Pastor Bill Volpe
12-27-09
Good morning and welcome to the edge of another new year; how time flies. It seems like we were just worrying about Y2K and now we're saying why 2k? It came and went. That's the way things are, we trust God and live everyday and somehow he brings us to the place we are and he's faithful and good. We go through life in clips of time; seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, years, and decades, in which we just finished one. I'm thankful this morning that through all of that, God is outside of time and he's eternal. Although He entered into history through Christ, he sits above and beyond time. He's faithful and outside the limitations that we live under. But we use time, dates and seasons as a gauge to mark off the moments of our lives in a meaningful way.
So the coming year for us is a new beginning; it's a fresh start. As Pastor Marvin says, "Everyday the mercies of the Lord are new". We really don't go through time like God does but we can have a fresh start and I'm thankful for that. By the time the new year is barely underway I have a feeling that we're going to track some mud right through it, so it's not going to stay fresh and new long but I'm grateful for God's mercy and his grace.
I was thinking about His grace the other day and how God blesses us today in the present even though he knows that tomorrow or down the road we're going to mess up. Isn't that amazing? If you knew that I was going to stab you in the back or hurt you in some way next week, would you have me over for dinner today? I don't know if you would. But God is like that, he loves us and treats us in ways that we don't even fully understand. I'm thankful that although 2010 is going to be a great year hopefully, it's going to be a year where we need his grace and he will be there to bless us, hold us and keep us.
I want to encourage you for the new year a little bit. My son, Andrew, who was here in the first service, when he was in the second grade I picked him up at school, at Central Christian Academy. He got in the car, looked at me, and said, "Dad, do you know why President Clinton is in so much trouble? This was during the Lewinsky/Clinton scandal that you remember. I thought, "This is going to be good". He said, "My teacher told us why President Clinton is in so much trouble. It's because he won't let God be his boss. I think how many times I've gotten in trouble because I wouldn't let God be my boss. You probably know what I'm talking about. Today, I want to send you into 2010 with the idea that it will be a blessed and remarkable year for you if you'll let God be your boss everyday.
Look with me in Matthew 6:33, "Jesus said, but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well". These words of Jesus follow a discourse on how his followers are to carry out our acts of righteousness. He talks about giving to the poor, prayer and fasting which are all very important things; the motive and the mindset we should have and how we should view the acquiring of stuff, earthly treasures, things that we want and the staples of earthly life, like food and clothing. He sums up this teaching with a command to seek first God's kingdom and God's righteousness. If we do, then these other things that we get all crazy about are going to be taken care of. It sounds pretty simple doesn't it? Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything will be fine. It sounds easy but it isn't always so easy to do.
Jesus tells us here that there are two things that he wants us to do and that we're to be seeking first above all else; that's God's Kingdom and God's righteousness. We need to be careful that we don't spin Matthew 6:33 backwards and try to turn it into a formula for getting what we want. How many have ever heard the acrostic "wifm"? State Farm says, ""What's in it for me"? They present the insurance so people know what's in it for them. That's not the idea that God has in Matthew 6:33. The idea is not that in order to get what I want I have to seek God's Kingdom and His righteousness but I seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness with the goal of getting His Kingdom and His righteousness. What a great idea. That's why I like how the NIV reads, "All these things will be given to you as well". In other words, "as well as the Kingdom and His righteousness". These are the things that we're after.
What is the act of seeking? What is it that I'm actually trying to find? How does it play out in my everyday living? To seek means "to be about or to desire". We're not looking for something that is lost or hidden, that we have to struggle to find or uncover. Actually we're to be about the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; to desire these things for ourselves above all other options and opportunities available. It's something that we do everyday, like getting up, getting dressed and eating breakfast; going to work or school and taking care of the kids. We don't find the Kingdom of God and that's it. The Kingdom of God is what we are about and we continually desire it above everything else, everyday.
Seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is a spiritual attitude we live with. It's a position that we take concerning God and His presence in us and how that plays out or how it results in our worship and in our living. So to widdle it down to "Wifm" or "What's in it for me", is to miss the entire message of what Jesus is challenging us with. He's challenging us to be about God's Kingdom and God's righteousness. If we do then all the other stuff that most people are chasing, kicking and living for, are going to fall into our laps without struggle as God wills us to have those things.
We find that Jesus said in verse 32, "For the pagans run after these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them". There is great peace in that. If God knows what I need then I don't have to worry about it. I don't have to fear or fret, I just have to do what he asks. So don't run after these things but run after my Father's Kingdom and righteousness and He'll take care of these things for you. That is Matthew 6:33.
Seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness sounds great but what does it mean? What am I attempting to be about or to desire? The Kingdom of God is mentioned all through the Bible and to fully develop the meaning of God's Kingdom would take years of teaching. So to simplify it within the context of this verse or to bring it down to where we live so we can take it to work tomorrow or be about it in our homes and families, I want to share this definition with you. The Kingdom of God, as it sits here in Matthew 6:33, is the range of God's effective will. That's one of the best descriptions I've heard. Really what that means, to really bring it home and simplify it, means what God wants done is done. The Kingdom of God in us is where what God wants done is done. That's something I can grab hold of. I can do an internal and external examination of myself and I can ask God and ask myself, "Is my life a place where what God wants done is done"? Ask yourself that, "Am I about God's Kingdom"? From the words of Andrew's 2nd grade teacher, "Am I letting God be my boss"?
It's the humble act of surrendering the drivers seat for the Lord. Jesus, take the wheel because I can't drive very well and I don't know where to go, and even if I did I'd make a lot of wrong turns and unnecessary stops. I found it's not in my human nature to surrender control. I like to hold on to control and to think I'm in charge and I have the wheel and know where I'm going. But it's in my best interest and in your best interest to give control to God as He gives us peace in conflict, peace that passes all understanding. It doesn't mean we're not going to have struggles or trials but through those times we have peace.
I remember when I was a kid and we would be driving to Grandma's around this time of year. Sometimes we'd be driving home from those holiday visits and it would be late at night. We kids played all day with our cousins and we're tired and as soon as we get in the car, pretty soon we're drifting off and sleeping. Why could I do that? I could do that because I knew that my Dad was at the wheel and my dad is never going to make a mistake at the wheel, we're safe. That's how it is with the Lord, if we will turn over that wheel to Him we don't have to worry; we can rest and have peace. The Bible says here in this chapter that we're going to have supply and our needs are going to be met; maybe not everything we want but we don't have to worry about what we're going to wear or eat because God is going to supply that for us if we will seek His Kingdom and His righteousness. Then we have His grace, His benevolence, His undeserved mercy, and forgiveness in failure when we seek Him.
So the question is, why don't we always let God be boss? I think one reason we don't is because of pride; I want to be in charge of my own life and take credit for my own life. I want to do it my way. If it's meant to be, it's up to me, that's the saying. But is that true with God? How we need God, it's not just up to us. We can't just take credit for our own life. Some people want to say, "I did it, I worked hard and built that business. I created that wonderful home and decorated that house and it's all because of my efforts". But in God's eternal economy we have to look to Him. It's not a matter of pride and wanting to be in charge but we surrender.
The other thing we do is compartmentalize. We say, "God can have control here and here but I'm going to hang on to these other areas of my life. I'm going to be in charge here". But I've got to tell you that you won't be in charge, it's not going to work. We can't break it down like that. So pride is one reason why we don't hand the wheel over to God. Another reason is fear. We're afraid that maybe God will lead us where we don't want to go. Ever been there? Have you ever said, "I don't want to do what God wants me to do" so we don't surrender to Him? There are times when God may take us where we don't want to go but if we let Him take us there we're going to find that he knows what he's doing and he's going to bless us.
