Why Church?
September 13, 2009
Pastor Ben Fleming
Acts 2:42-47
Welcome today to church. Today is national Back to Church Sunday. It is also Grandparents Day. I want to welcome you and I am glad you are hear – welcome. Please stay afterwards for a fellowship time. Vickie has provided us with some nice treats. Many feel like the church today is not working any more. Some of you might feel like that even though this is your church family. They are sick and tired of its failings – most churches are not growing and most young people leave the church when they leave high school. People have said that the church is hypocritical, anti-women, anti gay, closed minded and too political. Some say the church is just another club, it is legalistic, oppressive and hurtful. Many think the church is phony when they hear time and time again of national church figure in the news with some kind of a scandal. The thought is, “If that is the church – I want no part of it.” Many are saying “I believe in God and Jesus – but not the church.” Many of these reasons are true but I want to convince you today that there is no reason for some one to dump the church.
The bible says in 1 Corinthians 3, that the church is God’s building and Jesus Christ is its foundation. So, you will never find a superstructure without a solid foundation. No one ever lays a foundation unless they plan to build on it. Who wants to live in a basement without the rest of the house on top of it. In Ephesians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul writes about the image of the church as a husband and a wife. He says Christ loves the church, gave Himself up for her, and makes her beautiful. The church submits to Christ, grows in beauty before Him and obeys His commands. A husband and wife are one – they are inseparable. Any husband worth the paper of his marriage license will be jealous to guard the good name of his wife. She may be a lying – good for nothing – double crossing poor excuse of a wife – but if she is your wife – you’ll protect and her honor, whatever may be left of her……. Woe to your friend who comes to your house to hang out and have a good time and yet all the time he is there he is getting digs into your wife – rolls his eyes at her and sighs every time she walks into the room. Many – inside of the church and outside of the church think that Jesus wants friends like that. They are rolling their eyes and sighing over the church.
The bible also tells us that the church is the body of Christ, with Jesus Himself at its head. Everybody needs a head to rule over it – to give it direction and purpose and to instruct it in the way it should go – to hold things together and give life to its members. Every head needs a body. Today – spirituality is a hot topic – religion is not – having community is hip but the church is lame. People like Jesus but not the church. Even those who were in the church at one time are being told they can do fine with God apart from the church. Today, I want to do a short study of a section of the bible that gives us a description of the early church and what they were doing --- I want you to hear a testimony from someone about why they came back to church and then I want to give you several points why people are coming back to church. Since we believe the bible is God’s Word and the bible tells us to fear God one of the traditions we do almost every Sunday is to read the bible out loud for all to hear and we stand when we do it as a demonstration of our fear or reverence for God’s Word. Turn to the book of Acts chapter 2. It is found in the New Testament. Matthew – Mark – Luke – John – Acts. By the way, if you can not find something in the bible – you can always go to the table of contents and get the page number…………
Stand as we read: Acts 2:42 - 47 42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ----- PRAYER
EXPLAIN: The medical doctor Luke is recording for us a historical account of the beginning of the early church. The book of Acts is historically written. So, when you read the book of Acts you should read it as descriptive instead of prescriptive. It is describing what happened in the early church and from that description we can learn from it but it does not tell us that this is what must happen in the church now. The only religious building there was at the time was the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. (PHOTO) Early Christians would often gather in the courts surrounding the Temple. (BLANK) History tell us that there was no Christian church building for 300 years after this event that Luke describes for us. The new Christians met in homes – they did so because their faith was illegal and it was not until Constantine decriminalized Christianity did church buildings begin to be built.
When Peter began to speak to the people in verses 38, he told them to repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off.” Those same words include you and me. The imperative or command in those words has not changed for 2,000 years. People need to repent of their sins and they need the forgiveness of God. That is one of the reasons why you are here today. Some of you have never repented of your sins and you do not have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse 41 – 3,000 people accepted his message – I believe we are given a number so that we can understand that not everyone in Jerusalem who heard Peters words responded. Just like this morning – not everyone in here is going to respond to the words of the bible. What did the early church do? Our text tells us.On your outline:
1. They devoted themselves to four practices. Notice what the bible says about these people. They devoted themselves. Everyone devotes themselves to what they choose. We devote ourselves many times to what we enjoy. We devote ourselves to what really is important to us. A good definition of the word devote would be to give ones time – attention and self to. These followers of Christ devoted themselves to 4 practices – and they did those things together.
