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Sermons

A Call to Courage

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Where are the men? Is there no one who will step up and lead God’s people? This seems to be the question Deborah asks in Judges chapter 4.

Some people read the book of Judges and see Deborah’s leadership as proof there is no distinction between male and female spiritual leadership. From their point of view, women are just as qualified as men to serve as pastors, elders, and spiritual leaders in the church. I’d suggest the very opposite is the case.

When Deborah is mentioned in Judges 4, the author seems to be going out of his way to say something is amiss. The Hebrew text literally speaks of “Deborah — a woman — a prophetess — the wife of Lapidoth” (!) sitting under her palm tree, judging God’s people. While Deborah is a wise and godly woman, the text seems to be saying there’s a problem with this whole picture.

Eventually, Deborah summons Barak, who agrees to lead the army reluctantly. He is willing to go on one condition — that Deborah goes with him. Like the cowardly lion, his behavior is so embarrassing that Deborah says his legacy will be marked with a footnote that a woman brought victory that day. “The road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman” (4:9).

I was talking with a friend several months ago who helps provide coaching services to churches in transition. Sometimes these are called “replant” or “revitalization” opportunities. This friend said most of our California churches are either plateaued or declining. There is a need for more pastors and more leaders. And then he said this – “the cupboards are bare.”

You would hope with all the Christian colleges, seminaries, megachurches, and smaller size churches that there would be a long line of men waiting to be trained and deployed. The opposite is true. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Incidentally, this is why our support of ministries like Gateway Seminary, The Masters Seminary, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is so important. These schools are coming alongside churches to help raise and train the future generation of leaders.

This is not to say women do not have an essential role to play in the local church. There are so many valuable ways they use their gifts to glorify God and edify the body. That’s a conversation for another day. I firmly believe the apostles taught a complementary role for men and women in the church and in the home.

When I began preaching through Judges at Calvary, I entitled our series, “Arise” for this very reason. Judges 4:6 says, “Has not the LORD commanded you, Go?” Then in v. 14, Deborah says to Barak, “Up! For this is the day the LORD has given Sisera.” Over in 5, this desperate cry for leadership is even memorialized in song. “Arise, Barak! Lead away your captives.” The church can grow complacent over time and forget the urgent call to action. Let us arise, preach the gospel, and shepherd God’s people!

Is there something God is calling you to do? Have you been delaying out of fear? Maybe it’s getting baptized, or making some parenting changes, or returning to in-person worship services, or even answering a call to ministry? Stepping out can be scary. But do not fear. God will be with you!

Here’s the audio from the sermon I preached on Judges 4 at Calvary Church. Thanks for reading…and listening!

Sermons

Arise!

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In a relay race, the passing of the baton is one of the most exhilarating yet dangerous parts of the competition. That split-second handoff between two runners can make or break the entire race.

In a similar way, the passing of the baton in leadership is a vulnerable time in the life cycle of an organization. Experience gives way to inexperience. Realism is replaced by optimism. The veteran makes way for the rookie.

Sometimes during a transition, things carry on smoothly and it feels like “business as usual.” In other cases, values change and priorities change. In the case of Israel, after Moses and Joshua, there was no natural successor. To be sure, there were priests, and tribal leaders, and fathers who were expected to give oversight to the nation. But there was no centralized government, military commander, or spiritual authority figure like Moses or Joshua.

With this lack of leadership came a lack of vision and motivation. The people weren’t sure what to do next. They were like sheep without a shepherd, so they inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up” (Judges 1:1-2). And thus begins the book of Judges.

One of the highlights of last year at Calvary Church was our expository series through the Book of Judges. It was an amazing journey, and a season of spiritual growth for our church. I entitled the series “Arise!” in honor of Judges 5:12, when the judge Barak was urged to “Arise and lead away your captives.” It was a fitting challenge for all of us to take up our cross daily and follow God.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be re-posting those sermons from the Book of Judges so others can join in, starting today with chapter one. In this study of Judges 1, we learn…

  • The danger of trying to do life on our own without God’s guidance
  • Comfort for those who are afraid
  • Why Israel struggled to inhabit the land of Canaan
  • The need for courage in a dark world

Here’s the audio link…

Thanks for listening! For a complete list of sermons, please visit my Sermon Hub page.