Another reason why we might be afraid to give God the wheel and let Him be the boss allowing Him to have total control in our lives is maybe one or more times in our life we followed the Lord where He led and all hell broke loose. Ever had that happen? You follow the Lord where He wants you to go and everything goes wrong. God says "Go right" and you obey and go right and as soon as you made that right turn and went around that next bend everything was shot and you stand there wondering what in the world is going on? I'm following the Lord and doing my best and he leads me right into this damage. The prophet Jeremiah followed God right into stocks and a pit. In Jeremiah 20:7, Jeremiah lashes out in anguish at God and says, "Oh Lord, you deceived me and I was deceived. You overpowered me and prevailed. I have been ridiculed all day long, everyone mocks me".
Here's a man that did exactly what God wanted him to do and it doesn't work out the way he thought. He cries out to God and says, "What are you doing? Why am I here in this pit? I thought it was going to be different than this". We don't worship and serve God in a vacuum all to ourselves, there are other people around us; other people that make choices and decisions that affect us sometimes. So Jeremiah cries out to God. I want to tell you that overcoming an experience like this can be challenging. Maybe you're sitting here this morning and have been holding back. You've been keeping the wheel to yourself, not letting God take charge of your life because maybe you feel He led you somewhere at some time that didn't turn out like you thought it should and you haven't been submissive to him. You hear what the preacher says every Sunday and shake your head thinking, "Yeah, that's not how it worked for me, Pastor". We pastor's also know that that's not always how it works. When God takes us to places that we don't understand and we cry out, I have good news for you, he can handle our passionate outbursts toward him. He'd rather have that than have cold indifference or the hardening of our heart where we turn our backs on him and say, "I don't care, God and I'm not going to listen to you anymore". He'd rather hear what we have to say and allow us to share our grief and our anguish than to just turn away from Him in anger.
Think about Job, how he in anguish let his emotions fly and his feelings go. God understood where he was at and even led him to where he was at. All through the Psalms the Psalmist cried out, "God, why? Where are you? How long, O God? How long until you come through? Why is this happening? But God never left Job and he never left the Psalmist and he never leaves us. Even Jesus himself when he was in the garden, He let God do what he wanted to do and led him to the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed with sweat drops of blood, "Take this cup from me but not my will, your will be done". Then it led Jesus to the cross where he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus didn't say that just so he could quote Old Testament scripture. His heart was in anguish. He was broken over the sins that he was dying for and he felt alone. He cried out to God, "Why? Where are you God? I'm doing what you asked, why have you forsaken me?" Is that passion? Absolutely. Is it indifference? No, there was never more love expressed in all of mankind's history then there was on that day on that cross. Jesus knew why he was there but he still shared his anguish with God.
Maybe God will take you to the valley of the shadow of death. Maybe this morning you're in that valley and you've been second guessing God's leadership and rule over your life. The Psalmist proclaims, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me". It's his presence that makes the difference in the valley, knowing that He's with us; It's not that everything is perfect and everything is the way we think it should be. Sometimes God doesn't act the way we think he's supposed to but if we will humble ourselves and just recognize that He's with us there and that He's going to shepherd us through, we're going to reach the other side to the mountaintop again. Even if it's not in this life but in the life to come we can make it through because He's with us.
In Lamentations 3, I want to share with you how Jeremiah came through that passionate outburst. He says in verse 17, "I have been deprived of peace. I have forgotten what prosperity is so I say my splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord. I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for him".
Maybe this morning that's where you are. Maybe you're in a place where you're waiting. Some of us have been waiting for years but don't stop looking to the Lord for your hope. He'll never leave you and never forsake you. Maybe you made a right turn when God said to go right. Maybe you're where you are because you obeyed but he loves you and he's with you and he's going to bring you through. Does letting God be our boss mean that He's going to instruct us in every single decision that we make? We're standing there in Publix at the toothpaste aisle, what's it going to be? Crest, Colgate or Pepsodent? I don't think that's the way God runs our lives. I'm thankful that God gives us freedom.
