Remember Uzzah

Remember Uzzah

By Richard Maffeo

I wrote this in 2015. The message still applies to 2020

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To Obey is Better Than to Sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22)

If you read about Uzzah’s death only in 2 Samuel you’ll miss a critically important piece of supplemental information. 

In the sixth chapter David and “all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord.” They placed the ark of God on an ox cart to bring it to Jerusalem. But as they drew near the city the oxen stumbled and knocked the ark off balance. Uzzah the priest reached out to keep it from falling. But “the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him . . . and he died.”

If that’s all we know, then we should have some questions, not the least of which would be: Why did God kill His priest for trying to protect the ark?

But take a look at the same story in the 15^th chapter of 1 Chronicles, especially verses 11-15. After Uzzah’s death, David again decided to bring the ark to Jerusalem. But this time: “David called for . . . the priests, and for the Levites . . . and said to them . . . because you did not carry it at the first, the Lord our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

“. . . for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance.”

In other words, sacrifice and celebration in our worship and work for God is fitting and proper for anyone who calls God “Father” and Jesus “Lord.” But God also demands those things be done in obedience to His revealed will. Only after Uzzah’s death did the priests insert poles into the rings of the ark and then carry it on their shoulders – as Moses commanded half a millennium earlier (see Exodus 25:10-14 and Numbers 4:6-15).

The Holy Spirit tells us through the prophet, Samuel: “Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry.”  (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

God is always serious about our obedience to His commandments – even while we worship and work for Him.

Remember Uzzah.

A Timely Assessment

Throughout my nursing career I trained RNs at the bedside and in the classroom in both the art and the science of nursing.

One important detail I drilled into their minds had to do with making a proper “Room Assessment” at the same time they do their patient assessment. It is not enough, when the nurse comes on shift, to simply assess the patient – vital signs, level of consciousness, wounds, and so forth. They needed to ALSO assess the availability of the emergency equipment, such as the suction canister and tubing that must be at the bedside.

I repeatedly told them – based on my own experiences – “The time to learn you need suction equipment for a choking patient is NOT when you actually need suction equipment.”

That principle is valid in other areas of life. For example: If you don’t believe Christians in America are at the precipice of wide-scale persecution – much more than we are now witnessing – then you have either not been paying attention, or you are simply closing your eyes to reality. And if you think the anti-Christian persecution will not turn deadly, you do not know the history of the Church and its martyrs – ancient and modern.

Please listen! Do a spiritual assessment on yourself. Do it today.

The time to learn you need to know your Bible better, and to develop a closer walk with Jesus is NOT when you actually need to know your Bible better and have a closer walk with Jesus. Next year may be too late to do it as easily as we can still do it.

In a Cloud?

I read two chapters from Luke’s gospel this morning. The first from chapter nine. The context is the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus had taken with Him to the mountain Peter, James, and John:

“Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying. While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:32-35)

Sometimes a cloud is the best place to be to hear God’s voice. It’s the best place to be when we are unable to see where we are or where we are going. We must fly, as it were, by instruments.

For me, the ‘instruments’ by which I ‘see’ Jesus and receive His direction, is the Scriptures. Since receiving Christ in 1972 and until this very moment, it has always been the Scriptures that have been my guide out of the clouds.

The role of the Bible in my conversion story is not too unlike that of St. Augustine’s conversion story. As he wept in a garden, enveloped in a cloud of grief and uncertainty and fear because of his many sins, he heard a child’s voice call out: “Take up and read. Take up and read.”

At those words, he rushed back to the place in the garden where he had laid down his Bible. When he opened it, his eyes fell immediately on these words: “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:13-14) *

Suddenly, in a moment, his clouds of spiritual darkness vanished. He was a new man, knowing where he was, where he had been, and where he was going.

But, back to my story of what God said to me this morning. After I sat awhile considering God’s lesson for me in chapter nine, I turned the page to chapter ten. An expert in Mosaic Law asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”  (Luke 10:25-26).

In other words, Jesus said to the man, “If you have questions about where you are, where you were, and where you are going, then go back to the Book for your answers. In it you will find what eliminates the clouds that obscure your view of God and eternal life.”

Jesus didn’t need to quote the Psalmist: “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) Jesus didn’t need to quote it because the lawyer – as all Jews of his day – already knew the passage.

Are you in a cloud of doubt, or fear, or confusion about what is right and what is wrong? Have life events and the culture obscured your vision of God and His commandments and His direction for your life?

