A Warning to False Teachers (Mark 12:38-44, ESV)

 

Tough Teachings of Jesus: Divorce (Part 2) Mark 10

Tough Teachings of Jesus: Divorce (Part 1) Mark 11

Sermon: Don't Look at Me! (Genesis 3)

TRANSCRIPT OF VIDEO:

Good morning and welcome to Hope Church Clinton’s Virtual Church on Facebook Live! My name is Chad Frizzell and I am the pastor of Hope Church Clinton. If you’d like to know more about Hope Church, please feel free to look around our Facebook page. We are a Christ-centered, Bible-teaching church for all ages. And in saying that, I am pleased to announce that we will be having a church gathering for worship on Sunday, June 7^th at our normal time at 9:30 am at the Hickman County Senior Center. We do intend to continue streaming our services that Sunday and beyond to reach those of you who don’t quite feel comfortable gathering yet and I want you to know that it’s perfectly fine. You come on when you feel safe to do so. I’m thankful that we have the technology to do these livestream videos, but there is nothing like being together with our church family and worshipping God together. I am looking forward to the day when everyone feels safe to come back together.

            All right, let’s get down to business and our business is the Word of God! Today, I am going to be talking about something we all have in common -sin. Sin, as I have mentioned in previous videos is simply breaking God’s moral laws. And let’s just start at the beginning of sin by profiling our number one enemy -Satan.

            Satan was created by God as a cherub, the most powerful of God’s angelic beings. Ezekiel 28:14-15 says, “You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you” (ESV).

            Sometime after his creation and before the creation of man, Lucifer, or “Day Star” rebelled against God and was thrown from heaven. Isaiah 14:12 tells us about that if you want to do the research.

            One thing that we must clarify: the devil/Satan/Lucifer is not some little guy in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork waiting at the door of hell. The Bible indicates that angels are neither male nor female but when they come to the earth, they sometimes take on human form, such as the angel Gabriel. Earlier I mentioned that Satan was a cherub. When we think of cherubim, we tend to conjure up Renaissance images of little chubby-faced baby angels that sell toilet paper on television. However, a cherub is a large creature up to 18 feet tall with four to six wings that span 16 feet. Ezekiel the prophet described them as having hands under their wings, eyes all over the wings, and four faces on their heads. Does not sound so cute after all, does it? Even though he was a cherub, Ezekiel wrote that he was “perfect in beauty” and the Apostle Paul referred to him as an “angel of light” (1 Corinthians 11:4). So what happened to Lucifer? One word -pride. Pride caused his downfall. He wanted to be worshipped as God. Isaiah 14:13 says “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (ESV).

            After his fall, Satan wasn’t finished with his rebellion. His first appearance in the Scriptures is found in Genesis chapter three and he is doing what he does best -wreaking havoc on the earth.

Let’s look at Genesis chapter three. We will begin with verses 1-5 in the English Standard Version:

1.     Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden?’”

2.     And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,

3.     “but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

4.     But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”

5.     “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

In the very beginning of this chapter, we are introduced to the devil and his temptation. The writer points out that he was “more crafty” or “cunning, sly, subtle” than any other creature. His crafty methods of temptation include

·        Planting seeds of doubt. Notice he asked the woman, “Did God actually say…?” (v. 1). Satan loves to sow seeds of doubt in our lives. He may ask you, “Does God really want you to be unhappy in your marriage?” or “Does God really want you to go to church today?” or “Does God really need you to lead that Bible study?” or “Does God really think you don’t deserve such and such?

·        Slandering God’s motives. He tried to convince Eve that God was keeping something from her -that he was holding back blessings from her and Adam. He uses this tactic in our lives in many ways attempting to convince us that if God really loved us, we would have whatever we wanted, rather than just what we need.

Allow me to make a statement right here. If Satan will tempt God in the flesh, he will tempt you. Never think you are too spiritual for Satan’s temptations. Actually, if he isn’t tempting you to sin, you may want to check yourself to make sure you don’t actually belong to him instead of the Lord. If you are a follower of Christ, prepared to be tempted. He will tempt you to sin! It’s how you respond to that temptation that matters.

            In 1 John 2:15-17, John the Apostle mentions three things that Satan uses to lure us away from fellowship with Jesus.

1.     The lust of the flesh – the taste of the forbidden

2.     The lust of the eyes – the sight of the forbidden

3.     The pride of life – the desire to be all-knowing and all-powerful

Satan appeals to our worldly desires to keep us from God’s blessings and protections.

            In Genesis 3:6, we read, “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (ESV). Over in the New Testament, James tells us in chapter one verses 14 and 15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (ESV).

            In Genesis, not only did Eve fall for Satan’s tricks, Adam did too. Then something strange happened, “Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7, ESV). Their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked and felt ashamed. Next, they did what all of us do, they tried to cover their shame. Isn’t that what we do? Of course, we don’t actually go looking for leaves to sew together but try to find a “covering” for our sin -usually excuses. “I made mistake… It only happened once… he/she led me on… the devil made me do it!” Or the best excuse ever, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace!” Of course, that is correct, but that doesn’t give us a license to sin. When we commit a sin, we don’t want exposure! So we hide and make excuses for our sin. There’s something we often forget -God sees us. Everywhere. All the time. When my six-year-old was a toddler, I noticed the house was quiet. She wasn’t running around playing and tearing up the house as usual. I immediately went into panic mode looking for her. When I found her, she was in her sister’s room covered head to toe in makeup! The first words out of her mouth were, “Don’t look at me, Daddy!”  When we do bad, we want to hide, but the Father finds us just as he did with Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:9 says, “But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (ESV). Imagine the conversation…

            “Don’t look at me!”

