, that you visited me after my husband died, that you supported my child in the missionary school, that you wrote letters to me when I was disabled and living in a nursing home.

 

Listen! We must stop giving place to the lie that God cannot use us because we]’re too old, or sick, or feeble. We must work the works of Him who has sent us into our world while we still can work – before spiritual, political, and cultural darkness completely overtakes all of us as it surely will. No one can read Scripture with open eyes and not see that in our future.

 

But Scripture ALSO tells us: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”  Romans 10:15

 

And so, child of God – when in obedience to Christ you reach out to others, YOU have beautiful feet. And hear it from Isaiah, which the Lord Jesus quoted to his audience in Nazareth – and which the Holy Spirit applies to you and to me in 2026: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives . . .to set free those who are oppressed.” (Luke 4:18)

 

At Ashwood Meadows there are people you meet every day, who are brokenhearted, wounded. People who are prisoners of the things they’ve done and said in the past that continue to haunt them years – decades later. People who think they are friendless – and who in fact may BE without a friend here at Ashwood.

 

You don’t need to be a high-powered preacher to bind up their broken hearts or point them to the one who can release them from their spiritual prison. Let me remind all of us of the text in Matthew 25:

 

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:34-40)

 
“Work while it is yet day.”

 

It’s about our willingness to be used, to live a life of kindness and compassion and holiness. Even if you can’t leave your home because of infirmities, the supernatural God can still use you. St. Paul wrote nearly one third(!) of his epistles while imprisoned for his faith. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while in prison for his faith. What is impossible for God to do with those who want to be useful to His kingdom?

 

I opened today’s message with what ought to capture the attention of every God-fearing, God-revering Christian. In a culture racing toward judgement – and make no mistake, America is begging for God’s wrath because of her unspeakable and ongoing crimes – in our culture which mocks Christ and those who follow Him, we are responsible to Christ to continue speaking and living truth and light before others.

 

And I will say this also once again: God warned Israel through the prophet Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?”

 

Christian, if we’re not regularly reading God’s word AND reflecting on what we’ve read, if we’re not striving to obey His commandments in little things and big things, if we are not spending quality time in prayer – then we are NOT growing in our faith and it will be very difficult – if not impossible – to stand for Christ when the coming persecution that ALWAYS follows socialism and communism takes over our nation.

 

Please. Continue to grow in your faith. Continue to do as He tells us to do. And then – excel still more.

 

 

When God Says 'No' - Then What?

Our text for today’s message comes from Luke’s gospel: “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent. ’For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8

 

The context of this passage takes us to the preceding chapter 17 which describes the lengthy and severe persecutions Christians will face in the last days. Both Matthew and Mark – as well as many of the New Testament writers -- speak the same warning. We won’t take time to turn there now, but you can read the 10^th and the 24^th chapters of Matthew, the 13^th chapter of Mark, and the 21^st chapter of Luke on your own to review what Scripture tells us what to expect in those days in particular – and as a faithful follower of Christ in general. As Paul warned Timothy: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)

 

The bloody persecutions that have overtaken Christians in the past, and the persecutions that will overtake Christians in the future have caused and WILL cause many to fall away from the faith they’d once professed. And it’s little wonder that the Lord asked a rhetorical but troubling question of us – “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

 

John Calvin interpreted the Lord’s question as a warning that genuine faith will become increasingly scarce as prolonged suffering and injustice cause many Christians to lose confidence in God’s providence, power, and supremacy over nations and circumstances. He said, “There will be almost none to look for him.” Based also on this passage in Luke’s gospel and warnings throughout the New Testament, 19^th century evangelical theologians – Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown – also agreed that the hope of Christ’s return will nearly disappear among Christians because of the lengthy and bloody persecutions.

 

As I meditated on these points, God’s word to Jeremiah during the days just before the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem came to mind: “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you match yourself with horses? And if you thought yourself safe in a peaceable land, what will you do in the swelling of Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5

 

The historical context of this Jeremiah passage is different from the context of today’s message, but the principle remains the same: If we cannot hold faith during times of relative peace when God says ‘No’ to our prayers, what do we think we will do in times of prolonged distress when we face persecutions and God seems so silent to our prayers?

 

That’s why it MATTERS that we grow in our faith toward God NOW, while things are relatively peaceful, and when God says ‘no’, even when we do not understand His delay, and when we don’t understand what He is doing with us and around us – politically, economically, or socially.