Go back to the Book. Patiently, consistently, and prayerfully persevere in reading the Scriptures. Study them. Meditate on them. God the Holy Spirit WILL bring you out of your cloud. He promised to do so.

*(You can read more of St. Augustine's story here: https://ccel.org/ccel/augustine/confess.ix.xii.html)

Unworthy, or Worthless?

SERMON JULY 26

Unworthy, But Not Worthless.

This is an edited copy of my online sermon posted to YouTube. You can find it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5FKRuKREu4&t

Unworthy, or worthless – how does God think of us? And just as important, how do WE think God views us? Those are very significant questions, because our answers unerringly inform our relationship with Him.

I use those words as defined in any modern dictionary. Worthless means to be of no use, of no importance, of no value, whereas unworthy means to not be deserving of something good.

Now, it is abundantly clear throughout the Biblical text that we are all – every one of us on this planet – we are all unworthy to receive from our Holy God what He gives to us by His wonderful grace. We are unworthy, we do not deserve an iota of His grace and love and forgiveness.

BUT (and this is KEY) – we are not WORTHLESS. We are not valueless to God. We are in no way unimportant to our Creator. Jesus didn’t die for the worthless, the valueless, the unimportant. That wouldn’t make sense on any level for God to send His Son to die for worthless beings.

Nonetheless, the devil would like it very much if we all think of ourselves as worthless to God. And Satan often uses our past failures and sins to convince us that God is done with us. Why? Because we could not convince others of God’s love and offer of grace toward them if we ourselves think God has passed us by.

Do you see the devil’s strategy?

So, today I want to remind us all of the fundamental truth of the gospel message: Whatever is our struggle, whatever is our “thorn in the flesh” that keeps us from being all that God has called us to be – I want to remind us of this foundational truth: God is a God of Continuing Chances to Make it Right.

Let’s look a moment at what Paul says of his thorn. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 

Paul then continues: Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Paul didn’t think of himself worthless for God. Unworthy, yes. But never worthless. Here is what he tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)

It seems Paul struggled many years with his thorn in the flesh. But what was his thorn?

Many commentators I’ve read think Paul’s thorn was related eye trouble. They surmise this based on Paul’s meeting with Christ on the road to Damascus when that bright light of Christ blinded his eyes. Later, when Ananias prayed for him, Scripture tells us: “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized.” (Acts 9:18)

And then there is the text in his letter to the Galatians in which Paul writes: “For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your  eyes and given them to me.” (Galatians 4:15)

But I don’t think poor eyes sight was Paul’s thorn. I think it was something far more debilitating. I think it was the memories of his earlier murderous persecutions of God’s people. For example, the entire chapter of Acts 22 narrates his defense before the mob at the temple as Paul was dragged up the stairs by the Roman guards to protect him from being torn apart. Here is what Paul told the angry throng:

“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished.” (Acts 22:4-5)

Then later, while standing in chains before King Agrippa, Paul tells him: “Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26:10-11)

In several of his epistles as well, Paul confessed his utter brutality toward the Jewish followers of Jesus. How could he ever get away from his conscience riddled with guilt? It was those memories that I think were Paul’s thorn in his flesh.

And what is YOUR thorn? Is it your history of failures? Your shameful sins? How you believe you’ve disappointed God and yourself again and again?

I know about thorns. My most painful one dates back only a year and a half. Some of you know what happened to me when Nancy had her stroke, and I don’t feel I need to rehearse my many failures during those weeks and months. I only bring it up again now to let you know I also have my painful thorns – thorns that I cannot escape. And I suspect many of you have thorns from which you cannot escape.

Be careful! Those thorns WILL WEAR YOU DOWN if you don’t let the Holy Spirit deal definitively with them.

Let me tell you how God helped me through my own thorn rooted in Nancy’s stroke. He asked me two questions. First: “What do you know about Me?” And second: “Why do you know it?”

What I knew about God was He is merciful, is greatly in love with me, and is exceedingly compassionate toward me. And second, I knew that to be true because the Bible tells me so.

And so, here are the same questions for you that He asked me: What do you know about God, and why do you know it?

I hope you also know that God is totally and abundantly merciful and compassionate toward you, despite your failures and sins. And you know that is true because the Bible says it is true.