* Teaching. There was no New Testament – it has not yet been written -- so the only teaching was what the apostles taught them. They were the ones who had been with Christ and they were the ones who had heard the words from the mouth of Jesus. They also had the Old Testament writings so they would have taught them from those scriptures as well . One of the reasons why the followers of Jesus come together - is for teaching. Look on your outline what the bible commands a pastor to do:
2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” God’s plan is that followers of Jesus are to hear sound teaching from teachers who are going to teach patiently and with careful instruction. 2nd practice the early church did.
* Fellowship. Fellowship is always with other believers in Christ. The fellowship they were devoted to was everyone who had believed the message of Peter. Fellowship meant that they spent time together. It might have meant that they perhaps ate meals together – but it signifies what the church was doing. Paul describes THIS PRACTICE best in Philippians --- ON YOUR OUTLINEPhilippians 2:1 – 2 “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” We try and encourage fellowship by gathering at 5:30 pm on Wed for a potluck before our 6:30 teaching, we have a supper club in homes once a month and at the end of this month we are going to have a mission potluck for Denny and Barb Bock after the service on the 27th. 3rd practice the early church did.
* The Lord’s Supper. Breaking of bread together as believers was the only time Jesus told His followers to remember Him. He said, “Do this in remembrance of me”. The apostle Paul later gives specific instructions on how this breaking of bread was to be done and what it meant. This is why many times we will read from 1 Corinthians 11 where Paul recorded these instructions before the Lord’s Supper is served….
1 Corinthians 11:23 -26 “For I received from the Lord what I passed on to you; The Lord Jesus , on the night He was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you drink eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Besides this being a command from God – he also says that when you take it you are proclaim or shouting out to the world that Jesus Christ died for your sins – He was buried and He rose again on the 3rd day. If you do not believe that you should not take it.
4th practice the church did.
* Prayer. They prayed together. They spent time together in public prayer and they spent time together in prayer with smaller groups of people. Right after Jesus ascended into heaven – His followers got together in a small group and prayed with each other. We see this in Acts 1:14
Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” These were the 4 practices that the early church did. The way it is written tells us that it was done together. And #2
2. The result of that devotion to these four practices led to action. These new believers were being taught and they put into practice what they were hearing. They were the first examples of being a doer of the Word of God instead of just a hearer. Look back at what the result of these practices in their life lead to.
* They met the needs of each other. (Vs.45) “.. they gave to anyone as he had need.” They did not go to other people for help – they came to those in their church family for help. At that time in Jerusalem there was a famine and people were hungry and starving. The Roman government was the occupying force in the land and they did not help the people. As a result of the people being together with one purpose and one faith – they cared for each other. This could be the reason why people on the outside of the church come to the church expecting them to help them when they are in need. I am not saying this is wrong for it is the church that has done the most in our country and around the world to help people in need – not governments. What I am saying is that in a family that is devoted there are going to be family members in need and they ought to find help in their church. 2nd action their devotion caused….
* They faithfully gathered together (Vs. 46a) “every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.” I cannot think of a church that meets everyday of the week in our nation. What this does tell us though is that if a person is really part of a church family the bible clearly says that they faithfully get together with others in that church family. We cannot say that it must be every day but we can say that it has to be more than just once a month or twice in a year. Their devotion caused them to gather faithfully together. 3rd action
* They spent time in each others homes. (Vs.46b) “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.” This could be the theme verse for our supper club. These early Christians spent time in each others homes. They were hospitable. They opened their homes to each other. So – they really knew each other. This what the bible tells us about the early church. Why would someone come back to church today? Why would someone be devoted to a church family in our country today?
David Shipman Testimony
Why come back to church? Or why stay in church? 7 Reasons
1. Specific time with God. It is difficult to live life disconnected from God. Having a regular time with a church family re-centers you every week and helps to open your heart and soul to worship..
2. Community with others who seek God. Regular contact with others who seek out God gives you access to the power of Jesus Christ found in the body of Christ at large.
3. Spiritual growth. Hearing Bible teaching and connecting with truth every week helps you grow in your understanding of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
4. Love and forgiveness. Those in a church family learn to receive and give a relational love not found in any other social setting. Knowing you have forgiveness in Jesus Christ enables you to forgive and show grace to those around you.
5. God’s peace. God’s peace passes all understanding. The more time you spend knowing and experiencing God, the less time you are likely to spend feeling anxious, depressed and angry.
6. Healthier family life. Children and youth who attend church services weekly exhibit fewer behavior problems, and are more likely to have high-quality relationships with their parents.
7. Healthier life balance. You are composed of four elements. The physical – mental – emotional and spiritual. God calls us to love Him with all of these. Insurance companies have found that people who attend church regularly live 5.7 years longer.