            “What have you done?”

            “Don’t look at me!”

            “Who told you that you were naked?”

            “Don’t look at me!”

            “Did you do something I told you not to do?”

            “Don’t look at me!”

Then Adam begins the blame game. Genesis 3:12-13, “The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then then LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate’” (ESV).

            So there you are exposed in all your nakedness before God. Dirty, covered in sin and trying to cover your misdeeds and transgressions with a few fig leaves using excuses upon excuses for your behavior. Notice that God doesn’t snatch Adam up. He doesn’t strike him dead with lightning right there. Instead, he sets his sights on Satan himself. In Genesis 3:14-15, we see the very first messianic prophecy in Scripture. Listen to what God says here, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (ESV).

            It would be nice if the story ended there. Adam standing behind God, sticking his tongue out at the devil, laughing because he thought he wasn’t in trouble. Adam was in trouble, because even though Satan is the tempter, you and I must face the consequences of our choices. Adam and Eve were evicted from paradise -the Garden of Eden. Eve experienced pain in childbirth and Adam had to work hard his entire life. Sadly, sometimes those we love have to pay dearly for our choices too. As I have told you many times, God is a righteous judge. He cannot and will not turn a blind eye to sin. The wages of sin is death and someone must pay the price. For thousands of years, the Jewish people would sacrifice doves, bulls, goats, sheep, grain, and almost anything they could get their hands on to cover their sins, but it wasn’t enough, so the righteous judge became the sacrifice. He stripped off his heavenly robe and put on a human form and took the wrath for us. Paul the Apostle writes, “For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV).

            The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of man could become sons of God. If you are watching this morning, or later today, and you feel God drawing you to Jesus, calling you out of sin and rebellion, telling you to turn to Him… don’t wasn’t a second, run to Him. Confess your sins to Him and believe in Jesus. Receive him as your personal Savior and tell the world what Jesus has done for you.

            Start with me. Let me know what Christ is doing in your life. I’m so thankful that Christ called me to salvation when I was nine years old. Over the past 33 years, I haven’t always walked side-by-side with him. I’ve wasted many years in my life kicking and screaming while Jesus dragged me along. I praise Him because of His mercies and grace that he bestows upon me each day. I hope you do too.

            Thanks for watching this morning. I can’t wait to see you in two weeks! We will have our first gathering on Sunday, June 7^th at 930am with some restrictions, but we will be together! I’ve talked to Devin and we will be taking some precautions with seating and such, but I’m happy to tell you that there will be some music and worship and as always plenty of Jesus to go around. Until then and beyond then, keep loving God and loving people, Hope Church! See ya soon!

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics? by Jonathan Leeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

During these times, it seems like everyone is divided on the issues. This book is an excellent resource for pastors/leaders or laypersons who experience political conflict within the church. The authors take a step-by-step approach in dealing with political conflict.

The authors explain the difference between "straight-line" and "jagged-line" issues while reminding the reader to focus on loving one another. This book helped me to realize that I have the tendency to be too judgmental towards those who don't share the same views on jagged-line issues.

My favorite part of the book was "How Can Pastors Work for Unity in Politically Divisive Times?" I will use these tips in my local church ministry as I strive to lead my flock to love their neighbor, regardless of their voting record.

(Crossway has provided this reviewer a complimentary copy of this book through the Blog Review Program)

View all my reviews

Good morning and welcome to Hope Church Clinton’s Virtual Church Livestream. I want to begin by asking you to hit that share button in the corner of your screen so we can get this message to the masses.

Today, I’m going to be talking about a bible doctrine that is of utmost importance. It is central to our Christian faith and is the only way we gain access to heaven. This morning I want to spend a few minutes talking about salvation, being saved, conversion, being born again, placing your faith in Jesus, or one of the many terms we have for receiving eternal life.

Wayne Grudem defines conversion as “our willing response to the gospel call, in which we sincerely repent of sins and place our trust in Christ for salvation" (Grudem, 1994). When we think about “conversion,” we think about “turning” one thing into something else. The doctrine of biblical conversion involves repentance and faith. When we undergo a spiritual conversion to the Christian faith, we are “turning” from a life of sin putting our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot have repentance without faith, nor can we have faith without repentance.

First, let’s talk about saving faith. True saving faith includes three elements: knowledge, approval, and personal trust.