Sermons

Thankful to God

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In his book Band of Brothers, Stephen Ambrose traces the path of the 101st Airborne division through World War II. His story is so riveting, it would be turned into a hit HBO miniseries directed by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks — probably one of the greatest war dramas ever made.

Ambrose provides a detailed account of what it was like for soldiers to parachute behind enemy lines on D-Day and the opening weeks of combat. By the end of June, under almost non-stop gunfire, the men “had not had a bath or shower or an opportunity to shave. Many had dysentery; all were continually drenched with sweat. Their hair was matted from dirt and dust made worse by the profuse sweating caused by wearing their helmet constantly.”

On June 29, 1944, the 83rd Infantry Division came to relieve the 101st. Their fresh uniforms and clean faces were a sight to behold. Sergeant Pat Christianson said of the replacements, “They were so clean looking…even the paint on their helmets looked as if they had just been unpacked. The impact of seeing [us] was a shock to them.”

The Apostle Paul’s team of evangelists and friends must have looked a lot like the 101st Airborne division, filthy and weary from combat. Some were in chains. Others wore permanent scars on their back. Yet as a whole they stood strong, encouraged one another, and brought regular comfort and prayer for one another.

Several months ago, I preached on the final verses of Colossians, where Paul sends greetings and gives words of encouragement to his “band of brothers.” In this sermon, I shared…

  • Things I’m thankful for in my first year at Calvary Church
  • What Paul’s greeting tells us about church life in the first century
  • Two friends who were a big help to Paul
  • Why ethnic diversity is a good thing in a local church
  • How a church can become a “band of brothers” 

Here’s the audio link…

Thanks for listening. You can find more sermons on my sermon hub page. 

Sermons

Built to Last

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When Heidi was born, Natalie and I decided our little four door Saturn compact car wasn’t going to cut it for a family of four with all the baby and toddler gear in tow. There was only one thing to do. It was time to take the plunge and enter the minivan world.

We searched for used cars online and visited a couple dealerships, then settled on a 2005 Toyota Sienna. It was a great van. We bought it with just under 40,000 miles on it, and put another 200,000 miles on it. We drove it to work, to church, to doctor’s appointments, hospital visits, camping trips, and cross country road trips.

Over time, the van began to break down. Hubcaps rolled off. The automatic door broke. The back windshield wiper snapped. The axel and suspension went bad. Emissions needed repairs. The engine was still purring like a cat, but the van was showing its age and other repairs began to add up. Eventually, it just didn’t make sense to keep pouring money into it. After driving that minivan for almost fifteen years, we agreed it was time to trade it in for something newer. A mechanic at our church said any other model would have died a long time ago, but these vehicles were “built to last.” We eventually bought another minivan, another Toyota Sienna but eleven years newer with less miles on it. We like our “newer” van, but nothing will replace that 2005 silver Toyota Sienna in our hearts. It was like part of the family.

There’s a parallel here with marriage. Marriage is not always easy. As you get more miles, little things may start to break down, and there may be some bumps along the way. What’s important is that you keep Christ at the center of your relationship. Marriage is God’s idea, and any husband and wife who depend on the Holy Spirit and follow the instructions in God’s Word can have a marriage “built to last.”

Some time back, I preached on Colossians 3:18-19, which gives excellent counsel to husbands and wives. Together we learned…

  • The secret to a lasting marriage
  • Does a wife really have to “submit” to her husband?
  • How husbands can learn to love like Jesus
  • An important caveat – “do not be harsh”

Here’s the sermon audio if you’d like to follow along. Consider it a “tune-up” to keep your marriage running smoothly for years to come!

Thanks for listening. For a complete list of all my sermons, please visit the Sermon Hub on my blog.

Preaching

How Should a Preacher Talk About Abortion?