Close: During WW 2 Hitler hung German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer said, “The body of Christ, the church makes visible our invisible God. The body of Christ takes up space on earth.” The church is full of faults because it is full of people. You will never find a perfect church. The church is the hope for our nation. The bible promises – “if my people (the church) who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Prayer: Lord God we thank You for the church. Jesus Christ died for the church. He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. Lord – help us to be the church. Help us to love the church. Help us to serve the church. There is someone here today who is not part of your church. They have never come to saving faith in Jesus. They are religious – but they have never called on You to save them to rescue them from your wrath. Lord --- touch them today. Move in their heart today – bring them into Your church. In Jesus name. Amen …. Dismiss Vickie……
INVITE TO STAY AFTER – BOOK GIFT
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Charity Update
This a photo of Charity after her second surgery to place the shunts that drain of the cerebral spinal fluid. She is now leveling out. This is her 4th week at Children's Hospital. Possible discharge was written on the board this week.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Expect a Miracle
September 6, 2009
Compassion and Kindness
Pastor Ben Fleming
2 Corinthians 1: 1-7
Please turn to the book of 2 Corinthians1: 1-7. It is so good to be back with you today. It has been almost 10 years since we have been gone two weeks in a row. I have missed my church family…… I want to thank you for allowing us to be away to be parents to our children who were in need. I want to thank Phil and Dan for speaking for me. I want to thank all of you for praying – for learning to pray and learning to believe God for a miracle and asking others to pray. I believe we have seen and are experiencing miracle after miracle. Something you do not often hear of. I am not going to speak to you today from the gospel of John and next week is Back to Church Sunday where we are going to examine “what is the church” and we are inviting people to come and go back to church. You can join me this coming Saturday at 11:00 am – here – and we are going to walk some streets and pass out these door hangers and invite people to come on Sunday.
I preach to you the Word of God and I believe there are times when I should let you know how the Word of God is real in my own life and circumstances that Cheryl and I walk through – so today is a day like that. I will give you some words from my diary – so please do not be shocked at some of my honesty. Last year on Sunday June 29th I gave a similar message… but it had a different outcome. The scripture verse that God gave me last year during that season of our life was found in
Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” When we heard in January that Ben and Becky were expecting again – that was my expectation – I was looking for those songs of joy - but on Tuesday May 19th at 7:30 pm. Ben called to say that Becky had her 20 week ultra sound. The doctor told them that part of their baby’s brain was outside of her head and that she had no stomach or kidneys, if she survives to birth, she will most likely die.” I thought to myself and wrote in my diary – “The pain and the nightmare begins again.” I started to fast. I wanted to feel the pain of Ben and Becky. I read Isaiah 44:3 the next morning “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants” – I thought to myself as I wrote those words in my diary “surely that verse is not true for my family.” I had slept little that night but as the darkness seemed to close in there were rays of light that began to shine through as I read my bible that morning. I did not know how to pray so I prayed what I thought was right – “Lord would you take my grand daughter and have mercy on Ben and Becky.” It was so strange that we could not be with Ben and Becky – we could not hold them and hug them. With Caleb we were there – we saw their tears and the pain in their eyes. Our chance to be parents who shine our presence is just one of distance. We know we can go to them - but as our son said, “what can we do?” In this situation I knew that we must truly obey and experience the command “be still and know that I am God.”
What do you think and what do feel in times of grief – fear and confusion? When tragedy strikes a family once and then two or three times – people often do not know what to say. We even had people say – “you should not feel that way.” In the beginning we did not pray for healing. Let me tell you why. Job 9:14 -- I hope this gives you some understanding of fear and confusion that some believers feel when a storm strikes them especially again and again. Job writes, “How then can I dispute with Him? How can I find words to argue with God. Though I were innocent, I could not answer Him: I could only plead with my judge for mercy. Even if I summoned Him and He responded, I do not believe He would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm.” We were expecting songs of joy – but the news of May 19th was not joy and we were not going to pray again and expect again and have another storm brought to us by God. C.S. Lewis wrote these words after the death of his wife, “Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?
I spoke to Ben at the end of May for the longest time and he said that he was bitter. I wrote in my diary, “that it made me think and feel that this storm is without the kindness of the Lord. Where is the hand of God? The grief seems to have no beginning steps of healing. I also wrote, “I take a step back with a greater fear of God but in disappointment of the loss of His tenderness”. I read Job and in all the suffering of Job he did not sin – I know I sinned, for I charged God with wrongdoing.