 

So, having said all this, let’s focus on today’s primary question – when God says, ‘no’ – what then? How often have you asked the Lord to do something and He didn’t do it? You asked for healing for yourself or someone else? You prayed to save a marriage, or for Him to get that job either for yourself or someone else. Or any of a dozen other prayers important to you – and God didn’t do as you asked?

 

How often have you asked God for something and He flat-out said ‘No’? Like when He told Moses flat-out that he could not enter the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 3). Or when He told the great apostle Paul that He would not heal his distressing ‘thorn’ – whatever that thorn was. (2 Corinthians 12). Or when He would not do what His only begotten Son asked three times in the Garden of Gethsemane for Him to do. (Luke 22)

 

There’s not a Christian who’s ever lived who hasn’t had that sad experience when God says, “No” to some prayers. And that segues into the reason for this message today, because I know from personal experience that Satan will use those times to try to convince us of one of several lies: Either God doesn’t care, or God doesn’t hear you, or you don’t have enough faith to get prayers answered, or that you’re not really a child of God.

 

I remind us of Jesus in the wilderness, very tired and very hungry. It was then, at His lowest emotional point, that Satan lied to him. It was then, at the Lord’s lowest point, when the devil tried to get Him to question His relationship with His Father: “If you are the Son of God”—do this, or, “If you are the Son of God” do that.

 

Remember – Jesus was as human as you and I, and therefore just as susceptible to temptations as we are. The only difference between Jesus and the rest of humanity is that He never succumbed to temptation of any kind. He remained completely sinless – unlike the rest of us.

 

Of course, Satan knew perfectly well who Jesus was. He knew that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3)

 

Satan knew, “For by [the Father] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through [Christ] and for [Christ].” Colossians 1:16

 

The devil knew all things were created through Christ – including himself and his fallen angels. And don’t overlook this: Satan knows perfectly well who YOU are in Christ, that you are a son or a daughter of God. But as Satan tried to do with the Lord, he tries to do with us, also – to introduce a seed of doubt into our hearts, especially when God says ‘no.’

 

So, back to our question, “When God Says ‘No’ – Then What?” How do we reconcile His ‘No’ with passages such as: Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” and Psalm 116:5 “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate.” And Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness”?

 

But before we can address the ‘Then What?” we need to remind ourselves and let the Lord firmly convince us of a fundamental truth, that being: The Bible from the first word in Genesis to the last word in Revelation is completely and unimpeachably authoritative, inerrant, infallible, and divinely inspired. Every word.

 

As the psalmist said, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3) And in this case I will define the ‘foundations’ as the word of God because, as the Lord tells us: Matthew 24:3 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

 

If we dilute the reliability, the trustworthiness of God’s word, then how can anyone stand against the onslaughts of life? That means, if we don’t believe the creation story as recorded in that first chapter of Genesis, if we don’t believe that God created Adam from the dust and Eve from one of his ribs, if we don’t believe the record of a worldwide flood, or the miraculous plagues that decimated the Egyptians, if we don’t believe that all the miracles of Christ occurred as recorded – then how can we have confidence that God even hears our most desperate prayers?

 

If the written record of God and His works are suspect, then His promise through Isaiah is meaningless: “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you.” (Isaiah 54:10a). Likewise, His promise through Jeremiah is worthless: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

 

Christian, we MUST be certain of this: His love and mercy and compassion are directed toward us even when He says ‘No’ to some of our prayers. Which then raises a reasonable question: WHY then might God say ‘no’? Well, He gives us several reasons, and in the time we have left, let’s examine only a few.

 

The first reason for His ‘No’ can be stated simply: We just don’t know why He might say ‘no.’ This is not a dodge of the question. It’s simply truth. Listen to Him for a moment through Isaiah: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

 

And now in the Book of Job: “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are high as the heavens, what can you do? Deeper than Sheol, what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” (Job 11:7-9)

 

But it is BECAUSE we have complete confidence in the Bible as God’s inerrant love letter to us that we can ACCEPT this reason for His ‘No.’ We can accept the truth cradled in His love, that His ways and His answers are far above our ability to understand, but we have the blessed assurance that He deeply loves us – even when He says, ‘No.” And the words of the Proverb soothes our spirit, to help us trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding.  (See Proverbs 3:5)

 

Those who believe the trustworthiness of the Bible in the deepest recesses of their heart believe that our God sees the whole picture, whereas we see only a small part of it. Therefore, a prayer request that seems reasonable to us simply might not serve God’s larger purposes – and the one who is striving to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength will bend the knee to God’s purpose and will say – even if it is a struggle to say it: “Not my will but Thine be done.”