• 1We must have knowledge about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but simply knowing “about” Jesus is not enough to gain access to heaven. James the Apostle tells us “You believe God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -and shudder!” (James 2:19, English Standard Version). We all know that just because the demons know who Jesus is does not mean that they are saved.
• 2Simply knowing about Jesus and agreeing with the facts is not enough. In John 3, we meet a man by the name of Nicodemus. In verse 2 he says to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (ESV). Even though by this time, Nicodemus knew that Jesus had come from God, it wasn’t enough unless he placed his trust in Jesus for salvation or “believe in Him.”
• 3You must decide to depend on Jesus to save you. You can know the facts. You can approve of the facts, but you must decide to depend on Jesus to save you. When you depend on Jesus to save you, you enter a personal relationship with him. You “trust” in Jesus alone for salvation.
• 4Your faith should increase as your knowledge increases. The more you learn about Christ, the stronger your faith will grow. In Romans 10:17, Paul the Apostle says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (ESV).

Now, lets talk about repentance. Remember faith and repentance must accompany one another in salvation. The Bible is very clear about that. Even Jesus himself said, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15b, ESV). What is repentance? “Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ” (Grudem, 1994). Once we have repented, our changed lives will show it. It’s important to note that repentance isn’t just saying “I’m sorry” or promising that you won’t commit that sin again. Repentance is a serious decision to do away with sin that has been committed against God. I feel like we forget sometimes that all sin is an offense to God. Yes, you may sin against your parents, your spouse, your boss -but more importantly, in each of those cases, you have sinned against God. Let me remind you here that repentance is two-fold. It is a one-time event and it is a process. When we first come to Christ, we repent of our sins and we continue to repent each time we sin against God. Repentance is an attitude, not just an action.

Becoming a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean that life will be perfect -I think through the years we have let that false teaching creep into our churches. For years, preachers turned the Christian life into a list of rules that one must follow to please God. “If you do x, God will bless you, but be sure not to do y, or He will curse you.” Here’s the truth, if you are a Christian, you will crash and burn. You are going to mess up. It’s what you do after you sin that really matters. If you are a true believer in Christ, you will repent in godly sorrow. You will commit to never do that sin again. Is it hard? Absolutely. I personally believe the devil steps up his game when we make that commitment, so we must lean on Christ during those times of temptation. All throughout the Bible, we find believers who fall, but they get up and find repentance and restoration.

One of the finest examples in Scripture is King David. You can find his story in Second Samuel 11. I don’t have time to read the entire chapter to you this morning, but you may have heard the story. Basically, instead of going to war like a king was supposed to do, King David decides to stay home and is walking on his roof at night. He sees a woman bathing and inquires about her. He knows she is married, but like much of the world today, he didn’t seem to care. She comes over to his castle, they have relations and she ends up pregnant. Now, David must protect his honor so he sends for her husband to come home so maybe the kingdom would think her husband, Uriah, got her pregnant. Well, Uriah is a good man and committed to the war effort, so instead of going home, he sleeps on the castle steps. Eventually David sends him back to the battle to the front lines where he is sure to be killed.

An evening walk turned into lust which turned to adultery which turned to murder. How easy it is to fall! David is living his life until a prophet by the name of Nathan makes him realize that he has sinned against God. David repents but God has meted his punishment already -his baby boy with Bathsheba dies because of David’s sin.

As a result of his sin, he writes a song to God. A song that today we know as Psalm 51 (READ).

Like I said earlier, you will fall. You will mess up. It’s how you respond to that sin that matters. When you find yourself in sin, you have two choices: You can ignore it, put a smile on your face, and pretend that all is well OR you can confess that sin to God and repent like David. He used words like “have mercy on me,” “cleanse me,” “wash me,” “deliver me,” “restore me,” etc.  You see, God loves his children so much, it doesn’t matter how bad you have messed up, he’s there waiting to forgive and restore you just like King David.

We must always remember that even though salvation is free, it certainly wasn’t cheap. Jesus gave his life on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Sin is a breaking of God’s laws -something we all have done. God’s Word says that the penalty of sin is death, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. God is a righteous judge who demands justice, and that is why Jesus came to the earth. Someone had to pay for breaking the law. Jesus bore our sins on the cross. He walked out of the grave three days later and in doing so, conquered death. The perfect Lamb of God who knew no sin, became sin for us. He took the punishment. He paid the price. We have been set free from the penalty of the law. We have been liberated from the grip of the grave.

So, now you know the facts. I hope that you accept the facts, but most importantly, I hope that you have or will put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you would like to experience salvation, all you must do is “repent and believe in the gospel.” I know it’s a hard decision. I know sin is fun. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be so attracted to it. But are we willing to trade an eternity in heaven for a few years of fun on the earth?

If you are a believer, maybe your life isn’t what it should be. Perhaps you’ve slipped and fell into sin and you can’t find a way out. You’ve been away from God for some time. When was the last time you read His Word? When was the last time you talked intimately with God? You need to get back in relationship with Jesus. Start by repenting and asking God to forgive you. He will restore you!

I want to hear your story. Please text me, call me, Facebook message me. Better yet, let the world hear your Jesus story! Never be ashamed of your faith in Jesus.

I want to say thanks for watching today. Once again, we are planning on meeting together on June 7^th at 930 am. We won’t have a coffee bar that morning or children’s church, but we will have hand sanitizer and disinfectant! I’ll be sharing more about that as we inch closer to that date. I want to give a Hope Church shoutout to Bobby Gifford. Bobby has been hitting the stores acquiring the disinfectants we need to ensure a safe worship atmosphere when we meet again. Thanks, Gifford!