Please pay attention to this. Please: Always let the word of God be your  your rock, your stability – your assurance. As for your failures, the Holy Spirit tells you through St. Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi, “Forget what lies behind and press forward toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13)

And don’t forget THIS promise. God gives it to us through Jude: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25)

Speaking of painful pasts and raw memories of our pasts, do you remember what Peter did to the Lord, and what the Lord did for Peter in response? The great apostle denied His Lord three times in rapid succession. I have referred to this passage in John’s gospel many times, and I do it again for everyone who feels as if they have gone past the point of no return with the Father of all mercies and God of all comfort. We find this gentle exchange in the last chapter of John’s gospel:

“So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

The different Greek words for ‘love’ used by Peter and Christ demonstrate what ought to be for us a comforting reality. I don’t have time to detour there now, but I urge you to do a word study of those two words on your own. And then let the Holy Spirit illuminate for you what that exchange between Peter and Jesus can mean for you.

And here is the main thing that we need to keep as the main thing. The Lord’s willingness to reconcile Peter to Himself holds the key for all of us who repeatedly stumble along our journey and wonder if we can get up again – or even if we should get up again. We who hear the devil’s whispering lie: You are worthless for the Kingdom.

What would the Church look like today if Peter, overwhelmed by his shame, slipped into the shadows of history? How much less would we understand God’s grace without Peter’s two epistles? How many are in heaven today because Peter discovered, as all of us – believer and non-believer – must discover: God is the God of Continuing Chances to get it right?

Scripture promises: “As the heavens tower over the earth, so God's love towers over the faithful. As far as the east is from the west, so far have our sins been removed from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on the faithful. For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:11-14).

Satan wants us to believe there’s no pardon for repeat offenders. He wants us to accept the lie that God now considers us worthless. And if the Serpent can convince us of that lie, we lose a crucial battle. We get sidelined, lost in the shadows, and unable to help set free other prisoners from spiritual bondage.

God repeatedly assures us, there is abundant pressed-down-and-running-over pardon in Christ. Each time we come to the Father in repentance, we find another chance to stand with our Savior. When all the theologies, philosophies, and ideologies are stripped away, God’s forgiveness and mercy are why we can get up and start again. His matchless and enduring love for us, despite our failures and sins, is the reason we should get up and start again.

An 18th century hymn written by William Cowper reminds us: "There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

We are most certainly unworthy of God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We are unworthy of His second, third, fourth, 100th chances to get it right.

Unworthy, yes. But worthless? Ten thousand times, “No!”

The Advocate

The Advocate

Edited Sermon for July 19, 2020

You can find the recorded message at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHCsaSZApuQ&amp  

You might remember the story of Job. In one fell swoop he lost his ten beloved children, and his fortune, and then his health as painful boils covered him from his head to his feet. Making matters much worse, his so-called ‘friends’ relentlessly accused him of all manner of sins – for which God was making him suffer so badly. 

What does the devil say to you, especially when you are chronically sick, or desperately lonely, or in unrelenting pain? As Job’s feckless counselors accused Job, does the devil or his human servants tell you: “You suffer because of your sins. God can’t be trusted to be kind to you. Besides, if you really were God’s son or daughter, you wouldn’t be in this terrible situation. You might as well stop praying. God has turned His back on you. Why waste your life following Him?”

Christian! Never forget Satan is a wicked, hateful, spiteful liar. Jesus calls him the father of lies, a murderer who has no truth in him. (John 8:44) Everything he tells you about God is either a brazen lie, or a nuanced lie designed to seduce you and me into tasting the forbidden fruit. But every lie from his lips, nuanced or not, is absolutely deadly.

That is why we need to hear the gospel every day because we forget it every day.

Back to Job: From the depths of his despair, Job cried out: “For [God] is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, that we may go to court together. There is no umpire between us, who may lay his hand upon us both.” Job 9:32-33

And a few chapters later: “My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God. Oh, that a man might plead with God as a man with his neighbor!”

(Job 16:20-21)

If it has been a while since you have read Job, read it again soon. Sense his pathos, his unspeakable anguish. He’d just lost his beloved children to sudden death; His wealth to sudden violence; His health to sudden excruciating boils – and his friends lost no time in blaming it all on his alleged sins.

No wonder Job yearned for a mediator, someone to stand between him and the holy God, someone who would take up his defense. 

Have you ever felt like that? Oh, if only I could find someone to mediate between me and God almighty!