 

Of course, this is not to say that everything that happens is good in and of itself. But the humble Christians believes God when He tells us that He works good even through painful circumstances. The words of Paul to the Roman Christians are more than theoretical words on a page as we read: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28

 

Those words are life-sustaining food for our souls – so much so that, with God’s supernatural help, when Christ returns, He WILL find faith in our heart.

 

So, yes. Sometimes we simply do not know why God says, ‘No’ to our prayers. But on the other hand, Scripture tells us there are times when we can – or at least, SHOULD know – why God says ‘no.’ 

 

Let’s be very clear about this next point. Persistent, unrepentant sin blocks our prayer. Listen to the Psalmist: (Psalm 66:18, GNT): “If I had ignored my sins, the Lord would not have listened to me.” Through Isaiah (Isaiah 59:1-2): “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

 

And while Scripture does not teach that every unanswered prayer is caused by sin, it DOES explicitly identify several ways that sin can hinder our prayers. For example: When we ignore the financial needs of others when we are in a position to assist them: Proverbs 21:13, NKJV “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.”

 

And 1 John 3:17-19: “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth and will assure our heart before Him.”

 

Another manifestation of sin comes in the form of practicing injustice, or supporting those who do so with our votes and finances. What God said to His Chosen People He also says to us:

 

Proverbs 24:11-12 “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?”

 

And through Isaiah: (Isaiah 1:15–17) “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”

 

Make no mistake: We should expect that known and unrepented sin will result in a ‘No’ from our holy God who is not impressed by worship that coexists with iniquity. And that is why 1 John 1:9 is so precious to the Christian: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

Another manifestation of sin comes in the form of seeking things with selfish motives: James 4:3 ^“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” – such as asking God to remove every difficulty without considering what He might accomplish through such circumstances. Or asking God to bless a decision we’ve already made without being willing to submit that decision to His will. We should not expect God to treat our requests as though our deliberate rejection of His instruction were inconsequential.

 

Let me try to bring this to a conclusion. What shall you and I do when God says, ‘No’? Shall we turn away in anger, or disappointment? Or shall we live as the faithful men and women through the ages who trusted God and strove to love Him so much that not even the deepest soul-wrenching heartache – no, not even hearing Him say ‘No” to our prayers – nothing shall move us from our faithful relationship with Him and Him alone?  

Will we humbly ask Him if sin has caused a separation between us? Will we ‘examine ourselves’ with the light of the Holy Spirit searching us, to see if there be any wicked way in us?

Our Father in heaven loves us. Don’t give even a moment’s thought to Satan’s lies to the contrary. “The Lord IS righteous in all His ways and kind in ALL His deeds.” The Lord IS gracious and righteous. “Yes, our God is compassionate.” And His “lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is [His] faithfulness.”

God’s overarching and oft stated purpose for all of His children is to conform us each into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29) who – we must add – who learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)

Mature faith is not confidence that God will do as we ask; Mature faith is confidence in God – even when He does not do as we ask.

Christian – when the Lord returns, may He find faith – mature and maturing faith – in each of our hearts. Amen

 

 

 

A Message for Today's Saints

As you all know, last night was Halloween. What some of you might not know is that Halloween is a contraction of three words: "All Hallows' Evening." The word, ‘hallow’ means sacred or holy. In old English, the word ‘evening’ was often shortened to a poetic “e’en”. And so, we get the modern Hallow’een.

 

Hallo’een always occurs on the evening before All Saints’ Day, a day specifically set aside to honor the saints – the holy people of God – of the past and of today. As we have seen many times before in our study of Scripture, the Bible uses the word, ‘saints’ for ordinary believers in Christ. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 and Ephesians 1:1. You can read these texts for yourselves if you wish. Throughout the New Testament, the word ‘saint’ was never reserved exclusively to Christians who’ been formally declared saints by a church body.