Until we see each other again, my prayer is that you love God and love your neighbor. If you need anything, you can reach me anytime. I miss you and I love you, Hope Church! I’ll see you right here on Facebook Live next Sunday! Good bye!

Enough is Enough!

I listened to a clip of a preacher who spent several precious minutes of several souls’ lives preaching “personal” convictions rather than biblical ones. Therefore, I’m about to offend some people, but enough is enough. So here’s my top ten responses to the preachers that use the pulpit to push their own agenda:

1. I don’t care who you voted for unless the name “Jesus the Christ” is on the ballot.

2. One political party is just as ungodly as the other. The lessor of two evils is still evil. Jesus never told the disciples how to vote, so I’m not going to either.

3. Second Chronicles 7:14 is NOT about the USA.

4. God doesn’t care if I wear a suit and tie or shorts and a T-shirt. He’s just glad I’m there. And if I miss a Sunday or two, He’s not mad. I’ve hurt myself more than anything.

5. The King James Version is not the only Bible, nor is it the most accurate translation. Jesus spoke Aramaic, not ye olde English. The New Testament writers used koine Greek.

6. Prayer is not prohibited in schools. Look it up. Students may pray at school.

7. Jesus was called a “glutton and drunkard” (KJB) because he ate and drank with the the common folk. Yes, it was real wine and He drank it. Yes, excessive use is sin, but so is excessive fried and sweet tea.

8. Jesus fulfilled the law. Use the Old Testament to point to Jesus -nothing more. You can’t get to Heaven by trying to follow rules.

9. Please STOP telling people they can get to Heaven by repeating a little prayer. Jesus said “Repent and believe the gospel.”

10. Preach Christ and Him crucified. Nothing more, nothing less. CONTEXT. CONTEXT. CONTEXT.

Oh, by the way, the recording that I listened to was a well-meaning, but unlearned and inexperienced young preacher by the name of Chad Frizzell in 2001. Thank God for His forgiveness and mercy! He changes lives. Even those on a spiritual high-horse!

A Mother's Love (Matthew 20:20-23)

Good morning and welcome to Hope Church Clinton’s Virtual Church on Facebook Live! As we begin, would you please click on that “share” button down below this video and share this live video to your page to help us share the good news of Jesus Christ to the entire world?

Today is Mother’s Day -a day set aside to honor the women that helped mold us and make us into who we are today. 

What is a mother? Mothers are teachers, disciplinarians, janitors, gardeners, nurses, doctors, psychologists, counselors, chauffeurs, and coaches. And some even have professional jobs too! They help develop our personalities, our vocabularies, and our attitudes. Most importantly, mothers are oftentimes a child’s first impression of the love of God. They are all these things a much more.

With all these things in mind, today we are going to talk about a little-known mother in the Bible. She is found in Matthew 20:20-23. I will be reading from the English Standard Version of God’s Word.

Matthew 20:20-23: 

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

In this passage we are introduced to the mother of James and John aka “The Sons of Thunder.” Imagine raising those boys! We are not told her first name, but Matthew refers to her as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” We are told that she “came up to Jesus.” She had heard of this Jesus and about the coming of the kingdom. I’m sure James and John had told her all about the rabbi -the One they had left everything to follow. They probably told her how they were closer to him than most disciples, being two of three that got called away often to be with him.

Since she knew her boys were tight with Jesus, she figured that they would be brass in the coming kingdom. Good old boy system, right? Here’s the kicker -just before we find her falling at the feet of Jesus with this bold request, Jesus tells a parable…

Matthew 20:

 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go, I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Z must have began to worry if her sons would have the authority they so desired in the coming kingdom.

When she saw a chance to talk to Jesus on their behalf, she took it. Matthew tells us that she knelt before Jesus and made her request, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom” (Matthew 20:21b, ESV).

This lady had a lot of nerve! What kind of person, much less a woman in ancient times, approaches a rabbi and tells him what to do??

It’s easy to criticize this mother for this bold and brash act, but today is Mother’s Day, so I want to point out a few good things about Mrs. Zebedee. We also need to realize that when she came to Jesus, he didn’t grant her request, but he didn’t deny it either. He simply reminded her what it cost to have those positions she so desperately wanted her boys to have.

Now, what are some good things about this little-known mother?

She Wanted Her Sons to be in God’s Kingdom

Not only did she want it, she fell at the feet of Jesus begging for it. This is the most important thing we can do as Christian parents -pray for our children. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING FOR THEM. I’ve been a dad for 16 years now, and I can tell you it doesn’t get easier as they grow older. Being a parent is filled with a lot of good times and a lot of bad.

There are times when my kids make me so proud that I want to puff out my chest and strut around like an old Gobbler in the spring, but then there are other times when I’m not very proud at all and I think they can tell by the look on my face.

We must remember this -each stage of life a child enters, he or she will face new challenges just like we did. We need to be praying that they are part of the kingdom of God so they can stand against the attacks of Satan and his minions.