Ben and Becky went to their first appointment with the specialist at the University of Washington. They knew that they might be advised to terminate the pregnancy but Becky said she wanted to carry her baby as far as possible so as to donate the babies organs --- when I heard that, I changed my prayer, and I began to pray that our grand daughter would live so that others would live - but after their visit to the specialist they found out such was not allowed in the medical world. The Sunday before their doctor visit -- Carol Williams had asked Cheryl and I to watch the DVD “How Great Is Our God” - I bought it and sent it to them overnight. Ben said they watched it the night of their appointment. There was a resigned coldness in our kids at this time – they have decided to have an autopsy when the time comes. Doubt and fear seems to be a battle – I ask and think such questions “can Ben and Becky sustain and survive through two tortures? Will they break or will they heal? Why torture them again God? Is this your kindness?
As I continued to read God’s Word, He brought to me encouragement and rebuke in His Word.
Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him.” The second doctor’s visit in June showed a stomach and a kidney – I began to ask God with more faith for a living baby. I began to feel hope. Ben and Becky heard from another doctor that their baby may live, but Ben mentioned how they were afraid to raise a severe and profoundly disabled child.
The next week I spoke with Ben and asked how I could pray for him. He said, - pray for Charity’s healing. Wow – up went my faith – up went my prayers. I was going to pray and believe on the faith of my son. I was going to believe on the belief of my son. I wrote in my diary, “A walk of faith at times is without emotions and affections, it simply takes faithfulness – act – knowing what must be done.” The next week Ben called excited as he told me that the leaders of his church prayed for the healing of Charity – that afternoon they went sailing together on Puget Sound. I began to fast again --- Ben and Becky went to Reedsport Oregon for the weekend. (PHOTO) This was the first time they visited Caleb’s grave since the headstone had been set…………… (BLANK)
Ben and Becky began to prepare to bring a baby home. It seemed like after their visit to the second doctor – there was an expectation in their faith. They changed Caleb’s room to make it more for a girl. In mid August – the date was set for Becky to be induced at the University of Washington. It was not until Friday the 21st that things began to happen ---- waiting did not seem to be any easier for me (PHOTO)-------(BLANK)
I stayed in the waiting room that night and I can still hear the words the nurse spoke at 3:53 am – “she is crying and pink” – it took me awhile – but I said, “My grand daughter is alive.” We were ushered into the room full of medical staff (PHOTO) ----Becky got to hold Charity for a minute but then they took her away to the Neonatal ICU (BLANK) --- (PHOTO) where my son watched over his daughter Charity for 1.5 hours. (BLANK) Later in the waiting room – the specialist doctor they had been seeing all along came and sat down by Cheryl and said – “this is a 1% baby” – Cheryl said to her, “hundreds of Christians have been praying for her” and she said, “I have too”. A bit later nurse Jenny Rose comes into the waiting room and asks if she can pray with us. We felt a divine presence of God that morning. We left to get some rest and were full of joy and thankfulness for the mercy of God. I came back at 1 pm to get Ben as Charity had been taken to Seattle Children’s Hospital where she is now. (PHOTO) we met her new NICU nurses (PHOTO) and later Ben got to lay his hand on his daughter. --- Grandma also got to have Charity hold her finger (PHOTO). ---(Blank) They told us on Sunday that Charity had Dandy Walker Syndrome and her surgery would be on Monday.
My son had fallen in love with his daughter and he would walk through with her whatever lie ahead. On Monday – things changed – she did not have Dandy Walker Syndrome but the medical scans showed the cyst had brain matter in it and blood vessels that would make the surgery extremely difficult and the outcome bleak. They put off the surgery and it seemed like my kids were knocked down again --- but that evening --- they were back up again and expectant and I read the words of Matthew 14:27 “take courage it is I – do not be afraid” and Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” We left Seattle on Tuesday to come home. On Thursday, I was in Lowes when Ben called. Charity’s lungs were doing so well that they wanted to operate the next day. My knees buckled and II sat down on one of the shelves and began calling the people of God and asked them to pray. A man named Roger overhead me asking others to pray and he reached out his hand and he asked if he could pray right then.
On Friday, we waited every hour for Ben’s updates and when the doctor came out at noon and told him that the surgery went much easier than expected – there was little of any brain tissue or blood vessels in the cyst and the bleeding was minimal – we knew again that God had answered the prayers of His people and that another miracle had happened….. She is doing things a normal baby would do – she is in danger of infection and they are still studying her cerebral spinal fluid flow. On Thursday, they discovered that she does have a vermus and cerebellum. There is a lot of unknowns ahead but what we do know for sure is that God has done a real miracle. We began expecting a funeral. We began by not believing. I am now expecting a normal grand daughter. Psalm 126:5 “Those who sows in tears will reap with songs of joy” that is true --- we see it --- we know it and we feel it. God’s Word never lies --- it never lets you down – God’s Word is true in spite of what you believe and in spite of what you feel when you are going through your storm. It does not mean you will not struggle and it does not mean you will not doubt. My new scripture is found in Isaiah 63:7 “I will tell of the kindness of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all that the Lord has done for us, according to His compassion and many kindnesses.” Would you ask me if I have been telling others the kindness and compassion of the Lord in our lives?