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Last week, I attended a lovely Pastors Breakfast sponsored by the Open Arms Pregnancy Clinic. Pastors were thanked for their support and encouraged to continue speaking on the difficult topic of abortion.

I don’t preach directly against abortion very often, but I do try regularly to point out the sanctity of life and, when appropriate, to mention the evils of abortion as we work through various passages of scripture.

Out of curiosity, I did a search on the word “abortion” in my sermon folder and below are some of the places it popped up. I try to be faithful to the Bible and make contemporary application, while avoiding political soap boxes. How does your church talk about abortion and the sanctity of life?

Sermon Title: The War on Error
Sermon Text: 2 Corinthians 10:1-12
“…Strongholds are identity groups. Ideologies become fortified, and then form into communities. Today these include the LGBT community. The pseudo-scientific community that has embraced a naturalist, Darwinian view of human origin. The feminist community, with their insistence on abortion rights. The New Age community that almost deifies nature. There are false religions, self-help gurus, and pseudo-Christian cults. We combat these strongholds not with flesh and blood, but by destroying arguments and every lofty opinion with the truth…”

Title: The Family of God
Text: Luke 7:36-50
“…Sometimes the church gains a reputation for what is against rather than what it is for. The world wants to portray us anti-this and anti-that. So the church is seen as anti-gay. The church is seen as anti-abortion. The church is seen as anti-cursing and anti-gambling and you name it. People want to depict us as though, ”you’re just a bunch of miserable, mean-spirited, intolerant, hateful people.’ Can I help us reframe that a bit? Instead of thinking about the fact we’re against all these things, could we start by saying we’re for something? We’re for Christ. We love Christ. Christ died for us. And because He died for us, we want to live for Him and please Him. And Jesus has given us certain instructions of how He wants us to live. So that means that if we love Christ, we’re going to love the things Christ loves. And if we love Christ, we’re also going to hate the things that Christ hates. He didn’t hate this woman in our story, but He did hate the sin. And He said, I will forgive the sin, but as we see in a similar story, he says ‘go and sin no more.’ There was a repentance that led to a change in behavior. We oppose sin not because we claim to be perfect. We certainly know we’re not perfect people. Not because we think we’re better than other sinners out there. We oppose sin because we know we are sinners saved by grace that sent Jesus to the cross, and because we have been saved and forgiven, we want to obey God’s will for our lives, which is a life of holiness and obedience…”

Title: Grace Upon Grace
Text: Judges 13
“…In our own days, we have seen a kind of moral decline as well. Over past fifty years or so, we’ve seen a sharp rise in divorce, in unwed pregnancies, in sexual immorality, gay marriage, anxiety, disrespect, addiction, cursing and swearing and profanity, lies, greed, gambling, violent crime, abortion, suicide, sharp drops in church attendance, a renewed interest in witchcraft and the occult. People are searching for purpose and meaning and happiness, seem willing to go almost anywhere, except to the Bible itself. This is a unique opportunity. God has placed us here for such a time as this. It is not the easiest time in church history, but the church has the opportunity to be a shining light against a morally black backdrop…”

Title: The Prophet Returns
Text: 1 Kings 18:1-19
[At the height of COVID] “…It saddens me that marijuana dispensaries are allowed to stay open, while churches are still closed and told to meet online. Abortion clinics are still performing deadly procedures, while churches are told their life-giving services are ‘non-essential.’ This shows something is drastically wrong with the priorities of our culture…“

Title: Jesus’ Public Ministry
Text: Mark 1:35-45
“…Jesus’ ministry was one of both healing and preaching, but preaching was top priority. Mercy ministry is important, but our ultimate goal is to spare people eternal suffering. John Piper says it this way – “We care about all suffering now, especially eternal suffering later…Let’s be like Jesus. In every social issue from abortion to alcoholism, from AIDS to unemployment, from hunger to homelessness, let’s give the help that we would like to receive if it were us. And at every moment in that love, let us feel an even greater urgency to pray and speak and work to rescue people from everlasting suffering through the gospel of Jesus…”