Being a parent is no walk in the park -it’s hard. Mrs. Zebedee gives us a good example, she prayed earnestly that her sons would be part of His kingdom!

Let me ask you this -do you want the best for your children? We all do. But what good is it if our kids grow up to make good money, have fancy cars, big houses, but they don’t know God? What will it matter if they gain the whole world, but lose their souls?

I hope that adult watching this video has a passion to charge the throne room of God begging for the salvation and transformation of the next generation.

She prayed that her sons would be involved in kingdom duties

She didn’t just pray that they would be a part of His kingdom, but she prayed they would be big players in it. She didn’t just want them to set on the bench and watch the game, she wanted them on the field!

Folks, it isn’t enough just to be “saved.” Yes, Jesus is enough, but churches are filled with people just riding the pine and “sitting on their haunches” as my grandmother would say. We come to church, give God an hour or two if He’s lucky and expect Him to bless us all week. We need to be about the business of God, actively involved in the ministry.

Where do children learn ministry? At church? Well, yes, but it begins at HOME. As parents, we must be the example to our children. They need to KNOW that worship, prayer, and Bible study is important. They need to know that “loving your neighbor as yourself” is important. BE THE EXAMPLE to your children.

She had big ambitions for her boys

Like any parent, she had big dreams for her kids. You see, when you are part of the King’s cabinet, there’s not a better seat in the in the court than to the right and left of the Man himself. And that’s EXACTLY where she wanted her boys to be.

It wasn’t enough for them to be in the cheap seats. It wasn’t enough for them to be in the concession stand slinging hot dogs. It wasn’t enough for them to be sitting in the dugout. She wanted them at the top of the lineup.

We may consider her a little too bold, but too many believers have settled for average. Too many of us are happy with getting through the doors of the church, and some of us can’t seem to work up enough energy to do that these days.

It’s time for us to get up and take our positions to the right and left sides of the throne of God. We need to lead by example and do some kingdom work. You may say, “Well, I can’t preach. I can’t teach. I can’t sing.” If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you have been given a gift to use in the Kingdom. Find that gift and USE IT. Jesus didn’t suffer and die on the cross for us to just sit and watch the game.

One reason why Mother’s Day is so special is because a mother’s love is probably the closest illustration we have to God’s love. There’s something special about a mother’s love -it’s sacrificial. A mother will do whatever it takes to protect her children, even if it means death.

That’s exactly what God did for us. The Bible tells us in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves us so much; He was willing to sacrifice Himself in our place. Perhaps you are watching this live stream right now and don’t know what it’s like to feel a mother’s love. A love that is unending and sacrificial. I am well-aware there are children that have been abandoned or neglected by their parents. God has promised never to leave those who put their trust in Him. If you want to feel that type of love, call upon God. Ask him to show Himself to you. Put your faith in Jesus and He will change your heart, your attitude, and your life.

If you want to know more about Jesus Christ, the Bible, or anything about our faith in general, please contact me. You can message me on the Hope Church Clinton Facebook page anytime.

Mothers, this is your day. I pray God blesses you and that you enjoy your time with your loved ones today. Keep praying for your kids, they need it now more than ever.

Right now, we are looking at options as to when we will gather again. I know I am ready to see everyone and I know some of you want to meet as soon as next Sunday, but as pastor, it’s my duty and your leadership team’s duty to make sure you are loved and protected. I have been consulting with medical professionals and various church leaders for wisdom and counsel, but it boils down to this: If someone in our church contracts this virus and passes away, I’ll be the one standing at the coffin wondering if we should’ve waited one more Sunday. Right now, our tentative date to meet again is Sunday, June 7^th and of course, we won’t be back to normal as we know it anytime soon.  That date can change based on circumstances of the pandemic. I’ll send out an email and post more details on Facebook soon.

I love you. I miss you. I’m praying for you. God bless you, Hope Church Clinton! See ya next Sunday!

(Some material for this message was obtained from “Mother’s Day – A Mother’s Love.” A sermon by Melvin Newland.)

Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus: Let's fish! (John 21)

Transcript:

Good morning and welcome to
Hope Church Clinton’s Virtual Church Live Stream video.

I hope you are enjoying these
messages and if you are, please give this video a “like” and hit that “share”
button down there in the corner of your screen! By doing so, you are helping us
reach more people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Well, as you can see, you
caught me doing what I love to do -fishing! Fishing runs deep in my family. My
grandfather was a commercial fisherman and my dad loves to fish more than I do.
Even Levi likes to fish, but not as much as his little sister, Janna Kay. Abbi
refuses to go fishing because of bugs and heat. Josie likes “catching” not
fishing. If she’s fishing ten minutes and nothing’s biting, she is done. This
morning, we have been catching a few bass and bluegill on plastic jigs. It has
been a blast!

I could talk about fishing
all day, but let’s get down to the business we are here for, which actually
involves a little fishing…

Today, I want to continue
discussing some post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. Two Sundays ago, we
talked about two disciples who met Jesus on the Road to Emmaus and last Sunday,
we talked about Jesus’ interaction with Thomas in the Upper Room.