What is the compassion of the Lord? Have you experienced the compassion of the Lord in your own life? Can you recognize it? Stand with me as we briefly look at our text……….
2 Corinthians 1:1 - 7 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
Paul is writing to the believes in the church in the city of Corinth --- they were suffering --- they were suffering financially --- -they were suffering physically --- they were being persecuted and Paul wanted to minister to them through this letter. He begins with his usual greeting – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then He ministers to them by reminding them who God is….
Look what he says: “God is the Father of all compassion.” What do you think of when you hear the word compassion?” Is it when someone says --- “I am sorry for you?” Websters dictionary says it is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for ones misfortune. (SLIDE) A biblical definition or meaning of the word would be to love or to be merciful and show kindness.
The word also carries the feelings of emotions with it. So the compassion of God is shown through action but also emotion. Matthew 20:34 “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.” So the compassion of God is action as well as feeling. God has compassion on believers and God has compassion on non believers. But God with-holds His compassion at times. To Moses, God said in Exodus, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” He does not always show His compassion – He is sovereign over His attributes and how and when they are displayed. Our family has been on the receiving end of the compassion of God --- it was easy to identify that. On Friday the 28th after the surgery, I wrote down these words about the compassion of God I felt – “There was a sweetness – a peace – tears of joy – a calm feeling of love that was whispered “I am in control” I will take care of the things that concern and worry you for they are heavier on my heart than yours.”
Through out the years God has shown his compassion again and again to my family --- why does it take such an event to wake me up? Can you identify the compassion of God in your life this past year? Back to the text………
Paul writes, “the God of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, ( I re read my diary this week from the month of May) I have had more troubles than just the one we are going through) you have had troubles --- the comfort of God is just as much in the small troubles as in the big ones. Why does God do this? Why does God bother comforting His people? Look back at verse 4 --- two key words answer the question why God comforts us --- “so that” God comforts His children so that they can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives – so also through Christ our comfort overflows ---- Paul does not say how your comfort overflows but the only way your comfort can overflow is to others and then he writes “if we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation, if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”
Websters says comfort means to sooth or to give relief in affliction, especially when grieving. When we were in the NICU of the University of Washington the nurse later told me that she was instructed to prepare to give this baby comfort care. She was told to expect Charity to die. But in the bible it carries a wider meaning……….. God is the God of all comfort. On your outline……….
Biblical comfort is to cheer or to encourage. It has a positive meaning to give or impart strength. God says in Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort my people”. It means to encourage the people of God. Look back at what Paul says in verse 6 “if anyone is distressed.” Think about it……… Does stress make you uncomfortable? Are you able to see when people around you are stressed? How does it make you feel when someone else is stress and you are not? When God comforts us ---- He encourages us – He cheers us and He imparts strength to us. I saw God doing that in my son and daughter in law (PHOTO) as I saw them watch and stand over their daughter. God intern imparted strength to me. I knew and felt that God was in control and He had everything under His Hand. (BLANK)
What application can I leave you with this morning?
1. God’s comfort and compassion most of the time comes through others in the family of God. Today – above all on this earth --- I believe God chooses to impart His compassion and comfort through believers. I fear for those who have no connection with a church family. I have no idea how people walk through life independent and autonomous from believers in a church family. When people outside of the church need rent money - gas or food – we get phone calls at the church from people asking for money – even the non church community thinks the church should be the one providing for them in need. Especially for believers --- we are commanded to let others into our lives. We are commanded to give others the chance to know what is going on with us and what our burdens are: Paul tells us in Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens”. Let me put it this way….. How would you have felt if Cheryl and I would have kept to ourselves our suffering and joys with Ben and Becky?????? Because we did not – we felt and experienced deeply the comfort and compassion of God through you and the wider body of Christ. But think: Why does it have to be a monumental crises in your life to let others in your church family in? What burdens are you carrying right now than know one knows about and no one is praying for? Marital disress??? Financial distress??? Addiction distress??? Spiritual distress???? Fear??? God is the God of all comfort and compassion.
2. Faith that believes has an expectancy about it. This is more personal lesson that I am learning. Most of you know that I have in the past always seen the glass half empty instead of full.