Listen! What Job did not know – you and I CAN know. The holy, holy God HAS provided us a mediator, an umpire, an ADVOCATE, someone to stand beside us and take up our defense.

Who might that be? St. Paul tells us most clearly in his letter to Timothy: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men,  the man Christ Jesus,  who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6) 

A mediator. An umpire. A go-between. An advocate – someone to come along side and arbitrate between us and a holy God.

I meditated on that concept of the Advocate several years ago when I wondered what it might be like to be dead, and to stand before God’s judgment seat. And I envisioned this scene:

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I am dead.

I don’t know how I know it, but I am dead. And I stand before the Judgment Seat of God. The Accuser stands next to me, denouncing me and charging me with the many crimes I’ve committed during my life. Murder. Perversions. Treasons. Rebellions. The litany seems to never end. He cites all of them.  Every one. Each in chronological order.

I remember them as my Accuser holds aloft his dossier of dates and times and places. And with each accusation the memories of my once forgotten sins flood my mind. They overwhelm me. With crushing shame, I try to push them from my memory, but to no avail. I suddenly realize I am without hope. Nauseating, stomach-wrenching despair smothers me. Terror suffocates me.

But then, almost from nowhere, He appears – my advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He waits for the Accuser to finish, and then looks soberly at the Judge.

“These accusations are all true,” Jesus says. “But Father, I ransomed him with My blood. He entered the waters of baptism. He confessed his sins when we first met, and with each new offense he brought them in humble confession to the foot of My cross. And He has faithfully followed and served Me these many years. And, Father, You promised I would not lose any whom You have given Me.”

The Judge listens in silence. Then He looks at my Accuser. He looks at me. He looks at my Advocate. He raises His gavel, and I wait for what is about to come next.

“Guilty,” the Judge says with a solemnity I shall forever remember. “I declare you guilty on all counts.”

Panic – choking panic grips me. But then I hear Him add, “And I hereby pardon you of all counts for the sake of my son, Jesus.”

His gavel strikes the sound block with a crack that echoes throughout the chambers of heaven and of hell.

Dazed, I look at my Advocate. His eyes smile back. It is true. Gloriously, wondrously true. I am pardoned. Forgiven. Redeemed forever because of the blood of the Lamb.
         

Let me now go back through what I just shared with you and add the Scripture verses I alluded to in my imaginative courtroom scene, and which ought to give hope to every Christian hearing my voice:

I was dead, and I found myself before the Judgment Seat of God: And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. (Rev 20:12)

The Accuser stood next to me, denouncing me, and charging me with the many crimes I’ve committed during my life: And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev 12:10)

Then my Advocate appeared, my mediator, my umpire, Jesus Christ the Righteous: And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

Jesus said to the Father, “These accusations are all true. But I ransomed him with My blood: And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. (Rev 5:9)  AND In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

My Mediator continued, “Richard confessed his sins when we first met, and with each new offense he brought them in humble confession to the foot of My cross”: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Again, my Advocate continued my defense: “He has faithfully followed and served Me these many years. And, Father, You promised I would not lose any whom You have given Me:” If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26) AND And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. (John 6:39)

And then the Judge said, “I hereby pardon you of all counts for the sake of my son, Jesus:” But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole . . . and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6) and There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Christian, listen! You HAVE an advocate with the Father. You will NEED that advocate because your sins would have put you on the wrong side of eternity when you eventually stood before the Sovereign, omnipotent and omniscient Judge.

Many of you know the lyrics to this familiar hymn: A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.

To overcome the supernatural devil, we MUST use supernatural weapons – “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Ephesians 6:12-13

I didn’t cite the rest of that passage in Ephesians six, wherein the apostle Paul writes further of those spiritual weapons. I urge you to read that section for yourself. It is important you do so – and more important, that you apply and use those weapons.

But let me now, as I bring this message to a close, let me now address you who are not yet a child of God through your faith and trust and obedience to Jesus:

You CAN have an advocate with the Father. You will surely NEED that advocate because your sins will put you on the wrong side of eternity when you eventually stand before the Sovereign, omnipotent and omniscient Judge.

I hope that frightens you. I hope it frightens you to the point that you wake up. Your time in this life is short. It could be over before you go to bed tonight. I am 70 years old and it seems to me only a few months when I was 30, or even 20. It seems like only a few months.