Today, we are going to look
at John 21 and I will be sharing from the English Standard Version of
Scripture, but as I always say, grab your favorite version of the Bible and
let’s dig in…

John 21:

1.  After this Jesus revealed himself again to the
disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.

2.  Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of
Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were
together.

3.  Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They
said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but
that night they caught nothing.

4.  Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore;
yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

5.  Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?”
They answered him, “No.”

6.  Jesus said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of
the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able
to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.

7.  That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to
Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on
his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the
sea.

8.  The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net
full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards
off.

9.  When they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal
fire in place with fish laid out on it, and bread.

10.                 
Jesus said to
them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”

11.                 
So Simon Peter
went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And
although there were so many, the net was not torn.

12.                 
Jesus said to
them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who
are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

13.                 
Jesus came and
took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.

14.                 
This was now the
third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from
the dead.

At the start of John 21 in
verse one we read the words, “After this…” After what? We assume he is talking
about appearing to Thomas and the group in the upper room, but we aren’t
exactly sure. At the end of chapter 20, it’s almost like John has an “in conclusion”
moment but then remembers one last interaction with Jesus that must be
included.

Here it we find Peter and six
other disciples hanging out. Suddenly, Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” The
others think that’s a good idea too, load the boat, and jump in the truck with
him. I often wonder where the other four disciples are, but apparently it was
not that important. Maybe they did not like to fish? Surely not!

The guys fish all night and
catch nothing! But, hey, a bad night fishing beats a good day working, right? Well,
I’m not so sure about that for these anglers; many of them were commercial
fisherman.

Anyways, the sun is coming up
and a guy calls out from the shore, “Hey kids, yall got any fish?!” The only
thing worse than getting skunked fishing is having someone ask about it. I can
hear these guys mumbling and grumbling about this guy on the shore. Was he
being sarcastic? Was he hungry? Did he have a haul he wanted to brag about? We
are not sure, but it was probably like salt in the wound.

“Nope. We haven’t caught a
thing!”

Now, this land lubber is
really testing them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat!” Wooo!
Nothing like someone telling you how to do your job, huh? But it worked! They
caught so many they could hardly retrieve the net!

Well, apparently, something
clicked for John. You see, John is known as the pet or “disciple that Jesus
loved.” It is interesting how he calls himself that over and over in his own
writings. Maybe he was a little hung on himself! Anyways, John realizes the
know-it-all landlubber is Jesus and he tells Peter, “It is the Lord!”

Peter doesn’t say a word. He
grabs his coat and jumps in the sea swimming as fast as he can towards the
shore. I love the way the original languages read here -it says that Peter
literally “threw himself into the sea.” He was excited! It was his Lord. Forget
the fish, forget the boat, forget the boys… I gotta see Jesus!

The other disciples finally
haul all the fish in and join Peter and Jesus on the shore.

Verse 9 tells us that Jesus
had been cooking breakfast for them, namely bread and fish cooking on a
charcoal fire. Peter helps the disciples bring the fish up to Jesus. The writer
here says there are 153 fish. Now, some of my colleagues in ministry like to
speculate about the significance of 153 fish but let us not get into
speculation and eisegesis. Let’s just say, it was a haul and the disciples were
pleased.

They sat down with Jesus and ate;
they knew who he was now. He had taught them. He had led them. He had died for
them. And, he had walked out of the grave for them. John tells us that this is
the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples. Let’s read further…

John 21:

15.                 
When they had
finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love
me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He
said to him, “Feed my lambs”

16.                 
He said to him a
second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord;
you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

17.                 
He said to him
the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because
he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you
know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

18.                 
“Truly, truly, I
say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever
you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another
will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”

19.                 
(This he said to
show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he
said to him, “Follow me.”

What’s going on here? The
guys get finished eating breakfast and Jesus has a little one-on-one chat with
Peter. He asked him, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Who are the
“these” that Jesus is referring to? Well, what, or who, he is referring to are
the other disciples, but this has little to do with comparison for Jesus’ sake.
He is bringing Peter back to an earlier conversation that Matthew records in
his gospel about Jesus foretelling Peter’s denial. When Jesus tells the
disciples in Matthew 26:30-35 that they will all fall away and run, Peter gets
bold and says “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall
away” (Matthew 26:33, ESV). Jesus comes back with “Peter, you will deny me
three times tonight.” Peter, God bless him, does not know when to shut up! Peter
shoves his foot farther in his mouth and boldly says, “Even if I must die with
you, I will not deny you!” (v. 35, ESV)

Most of you know how the
story goes, the night Jesus was arrested, Peter was denies knowing Jesus. The
first time, he denies being a disciple to a servant girl. The second and third
times, he denied knowing Jesus while standing around a fire getting warm. “You
are not one of his disciples, are you?” (John 18:25). “I am not,” Peter said. A
relative of Malchus, the one-eared soldier who had been maimed by Peter at
Jesus’ arrest asked him, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” John 18:27
records what happened next: “Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster
crowed” (ESV)

Here is what is neat. In our
passage today, John told us that Jesus invites the boys to have breakfast with
him. He’s got fish and bread cooking on a “charcoal fire.” The only other time
we find a charcoal fire in the Bible is the one Peter was warming his hands on
when he denied Jesus. Maybe the fire that Jesus had built reminded Peter of a
few nights ago when he denied Christ. I’m not sure, but it’s a cool
observation.