 

Halloween was NEVER about ghouls, ghosts and witches. But Satan did what he does best – he corrupted a holy day that had been set aside to remember Christ and the holy men and women who follow Him, and turned it into a devilish circus of ghouls. He did the same with Christmas. Instead of people celebrating the birth of the Savior, the devil has seduced much of humanity to focus on Santa Claus and reindeer. Easter is the same story. Satan corrupted the celebration of Christ’s resurrection into a focus on bunnies and chocolate eggs.

 

And so, on this All Saints Day, let’s focus our attention on the men and women of God in the history of the church AND in our own histories. We do this because we can learn a lot about how to walk with Christ by imitating them.

 

We could spend several college semesters studying the men and women of faith throughout the ages, but for the sake of time, let’s turn only briefly and for example to the so-called ‘Heroes of Faith’ in Hebrews chapter 11. The litany of saintly men and women begins with Abel, moves to Enoch, then to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, then Moses and beyond. But then the writer enumerates the heroes of faith who suffered horribly for their devotion to God. Listen to this text familiar to many of you: “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated – [those] of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)

 

These saints of God were all martyred because of their faith – and it is perhaps especially because they were martyred that they can teach us to persevere in our own walk with Christ. Indeed, I was surprised to learn that there have been more Christian martyrs in the 20th and 21st centuries than in the preceding 19 centuries — going back to when Jesus and His apostles waked the earth.

 

Several years ago, I learned a Latin phrase, Memento Mori, and I have mentioned it before. The meaning of the phrase resonates with me. It means, “Remember, you must die.”

 

The origin of the phrase goes back to a custom in ancient Roman society. When a general returned to the city after a great victory on the battlefield, he’d parade through the streets on a golden chariot to the cheers of the crowd. But because such tributes could lead to pride and a false sense of his own importance, a slave –one of the humblest servants – was to remind him of his mortality by whispering to him: “Look behind. Remember that you are a man”.

 

Memento Mori. Everyone in this sanctuary is unhappily acquainted with death. My mom is dead. My father and my adopted father are both dead. My brother-in-law is dead. Nancy’s mom, dad and stepdad are all dead. My cousin is dead. Nancy’s cousin is dead. Another of her cousin’s wife is dead. Many of our friends are dead.

 

And one day I will be dead. Nancy will be dead. You will be dead. The children who survive us will one day be dead. And such is the pattern of life since the Garden of Eden.

 

Solomon understood life’s brevity and the utter worthlessness of awards and possessions. “Vanity of vanities’ he called them. And I don’t doubt that’s why he wrote this sober warning even to us who would read his words 3,000 years later: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.” (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

 

So, with all that as our backdrop, let’s return to All Saints Day and think about what not only the ancient heroes of faith can teach us – but think about what the godly men and women in our lives taught us. As Scripture tells us: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

 

Many of us were privileged to have had godly Christian parents, grandparents, pastors, and teachers who influenced us for good and who guided us around the dangerous reefs and sandbars of life. And please

do not overlook this important truth: Just as WE remember those in our pasts who influenced us for good – in the SAME way we have the privilege AND the responsibility to be remembered by others how we influenced them for good.

 

Did you ever wonder how you’ll be remembered by others after you’re gone? Certainly, we’d like them to remember us for our consistent faith in Christ, for what we taught them by our words AND by our lives – that our talk didn’t contradict our walk. So, how will be remembered? This is not an trivial question and the answer to that question depends on how closely we WANT to walk with Christ.

 

So, since all of us here who obey Christ are ‘saints,’ let’s examine for the next few minutes how we can live in such a way that people who remember us will have reason to be drawn to the Christ we serve.

 

To make it easier to remember, I’ve taken the word, ‘Hallow” – meaning ‘sacred’—and will use it as an acronym for the characteristics of saintly living. You might think about writing the letters of ‘HALLOW’ on a sticky-note and placing it on your bathroom mirror to remind you each day how you ought to live.

 

The first characteristic of saintliness starts with H, for humility: How might we flesh out humility? Paul gives us some direction in his letter to the Christians at Rome: (Romans 12:3): “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly . . ..”

 

It’s tempting, isn’t it, to sometimes think of ourselves as somehow superior to others because of such things that are ultimately worthless – things like the careers we had, or what are our talents, or family background, or any of a dozen other reasons people so foolishly boast.

 

Listen! What do we have or have ever had that did not come directly from God’s hand as a gift? What then could possibly be the reason for anyone to harbor a sense of superiority – other than contemptable pride? Christian, if that describes you – Get over yourself. Walk humbly before others and before God who gives us even our next breath.