(SHOW GLASS) Andy gave me such a glass --- pessimista and optimista. I am not talking about positive thinking or name it claim it. A growing live faith is one that expects. It expects that God hears and is answering ones prayers and the prayers of God’s people. This expectancy believes that God is doing and will do something about what concerns you. In John 5:17 Jesus said, “My Father is always working and so am I.” So whatever is stressing you ---- whatever storm ---- it does not matter how small --- rest assured believer --- God is always working and so is Jesus. EXPECT IT.
Let us pray.
Compassion and Kindness
Pastor Ben Fleming
2 Corinthians 1: 1-7
Please turn to the book of 2 Corinthians1: 1-7. It is so good to be back with you today. It has been almost 10 years since we have been gone two weeks in a row. I have missed my church family…… I want to thank you for allowing us to be away to be parents to our children who were in need. I want to thank Phil and Dan for speaking for me. I want to thank all of you for praying – for learning to pray and learning to believe God for a miracle and asking others to pray. I believe we have seen and are experiencing miracle after miracle. Something you do not often hear of. I am not going to speak to you today from the gospel of John and next week is Back to Church Sunday where we are going to examine “what is the church” and we are inviting people to come and go back to church. You can join me this coming Saturday at 11:00 am – here – and we are going to walk some streets and pass out these door hangers and invite people to come on Sunday.
I preach to you the Word of God and I believe there are times when I should let you know how the Word of God is real in my own life and circumstances that Cheryl and I walk through – so today is a day like that. I will give you some words from my diary – so please do not be shocked at some of my honesty. Last year on Sunday June 29th I gave a similar message… but it had a different outcome. The scripture verse that God gave me last year during that season of our life was found in
Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” When we heard in January that Ben and Becky were expecting again – that was my expectation – I was looking for those songs of joy - but on Tuesday May 19th at 7:30 pm. Ben called to say that Becky had her 20 week ultra sound. The doctor told them that part of their baby’s brain was outside of her head and that she had no stomach or kidneys, if she survives to birth, she will most likely die.” I thought to myself and wrote in my diary – “The pain and the nightmare begins again.” I started to fast. I wanted to feel the pain of Ben and Becky. I read Isaiah 44:3 the next morning “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants” – I thought to myself as I wrote those words in my diary “surely that verse is not true for my family.” I had slept little that night but as the darkness seemed to close in there were rays of light that began to shine through as I read my bible that morning. I did not know how to pray so I prayed what I thought was right – “Lord would you take my grand daughter and have mercy on Ben and Becky.” It was so strange that we could not be with Ben and Becky – we could not hold them and hug them. With Caleb we were there – we saw their tears and the pain in their eyes. Our chance to be parents who shine our presence is just one of distance. We know we can go to them - but as our son said, “what can we do?” In this situation I knew that we must truly obey and experience the command “be still and know that I am God.”
What do you think and what do feel in times of grief – fear and confusion? When tragedy strikes a family once and then two or three times – people often do not know what to say. We even had people say – “you should not feel that way.” In the beginning we did not pray for healing. Let me tell you why. Job 9:14 -- I hope this gives you some understanding of fear and confusion that some believers feel when a storm strikes them especially again and again. Job writes, “How then can I dispute with Him? How can I find words to argue with God. Though I were innocent, I could not answer Him: I could only plead with my judge for mercy. Even if I summoned Him and He responded, I do not believe He would give me a hearing. He would crush me with a storm.” We were expecting songs of joy – but the news of May 19th was not joy and we were not going to pray again and expect again and have another storm brought to us by God. C.S. Lewis wrote these words after the death of his wife, “Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time of trouble?
I spoke to Ben at the end of May for the longest time and he said that he was bitter. I wrote in my diary, “that it made me think and feel that this storm is without the kindness of the Lord. Where is the hand of God? The grief seems to have no beginning steps of healing. I also wrote, “I take a step back with a greater fear of God but in disappointment of the loss of His tenderness”. I read Job and in all the suffering of Job he did not sin – I know I sinned, for I charged God with wrongdoing.
Ben and Becky went to their first appointment with the specialist at the University of Washington. They knew that they might be advised to terminate the pregnancy but Becky said she wanted to carry her baby as far as possible so as to donate the babies organs --- when I heard that, I changed my prayer, and I began to pray that our grand daughter would live so that others would live - but after their visit to the specialist they found out such was not allowed in the medical world. The Sunday before their doctor visit -- Carol Williams had asked Cheryl and I to watch the DVD “How Great Is Our God” - I bought it and sent it to them overnight. Ben said they watched it the night of their appointment. There was a resigned coldness in our kids at this time – they have decided to have an autopsy when the time comes. Doubt and fear seems to be a battle – I ask and think such questions “can Ben and Becky sustain and survive through two tortures? Will they break or will they heal? Why torture them again God? Is this your kindness?