He gives us his word and his divine principles and commands. He gives us his wisdom and expects us to ingest that, to put it in us and to feed upon it and then He allows us to make wise decisions based upon the principals of his word. So He's not going to tell you everything to do. We have some people in the church that say, "God told me that I was supposed to turn right on my way to church today instead of going left and when I did I got a ticket, I don't understand it". We have people that live their spiritual lives like that and I don't believe that's the way God intends for us to live. He wants us to have freedom to live in this life according to his word and allow him to lead us lovingly and allow his rule to be the principal of our lives. But He gives us freedom to make decisions for our families, for our jobs and for ourselves, using Godly wisdom, all the while acknowledging that we need his guidance and his presence, and that we never get to the place where we think we can decide without him. We don't ever want to put him in a box to where we think he can't tell us what toothpaste we ought to buy. Maybe sometime in your life he might tell you to buy the Colgate, you might find out that the Crest people laced their toothpaste with poison that month. We don't want to box God in but we don't want to think that in every decision that we make he's going to tell us what to do.
In being about God's Kingdom is to be in a place where what God wants done is done. If we desire that above our own will he's going to respond with his loving leadership and that will mean provision and success for us. So what is that God wants done? We have his word that's filled with his will for us. For most of us it's not so hard to read the Bible but many times it's hard to do his will. Lets look at seeking first God's righteousness because this is where we put into practice what God wants done. The first thing about God's righteousness is that his righteousness is not self righteousness. Jesus said, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven". So what was the problem with the righteousness of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees? Their righteousness was self motivated and self centered. It was to be seen of men and considered to be spiritual in the eyes of others. Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, "be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do you will have no reward from your Father in Heaven". So Jesus is talking about a heart attitude here, our motivation that comes from our heart. Why we do what we do?
There's nothing wrong with praying, theres nothing wrong with fasting or giving to the needs of others for these are things that we're commanded to do. But what is the reason why we do it? The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were doing those things to be seen of men and to be praised of men; to be told what great men of God they were and how spiritual and wonderful they were. That's not what God wants us to do. He wants us to do what we do for him out of hearts of humility, love and compassion for others, not just to be seen of men. He talks about giving to the needy and not praying out in the open place where people can see us and hear what great prayers we pray; or fasting and putting on that drawn face and someone comes up to you and says, "Hey, you don't look too good today and you say, "That's because I'm fasting". We're to do what we do because we love God and we love others.
I work for Steve and we talk a lot when we're on the road. I work for him and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I was down on 45th and Military cleaning up in the Southwind Plaza the day after Thanksgiving. It was cold that day and I had a sweatshirt on. It was early in the morning and the sun was just coming up and I'm pretty much there all by myself. Suddenly this guy starts walking right towards me and he's taking off his hoodie. He's walking right towards me and I'm wondering what's going to happen here. Then he just walks right past me and he goes into a cove area between the wall and the plaza. I look over and there's a homeless man and he's standing there shivering and shaking. This guy gives him his hoodie and that man put it on and just walked away. I took about 3 steps and started to cry. I thought, if that's not a picture of Jesus' love then I don't know what is. That was the 45th Street samaritan over there. You know, he didn't do that to be seen of anyone. He didn't do that so somebody could say how great he was; he just wanted to help somebody in need and hurting.
I also deliver Pizza for Dominoes and I was off of Prosperity Farms Road one evening taking a delivery to a mobile home. I took the pizza to the address on the slip and when I got there, the guy met me at the door and said, "I don't want the pizza, it's for my neighbor over there. Please take it over there and don't tell him who it's from. I just want to bless them". So I walked over to the neighbor's and a kid opened the door and looked at me kind of weird and said, "We didn't order any pizza". I said, "I know but somebody wanted you to have this". He got so excited. This man wasn't doing it to receive praise, he was just acting in love towards his neighbor.
We don't always need a church organized program to let God use us and to let our love be shown to others. God can do that if we'll allow him. God's righteousness is not self righteousness. God's righteousness is God motivated and others centered. It's based upon our love for God and others and it begins with a heart that wants to please God which will flesh out in ministering to others.