 

Many of you will recognize this commandment of God from Paul’s pen: (Philippians 2:5-8) “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be [asserted],  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and . . . humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 

Another characteristic of saintly living comes to us with the next letter of ‘hallow’ – A, representing here, Accountability. Never forget we are all accountable to God for everything we say and do. As Scripture tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  (2 Corinthians 5:10) And with an election coming up just days from today, let me remind all of us that we are accountable to God for how we vote.

 

To that topic, how do people – especially Christians -- how do they dare equate the political policies regarding housing or immigration with the murderous practice of abortion supported by so many politicians? Or the demonic policies that permit the mutilation of boys and girls, amputating their genitalia or breasts because they've been seduced into believing they need to be the opposite sex? Or the unfettered evil of political policies that permit Drag Queens into kindergartens to seduce children into thinking homosexuality and lesbianism are normal?

How do moral people in general and Christians in particular vote for politicians who support such horrors and allow themselves to make those horrors equal with policies of immigration and housing? We are accountable to God for what we do and say – and how we vote.

 

The next letter on our acronym to describe saintly living is ‘L’ – representing Loyalty’ to God which expresses itself through obedience to His Word – even when obedience costs us something. We tell the truth when a lie would benefit us. We refuse to participate in whatever dishonors God. We forgive others when resentment seems justified. We do the right things even when nobody is watching.

 

Loyalty expresses itself in a trust in God when we do not like or understand what’s happening to us. Loyalty continues to pray when answers seem delayed and loyalty is evidenced not only by how we praise God in the sunshine, but also by our praise even in the valleys of the shadow of death.

 

The next letter in our acronym, the second L in HALLOW, stands here for Listening to God which results in DOING what He tells us. What the saint of God will NOT do is what those in Jeremiah’s day did. Listen to this text: “Thus says the Lord, stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ Jeremiah 6:16-17

 

If we wish to leave a saintly legacy to our families, our friends, and our acquaintances we will live in humility, we will live lives knowingly accountable to God, we’ll be loyal to Him, even if it costs us dearly; And we will listen to His voice.

 

Which brings us to the ‘O’ in our HALLOW acronym, which stands for ‘Obedience.’ Admittedly, obedience overlaps with everything I’ve already said – humility, being accountable, Loyalty, and so forth. Saints in the past and saints today strive to obey God in ALL He commands. The Greek word in the New Testament for ‘strive’ is the same root word for ‘agonize’ in English – and that should resonate with us because sometimes we find ourselves agonizing to obey God when obedience might cost us families, friendships, jobs, wealth, or health, or anything else that is dear to us.

 

The Lord Jesus did not mince words when He solemnly warned: (Matthew 10:37-38) “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”

 

Finally, the last letter of our acronym, W, represents ‘Witness’ – as in the Great Commission of Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

 

And as Peter wrote: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

 

I’ve heard it said – and you might have also: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.”

 

That might sound pious, but it is completely without Biblical support. I do not mean to imply that living a godly life is unnecessary if we are to witness for Christ to our families, friends, and so forth. We’ve just spent the last 20 minutes or so looking at how saints of God ought to live in such a way that our reputation as godly men and women testify of our salvation.

 

But to imply that preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ is done PRIMARILY through godly living is to deny the words of Christ and the apostles. Jesus wasn’t crucified because He lived an exemplary life. He was crucified because He spoke truth to those who loved lies. The apostles were not martyred because they loved their neighbors. They were murdered because they spoke truth without wavering to a culture that hated Christ and Truth.

 

St Paul didn’t tell Timothy to witness for Christ first and foremost by living a godly life. No, this is what he commanded the young man: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus . . . preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1,2)

 

Saints here in this chapel - please hear this: You and I, and all who love and serve Jesus – saints do not keep silent while those in our sphere of influence are racing with the culture around us toward a literal hell and eternal like of fire. Love compels the saint to speak truth to a culture that loves lies.

 

All Saints Day commemorates the saints throughout Church history to this very moment. If we wish to leave a legacy of faithfulness to others after we are gone, we will daily practice humility, accountability, loyalty to God, listening to His voice and obediently doing as He says.

 

Then we will have the right to witness to others for Christ because our talk matches our walk – and we repent when we stumble from time to time.