The Holy and Righteous God does not want anyone to perish and spend eternity in that Lake of Fire. He wants no one to be in that place He prepared specifically for the devil and his demons.  But you will go there if you choose to reject God’s offer of forgiveness available only through the blood of Jesus, Jesus who died to pay the penalty for your sins.

“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:7-10)

Let me close with this 19th century hymn. Please meditate on these

lyrics which are rooted in Scripture:

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.  

There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r In the blood of the Lamb;  There is pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? There’s pow’r in the blood, pow’r in the blood; Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow; There’s wonderful pow’r in the blood.

Job begged for an advocate, someone to bring him together with God. Jesus is my only advocate with the Father. I received Him on December 25, 1972 when I confessed to Him my sins and was later baptized into His family.

Is Jesus Christ YOUR advocate? If you have never done so, you can do so now – receive Him through confession and the waters of baptism. And you will be able to stand with confidence before the eternal and most holy Judge.

Either Jesus is or He is Not the Only Way

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/pope-francis-doesnt-understand-islam?utm_content=bufferc04ef&fbclid=IwAR2rE7JyEq9BXbTvn8ix34TcHaE1Aq8bOvPq1mUqpE3aL2G_2FbIHOc5rzo   

The pope is probably the reason Nancy and I have been hearing, with increasing frequency, how Muslims are one with Christians because we share Abraham.

Sheeesh! That is the kind of heresy you get when you ignore Scripture. For example, Acts 4:12. John 14:6. Oh, and then there are texts such as the entire ninth chapter of Romans wherein St Paul describes that neither Jews (from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob) nor Muslims from Abraham (and Hagar) are 'saved' simply because they trace their physical life back to Abraham. I mean, St. Paul would have chosen to be accursed of God if it would mean the salvation of his kinsfolk according to the flesh. (See Romans chapters 9-11)

Oh, and then there is the entire 8th chapter of John's gospel . . . and the first chapter of Galatians, and . . . . well, why go on? 

Does no clergy, even in the highest quarters, read scripture anymore? Or believe it?

It was the same St Paul who wrote in Romans 8 that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ DO NOT BELONG to Christ. Meaning, they are NOT saved. And Peter told the religious Jews of his day that without Messiah Jesus, they were all condemned (Acts chapters 3 and 4). And St. Stephen said the same thing in Acts 7 -- and he got stoned for being politically incorrect.

But if we have men of the cloth teaching that Jews and Muslims do not need to be evangelized to Messiah Jesus in order for them to be saved, then those clergy do the devil's work to ensure those groups do not hear the gospel, which is the ONLY way for them to be saved -- at least, if you believe what Jesus said and the apostles wrote. But then, that might be a cause to accuse someone of 'proof-texting" (Oh, yes, I have been accused of that many times before. I might show them multiple CHAPTERS of scripture, but if it doesn't fit their heretical theology, then I am proof-texting).

Yes, I am angry. People -- MILLIONS of people are heading toward hell, and the ONLY people who have the ONLY answer are too busy doing their own proof-texting to be politically correct. Tell me who among the wonderful Saints of our Church taught that Jesus is NOT the only way for anyone to be saved? St. Francis? St. Athanasius? St. Jerome? St. Catherine of Sienna? St. Therese of Liseux? St. Augustine? St. Therese of Avila? Tell me, who?

God help those today who choose to be politically correct, rather than bring people the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Nobodies Telling Everybody

Sermon July 12

Nobodies Telling Everybody

 The following is the edited text of the sermon I prerecorded for view on Sunday, July 12. I usually post the message a day early. Or, you can watch the recorded message on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tp2WjvnwpU&t=8s 

Nobodies Telling Everybody

by Richard Maffeo

 Before I get into the meat of my message, let me tell you about two people I know from my ministry at a few 55+ communities where I have held Bible studies each week for the last several years. I have changed a few of the facts to protect the privacy of the people involved.

The first is an 85 year-old-man. He is a gentle soul. Over the past few years, dementia began to settle over his mind and he often got lost in the facility trying to find our Bible study in one of the rooms provided for us.

It’s always been clear to me that he loves the Lord Jesus. It is also evident that his history of a relationship with Jesus Christ sustains him in the fog of his dementia. Unfortunately, because of his increasing confusion, his family had to recently move him to a higher level of care.

The other person lives in a different facility where I hold Bible studies. She’s in her early 80s. She’s a nice person, and I enjoyed talking with her whenever we were able to sit and talk before the COVID lockdown.