As I continued to read God’s Word, He brought to me encouragement and rebuke in His Word.
Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him.” The second doctor’s visit in June showed a stomach and a kidney – I began to ask God with more faith for a living baby. I began to feel hope. Ben and Becky heard from another doctor that their baby may live, but Ben mentioned how they were afraid to raise a severe and profoundly disabled child.
The next week I spoke with Ben and asked how I could pray for him. He said, - pray for Charity’s healing. Wow – up went my faith – up went my prayers. I was going to pray and believe on the faith of my son. I was going to believe on the belief of my son. I wrote in my diary, “A walk of faith at times is without emotions and affections, it simply takes faithfulness – act – knowing what must be done.” The next week Ben called excited as he told me that the leaders of his church prayed for the healing of Charity – that afternoon they went sailing together on Puget Sound. I began to fast again --- Ben and Becky went to Reedsport Oregon for the weekend. (PHOTO) This was the first time they visited Caleb’s grave since the headstone had been set…………… (BLANK)
Ben and Becky began to prepare to bring a baby home. It seemed like after their visit to the second doctor – there was an expectation in their faith. They changed Caleb’s room to make it more for a girl. In mid August – the date was set for Becky to be induced at the University of Washington. It was not until Friday the 21st that things began to happen ---- waiting did not seem to be any easier for me (PHOTO)-------(BLANK)
I stayed in the waiting room that night and I can still hear the words the nurse spoke at 3:53 am – “she is crying and pink” – it took me awhile – but I said, “My grand daughter is alive.” We were ushered into the room full of medical staff (PHOTO) ----Becky got to hold Charity for a minute but then they took her away to the Neonatal ICU (BLANK) --- (PHOTO) where my son watched over his daughter Charity for 1.5 hours. (BLANK) Later in the waiting room – the specialist doctor they had been seeing all along came and sat down by Cheryl and said – “this is a 1% baby” – Cheryl said to her, “hundreds of Christians have been praying for her” and she said, “I have too”. A bit later nurse Jenny Rose comes into the waiting room and asks if she can pray with us. We felt a divine presence of God that morning. We left to get some rest and were full of joy and thankfulness for the mercy of God. I came back at 1 pm to get Ben as Charity had been taken to Seattle Children’s Hospital where she is now. (PHOTO) we met her new NICU nurses (PHOTO) and later Ben got to lay his hand on his daughter. --- Grandma also got to have Charity hold her finger (PHOTO). ---(Blank) They told us on Sunday that Charity had Dandy Walker Syndrome and her surgery would be on Monday.
My son had fallen in love with his daughter and he would walk through with her whatever lie ahead. On Monday – things changed – she did not have Dandy Walker Syndrome but the medical scans showed the cyst had brain matter in it and blood vessels that would make the surgery extremely difficult and the outcome bleak. They put off the surgery and it seemed like my kids were knocked down again --- but that evening --- they were back up again and expectant and I read the words of Matthew 14:27 “take courage it is I – do not be afraid” and Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” We left Seattle on Tuesday to come home. On Thursday, I was in Lowes when Ben called. Charity’s lungs were doing so well that they wanted to operate the next day. My knees buckled and II sat down on one of the shelves and began calling the people of God and asked them to pray. A man named Roger overhead me asking others to pray and he reached out his hand and he asked if he could pray right then.
On Friday, we waited every hour for Ben’s updates and when the doctor came out at noon and told him that the surgery went much easier than expected – there was little of any brain tissue or blood vessels in the cyst and the bleeding was minimal – we knew again that God had answered the prayers of His people and that another miracle had happened….. She is doing things a normal baby would do – she is in danger of infection and they are still studying her cerebral spinal fluid flow. On Thursday, they discovered that she does have a vermus and cerebellum. There is a lot of unknowns ahead but what we do know for sure is that God has done a real miracle. We began expecting a funeral. We began by not believing. I am now expecting a normal grand daughter. Psalm 126:5 “Those who sows in tears will reap with songs of joy” that is true --- we see it --- we know it and we feel it. God’s Word never lies --- it never lets you down – God’s Word is true in spite of what you believe and in spite of what you feel when you are going through your storm. It does not mean you will not struggle and it does not mean you will not doubt. My new scripture is found in Isaiah 63:7 “I will tell of the kindness of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all that the Lord has done for us, according to His compassion and many kindnesses.” Would you ask me if I have been telling others the kindness and compassion of the Lord in our lives?
What is the compassion of the Lord? Have you experienced the compassion of the Lord in your own life? Can you recognize it? Stand with me as we briefly look at our text……….