There are two things that are first on God's agenda; love him and love others. Then there are the last two things on God's agenda: love him and love others. Actually, those are the only two things on God's agenda. If we can do that, if we can love him and love others then we'll be allowing him to be our Lord and be our boss. Luke 10:27 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself".
Now how do we love our neighbor as ourself? First of all, who is your neighbor? Your neighbor is anyone you come across with a need that you have the capacity to help; a homeless man on 45th Street, a family next door that needs pizza, somebody you bump into along the way, somebody at church that you hear has a need. That's who your neighbor is. It says we're to love our neighbor as we love ourself. How do we love ourself? If I'm going to love you the way that I'm supposed to love myself, how do I love myself? The way we love ourselves is that we love ourselves in spite of ourselves. We love ourselves even though we know we have many flaws, sins and weaknesses. We make mistakes. Sometimes we wake up in the morning and we wonder how we're even going to get a presentable self out the front door. But we still do it, we still take care of ourselves and look out for our best interest. That's what Jesus is saying, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself". As unlovable as I am many times, that's how I'm supposed to love the unlovable people around me.
I've discovered that church people who make it a habit of monitoring the actions of everyone else, the pew police, are usually operating out of self rigteousness. I regret saying it but there have been times where I have received more grace from unbelievers than I've received from some brother or sister in Christ. That should never be the case. We live in a world where we need each other in here so that we can go out there and present Christ. We need one another's love and support and concern. If we're not loving each other in here then we're in big trouble so we need to stand for one another. The Bible says in Romans 14:4, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand".
So God's righteousness comes out of a heart for Him and a motivation for God and for others. Secondly, God's righteousness begins and ends with Jesus. How do you spell Religion? Somebody said you spell religion "D.O", do this and do that. How do you spell Christianity? "D.O.N.E". It's been done for us. Here's why they call it the good news. It says in Romans 3:21, "But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight, not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the scriptures long ago". We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Christ to take away our sins and we all can be saved in this same way no matter who we are or what we've done. For all have sinned and fall short of God's glorious standard yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He's done this through Christ Jesus who has freed us by taking away our sins for God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us.
We're made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times and he's entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because thy believe in Jesus. Can we boast then that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds, it's based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. D.O.N.E, I'm thankful this morning for that wonderful news, the good news of the gospel of Christ. I'm thankful because His righteousness has been imputed into me, that I can walk in His righteousness and I can be His child and find his blessing.
This is from the writing of Dallas Willard. He writes, "The planet earth and its immediate surroundings seem to be the only place in creation where God permits his will not to be done. Therefore we pray, "Thy Kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven". We hope for the time when that Kingdom will be completely fulfilled even here on earth where in fact it is already present and is available to those who seek it with all their heart; For those who do so seek and find it in Christ. It is true even now, that all things work together for our good and that nothing can cut us off from God's inseparable love and effective care. That's the nature of life in the Kingom of the heavens now.
So lets step into 2010 with Matthew 6:33 right in our breast pocket, on our minds and in our hearts. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well". Will you let God be your boss this year? Throughout the days of this year, let his kingdom and his righteousness be found in and through you.
Dear Lord, we thank you today for your word. We thank you Jesus, that you take your word and plant it in our hearts. Lord, you've given us your Holy Spirit to enable us to walk according to your word. This morning, Lord, I ask you, starting right here with me that we would find it in our hearts to seek you above all else; that we would seek your Kingdom and that what God wants done in us will be done in us this year. And Lord, that we would walk in your righteousness and that we would love you and love others above all else; that we would put you first and find ways to love others as we love ourselves.
God, I pray that you would touch that person this morning who may be struggling, that one who maybe has questions in their heart, maybe has turned right when you said to turn right and everything went wrong and they've been holding back. I pray this morning that they will let go and that they'll receive you, Lord, and your will for them. God, bless this church, bless our Pastor, bless the endeavors that you've laid on his heart for this church in the coming year. May it be a great year here at Harvest Community; may this body grow and be blessed. We give you thanks and praise, honor and glory for all these things, amen.