Anyways, Jesus asks him, “Do
you love me?” three times. All three times, Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you
know I love you” or “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” The
first time, Jesus said “Feed my lambs.” The second time, “Tend my sheep.” The
third time, “Feed my sheep.” Three times! Kind of redundant don’t you think?
Jesus asked him THREE TIMES! Peter told Jesus he loved him THREE TIMES maybe
because he had denied him THREE TIMES!

Now that Peter is restored
and rededicated to the Lord, Jesus tells him how he will die a martyr’s death,
hands outstretched and carried to his doom. Historians tell us that Peter was
crucified upside down for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let’s close this thing out by
looking at these last few verses:

John 21:

20.                 
Peter turned and
saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned
back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going
to betray you?”

21.                 
When Peter saw
him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

22.                 
Jesus said to
him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You
follow me!”

23.                 
This is the
disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these
things, and we know that this testimony is true.

24.                 
Now there were
also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I
suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be
written.

Apparently, news of an
impending death is not something any of us want to hear. The same is true for
Peter. He sees John following them, eavesdropping on the conversation. Peter
asks Jesus, “Since I have to die for you, what about your pet over there?”
Jesus basically tells Peter to mind his own business and worry about himself.
Peter’s response sort of reminds me of delegating chores to my children -“What
about her? What is she going to do?”

You worry about you and your
calling. One of the worst things we can do is try to dig a hole in someone
else’s yard. Get back over in your yard and do what you are called to do.

Perhaps you too have denied
Christ one time, two times, three times, or even so many times you cannot
count. I know there are times that I can do something great for God but out of
intimidation, fear, or whatever, I become a coward just like Peter. There are
times I slip and fall, but God is there picking me up and restoring me to who he
called me to be. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world, but we
serve a perfect Savior who gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. The
perfect Lamb of God was slain to pay the price for the wicked and evil things
we have done. That’s good news. That’s gospel. Romans 10:13 tells us “For
everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

My prayer is that you have
called on the name of Jesus. I pray you have repented of your sins and believed
that God raised Jesus from the dead. If you are still questioning your faith or
have some doubts, please reach out to me at chadfrizzell@bellsouth.net. You can find a transcript of this message on my blog
at www.chadfrizzell.com . Please like and share this video right now to help
us share the good news of Jesus Christ to the entire world.

I’m not sure the exact date
that we will be meeting in person again, but we will announce that through Facebook
and email, so keep watch for that. Speaking of that, I want to give a big Hope
Church shout out to our healthcare workers. I know you are weary and tired but
thank God for you. A special thank you to our own Kathy Gifford. She is a nurse
with the Graves County Health Department, and we all know they have been very
busy fighting COVID-19 there. Please keep them in your prayers.

I think Levi may be a fish or
two ahead of me, so I need to show this pup how it is done. I love ya, Hope
Church! Keep loving God and loving others. I’ll see yall next Sunday on
Facebook! Be safe! God bless!

The Doubting Thomas??

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated what the world calls “Easter Sunday” or as I like to call it, “Resurrection Day.” It is a certain Sunday set aside each year to commemorate the risen Christ. Many pastors and Bible teachers end the story with the empty tomb. Afterwards, they dismiss us to eat with our families and hunt eggs, but what else happened following that miracle of miracles? Last Sunday, we talked about what is commonly known as the Road to Emmaus and how two disciples unknowingly walked seven miles with Jesus without even recognizing him! It was not until they sat down at supper with him that they figured out it was the Lord. He then vanishes and they take off running back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples about this amazing occurrence. I feel the need to insert a fun fact here. Nearly every time we find the resurrected Jesus in Scripture, there’s food involved.

Today, let’s pick up where we left off. The disciples are locked in the upper room for fear of the Jews -namely the chief priests and others who had a hand in the execution of Jesus. This is the same upper room where Jesus had eaten the Passover meal with his disciples just four days earlier. The disciples naturally assumed their deaths would be imminent since it was no secret that they were his closest friends and followers.

John 20:19-23, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld’” (English Standard Version).

Now let’s get to the focus of today’s message in verse 24:

24) “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

25) So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into his side, I will never believe.’

26) Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’

27) Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’

28) Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’

29) Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” (ESV).

        This passage features an exchange between Jesus and one of the disciples named Thomas, also called “the Twin.” Thanks to his fellow disciples fine writing skills, Thomas would have a new alias, “Doubting Thomas.” John felt the need to include this little event while the other gospel writers did not, and it will haunt Thomas up to this day and beyond. But was Thomas really a doubter? Was he really one who tossed his faith to the wind and believed it all to be a farce or a lie? Not hardly. You see, Thomas had an unmatched love for his friend Jesus and the courage of a lion. To see that side of Thomas, we must look deeper into Scripture, because even his buddy, John, shows us the other side of the one known as the Doubter.