But unlike the man I just told you about, this lady didn’t have time for Christ. She made it clear to me on several occasions. She was content with her life without Jesus. And then the day came when her family had to move her to a higher level of care because of her worsening dementia. I can now only pray for her, that God will somehow illuminate Himself even in her darkening confusion.

Those two people serve as a backdrop to the theme of my message today, the title of which is, “Nobodies Telling Everybody.” My primary text comes from Isaiah chapter six:

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” . . . .Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

  

What do we know about Isaiah? Not much, except he was a nobody in the history of Israel until he responded to the Lord’s call with, “Here I am. Send me.”

And I assure you, a degree in theology is NOT a prerequisite to make disciples and co-labor with Christ to save people from eternal death. Let me give you a few examples of this point. You may remember the story of the demoniac in Mark chapter five. After Jesus cast out the demons, the townsfolk begged Jesus to leave their city. As the Lord got ready to go, the formerly demon-possessed man begged that he might go with Jesus. But the Lord said this to him (verse 19):

“Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” Yes, the nobodies called to tell everybody about the Somebody who can save their souls. 

Think for a moment, who were Jesus’ disciples – not just the 12, but all those who followed Jesus. They were all virtually unknown in their communities. They were day-laborers, what we’d call blue collar workers. Some were prostitutes and beggars. Some were fishermen. One was a hated tax collector. 

They were nobodies.

But let me give you only a few more Biblical illustrations of former nobodies. First there is Elijah. James tells us Elijah was a man with a frail human nature just like ours – but a frail man nonetheless committed to our supernatural God. (James 5:17). You may remember it was he whom God called to Mount Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal. They had the full support of the godless government run by Queen Jezebel and King Ahab. (1 Kings 18)

But Elijah was not ashamed of the gospel. The former ‘nobody’ had a calling from God to proclaim the good news – the gospel of the Lord God. But after the great miracle God worked on Mt Carmel before his eyes, what did Elijah do when Jezebel threatened his life? He ran in fear for his life. Yes, Elijah was a man with a frail human nature, just like ours.

What about Peter the Fisherman?  He too was just a nobody before he obeyed God’s call to be a fisher of men. Peter clearly had his faults, one of which was the thrice denial of his best friend and Lord. Another was his hypocrisy of which the apostle Paul publicly accused him. (Galatians chapter 2).

And speaking of Paul, while he himself was certainly not a ‘nobody’ in his Jewish culture, he also had his share of human frailties that didn’t end after he met Christ. You may remember he confessed in his letter to the Christians at Rome how wretched a sinner he was – doing what he didn’t want to do, and not doing what he wanted to do. And then there was that thorn in his flesh – what it was no one knows – but it dogged him until the day of his death.

We could spend two college semesters looking into the lives of so-called ‘nobodies’ throughout church history who turned their world upside down for Jesus, like Augustine of Hippo, Francis of Assisi, John Wycliff, George Mueller, John Newton, William Wilberforce – all former ‘nobodies’ who simply said “Yes” to God’s call to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Nobodies just like you and me – who can do great things for God according to His will.

As I prepared this message I thought of the song by the Christian group, Casting Crowns. Here are some of the lyrics of their song titled: “Nobody”:

“Why You ever chose me/Has always been a mystery.
All my life I've been told I belong at the end of the line
With all the other Not-Quotes/With all the Never-Get-It-Rights
But it turns out they're the ones You've been looking for all this time

“'Cause I'm just a nobody/Trying to tell everybody/All about Somebody who saved my soul.
Ever since You rescued me/You gave my heart a song to sing
I'm living for the world to see/Nobody but Jesus
I'm living for the world to see/Nobody but Jesus

We tend to put people like Elijah and Isaiah and Peter and Paul on pedestals. We tend to think we could never be so valuable to God’s kingdom. That is a terrible mistake if we think that.

Those men certainly deserve our respect, even our emulation. But to place them on pedestals, to suggest they were super-Christians is something for which I am certain they themselves would rebuke us. Their spiritual strength rested squarely and exclusively on the Rock of Christ – just as yours and mine must always rest.

And so in our current culture where the gospel is mocked – and with increasing frequency Christians are finding themselves on the wrong end of political correctness when they proclaim God’s truths which contradict the culture’s version of truth – in this current culture, God help us to never be ashamed of the gospel, to never compromise the gospel, to never dilute the gospel, because the gospel of Christ is the ONLY power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jews and to the non-Jews. There is no other name under heaven given we are by we must be saved.