2 Corinthians 1:1 - 7 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.”
Paul is writing to the believes in the church in the city of Corinth --- they were suffering --- they were suffering financially --- -they were suffering physically --- they were being persecuted and Paul wanted to minister to them through this letter. He begins with his usual greeting – “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then He ministers to them by reminding them who God is….
Look what he says: “God is the Father of all compassion.” What do you think of when you hear the word compassion?” Is it when someone says --- “I am sorry for you?” Websters dictionary says it is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for ones misfortune. (SLIDE) A biblical definition or meaning of the word would be to love or to be merciful and show kindness.
The word also carries the feelings of emotions with it. So the compassion of God is shown through action but also emotion. Matthew 20:34 “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes.” So the compassion of God is action as well as feeling. God has compassion on believers and God has compassion on non believers. But God with-holds His compassion at times. To Moses, God said in Exodus, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” He does not always show His compassion – He is sovereign over His attributes and how and when they are displayed. Our family has been on the receiving end of the compassion of God --- it was easy to identify that. On Friday the 28th after the surgery, I wrote down these words about the compassion of God I felt – “There was a sweetness – a peace – tears of joy – a calm feeling of love that was whispered “I am in control” I will take care of the things that concern and worry you for they are heavier on my heart than yours.”
Through out the years God has shown his compassion again and again to my family --- why does it take such an event to wake me up? Can you identify the compassion of God in your life this past year? Back to the text………
Paul writes, “the God of all compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, ( I re read my diary this week from the month of May) I have had more troubles than just the one we are going through) you have had troubles --- the comfort of God is just as much in the small troubles as in the big ones. Why does God do this? Why does God bother comforting His people? Look back at verse 4 --- two key words answer the question why God comforts us --- “so that” God comforts His children so that they can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives – so also through Christ our comfort overflows ---- Paul does not say how your comfort overflows but the only way your comfort can overflow is to others and then he writes “if we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation, if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.”
Websters says comfort means to sooth or to give relief in affliction, especially when grieving. When we were in the NICU of the University of Washington the nurse later told me that she was instructed to prepare to give this baby comfort care. She was told to expect Charity to die. But in the bible it carries a wider meaning……….. God is the God of all comfort. On your outline……….
Biblical comfort is to cheer or to encourage. It has a positive meaning to give or impart strength. God says in Isaiah 40:1 “Comfort my people”. It means to encourage the people of God. Look back at what Paul says in verse 6 “if anyone is distressed.” Think about it……… Does stress make you uncomfortable? Are you able to see when people around you are stressed? How does it make you feel when someone else is stress and you are not? When God comforts us ---- He encourages us – He cheers us and He imparts strength to us. I saw God doing that in my son and daughter in law (PHOTO) as I saw them watch and stand over their daughter. God intern imparted strength to me. I knew and felt that God was in control and He had everything under His Hand. (BLANK)
What application can I leave you with this morning?
1. God’s comfort and compassion most of the time comes through others in the family of God. Today – above all on this earth --- I believe God chooses to impart His compassion and comfort through believers. I fear for those who have no connection with a church family. I have no idea how people walk through life independent and autonomous from believers in a church family. When people outside of the church need rent money - gas or food – we get phone calls at the church from people asking for money – even the non church community thinks the church should be the one providing for them in need. Especially for believers --- we are commanded to let others into our lives. We are commanded to give others the chance to know what is going on with us and what our burdens are: Paul tells us in Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens”. Let me put it this way….. How would you have felt if Cheryl and I would have kept to ourselves our suffering and joys with Ben and Becky?????? Because we did not – we felt and experienced deeply the comfort and compassion of God through you and the wider body of Christ. But think: Why does it have to be a monumental crises in your life to let others in your church family in? What burdens are you carrying right now than know one knows about and no one is praying for? Marital disress??? Financial distress??? Addiction distress??? Spiritual distress???? Fear??? God is the God of all comfort and compassion.
2. Faith that believes has an expectancy about it. This is more personal lesson that I am learning. Most of you know that I have in the past always seen the glass half empty instead of full.
(SHOW GLASS) Andy gave me such a glass --- pessimista and optimista. I am not talking about positive thinking or name it claim it. A growing live faith is one that expects. It expects that God hears and is answering ones prayers and the prayers of God’s people. This expectancy believes that God is doing and will do something about what concerns you. In John 5:17 Jesus said, “My Father is always working and so am I.” So whatever is stressing you ---- whatever storm ---- it does not matter how small --- rest assured believer --- God is always working and so is Jesus. EXPECT IT.
Let us pray.
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