The year 2020 is not a time for Christians to bury our heads. The night is rapidly descending when no one will be able to work openly for Christ.

Let me now take us back to healed demoniac to whom Jesus said, “Return to your people and tell them what great things God has done for you.”

So, ‘Nobody,’ what has Christ done for you? And how can you share Him with others? Here are three Biblically rooted strategies to make disciples of all nations.

First, the gospel message is more than talked. It is JUST as importantly walked.  Does our walk match our talk? Are we guilty of gossip, of complaining, of unforgiveness, bitterness, and godless joking? Do we compromise our lifestyle to be accepted by family, friends, or acquaintances? Do we toy with sinful looks and fantasies? Are we silent in the face of sin – and with our silence give tacit approval of sin?  Do we VOTE for politicians who promote and support laws and policies that would cause Jesus to publicly rebuke us?

If so, if our walk contradicts our talk, then we know what we must do.

The second strategy involves talking the gospel. Do your friends and acquaintances know you attend church or Mass? Do they ever hear you talk of your faith in Jesus? Do they even know you are a Christian? Are you silent when you should speak, and do you speak when you should be silent? Do you seek the approval of friends over the approval of your Savior?

If you gave the wrong answer to those questions – and you know the right answers – they you know what you have to do.

And thirdly – and I will call this strategy the most important strategy: Do not think lightly of the power of prayer. Neither walking nor talking can accomplish much if the much is not undergirded with prayer. And it is on this most important point that I want to spend as much time as I can, considering we are now almost out of time. Here is only a small smattering of examples of the value the Lord Jesus and the apostles gave to prayer.  

Jesus spent very much time in prayer throughout His ministry. Of the dozens of examples, we have time to cite only a very few references, such as Matthew 14:23, Luke 5:16 and Luke 6:12. And He taught His disciples to pray – for example, Matthew 6. And Jesus taught them the value of patience in prayer (Luke 18). 

St. Paul was certainly a man of prayer. A cursory reading of his epistles demonstrates how often he prayed for those to whom he ministered. And he often sought the prayers of others, for example, 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers . . . .” 

Listen, my Christian brothers and sisters, NO ONE is impotent who serves our omnipotent God. Never, ever think prayer is a ‘small thing.’ Remember what God did with two fish and few loaves of bread.  

If all you can do -- ESPECIALLY because of health or circumstances – if all you think you can do is pray – oh, my!  Are you kidding? What do you think undergirds ALL the fruitful activities of any evangelist or missionary or pastor or teacher in their proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ? What power on earth can defend our family, our friends, our nation, our church from the supernatural assaults of the devil?  

Nothing supports, nothing upholds, nothing undergirds the supernatural work of God in the lives of others like the prayers of His people.  

Do you have a prayer list? If not, make one. Sit down with a pen and some paper and ask the Holy Spirit who you can pray for. In a few minutes you will need to find some more paper.  

Do you fast? Nearly everyone can fast a meal and use that time to pray. Now let me quickly say this before I continue: some of you have medical conditions, such as diabetes, where fasting a meal can be very dangerous to your health and even to your life. If you have health problems that make fasting dangerous, you should NOT fast.  

But for those for whom fasting would not be dangerous or harmful, then why not fast a meal from time to time and spend that time in prayer?  Let me give you an example of what I mean. It usually takes me 10-15 minutes to prepare and then eat breakfast in the morning. On days that I feel I want to fast and pray, I spend an extra 10-15 minutes in prayer, instead of eating.  

Most people on earth do not have a clue that we are all embroiled in a fierce and deadly supernatural war – a war for our eternal souls. And the weapons of our warfare are not of human strength but are of God’s supernatural power. Paul talks of that power in 2 Corinthians 10 and Ephesians chapter six. We cannot turn there now, but I urge you to examine those divine instructions on your own.  

Remember the two people I spoke of at the beginning of my message? It is people like them for whom Jesus died. And our God has privileged every Christian – of whatever role or age or status in life – God has given us the privilege to work with Him to save others from a life of heartache brought on by sin, and to save them from an eternal agony in the Lake of Fire.  

He has privileged us to walk and talk and pray that others will choose to follow Jesus – before death or dementia robs them of that choice.  

What has Jesus done for you? Will you tell others? Will you seek to better walk the talk?  

And most importantly, will you pray?