        In the eleventh chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus receives word that one of his best friends is on his deathbed. Jesus often stayed at the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary when he passed through Bethany. Now, Lazarus was gravely ill and Jesus knew he was going to die. When it was time for Jesus to go to Bethany, he said, “Let us go to Judea again” (John 11:7b, ESV). With Jesus’ words, the disciples go crazy. “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” (John 11:8b, ESV). You must understand that Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem, home of the chief priests and Pharisees that wanted to hurt Jesus. The disciples knew that if they got that close to the Holy City, harm would certainly befall their leader. All of them expressed serious concern -except one. In John 11:16 it says, “So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” (ESV). Do you see it? That’s not the voice of a doubter. That’s the voice of a soldier who is willing to die for his commander. What Thomas is saying is, “If Jesus is going to die in Bethany, I’m going to die right beside him. Load up.”

        In the fourteenth chapter of the same gospel, Jesus is teaching his disciples that he will be leaving soon and would be back to get them later. He was trying to tell them he would be dying soon, rising from the dead and ascending to the Father then someday returning in glory. In verse four, Jesus tells them, “And you know the way to where I am going” (ESV). A stunned Thomas speaks on behalf of the group, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (ESV). Do you hear the desperation in his voice? He wants to follow Jesus. He must follow Jesus. How can they follow him if they don’t know the way? Why doesn’t Jesus just let them tag along? Do not leave me Jesus, I love you! I need you! To me, that does not sound at all like wishy-washy doubting faith. That sounds like a sold-out, committed follower of Jesus.

        So what happened? Obviously, Thomas wasn’t in the upper room locked away like the other disciples when Jesus came. When he got there, the others were elated to tell him that they had seen the Lord, but Thomas was downtrodden, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25b, ESV). Thomas was emotionally devastated. He had lost his best friend. His heart was broken at the death of Jesus. He was going through the motions, denying or depressed that his rabbi was dead. The next verse picks up eight days later the following Monday when the disciples were still locked inside the Upper Room. Suddenly, Jesus appears again and does an encore of “Peace be with you” (John 20:26c, ESV). Then he tells Thomas to put his finger in his nail-scarred hands and place his hand in the hole on his side left by the Roman soldier’s spear. Thomas realizes Jesus is alive! He says to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28b, ESV). Can you see Thomas jumping up and down, running around the room like an excited kid at Christmastime? His friend was alive! Jesus was alive!

        Poor Thomas, a devout follower of Jesus, his reputation wrecked by a few verses written by his pal, John. Or was it? Did John really say that Thomas was a doubter? That was not the case, but centuries of misunderstanding and diatribes by well-meaning yet uneducated preachers, has tarnished Thomas’ good name. In John 20:27, Jesus said to Thomas, “Do not disbelieve, but believe” (ESV). The King James Version puts it this way, “Be not faithless, but believing.” You will not find the word “doubt” anywhere in this passage. Only one of the major translations or versions of Scripture uses “doubt” or “doubting” in this verse. While I enjoy reading that version at times, I strongly believe it uses the wrong English word in this verse. Thomas wasn’t the doubter that James talked about in his epistle where he writes, “But let him ask in faith, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6, ESV). The word “doubt” in James is a totally different word than the word John uses in the original language by the way. Someone else summed it up best: Thomas’ hope was in Jesus and when Jesus died, Thomas’ hope died too. Thomas might have been the pessimist of the group, but his loyalty to Jesus was unmatched.

        What does this mean for us today? Well, let me ask you this, since you have been a believer, have you ever wondered where Jesus was? A loved one died too soon. You were terminated from your job for doing the right thing. Your spouse betrayed you and had an affair. You wonder where Jesus is… When you are at a low point in life questioning the presence of God, good Christian friends will be there telling you, “He is here! We have seen him!” You had hope at one time, but it died. And these well-meaning friends saying “Open your eyes and look around, Jesus is everywhere!” are really getting on your nerves. You need to touch him. You need to feel him for yourself. And then, out of nowhere (whether it’s eight days or eighty years later), Jesus gets down on your level, looks you in the eye, and makes himself known to you all over again. We tend to forget that it does not take much faith to move a mountain -only faith the size of a mustard seed. If you can drum up that much faith, you can move mountains. Honestly, Jesus did not have to come back to that room eight days later for Thomas, but he did because he loved Thomas. Jesus did not have to die on the cross for me, but he so did because he loves me. Each day, Jesus reveals himself to us through his Word, all I must do is open my Bible and read the Jesus story. When my hope starts to die, I do not doubt there is a God. I trust God more. I lean on him, even when I cannot see him. I open his Word and read the life stories of these ordinary, broken men and women who followed Him. They were not super disciples. They did not have something I do not. They had fears. They had frustrations. At times, they were hopeless, but just like me, they had Jesus. At the end of our passage, Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29b, ESV). That includes you and me. Even though I haven’t seen Jesus face-to-face physically, I’ve seen Him at work in my own life and in the lives of other believers that have overcome addiction, adultery, idolatry, hatred, deceit, and yes, even doubt among other sins. There is no sin God cannot forgive. There is no life that God cannot change. In Mark 1:15, Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (ESV). Salvation in Jesus is free, but it isn’t cheap. It cost Jesus His life. If you put your faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, you can have new life. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV). 

NOTE: This blog post is an adapted transcript of my sermon streamed live on Facebook on April 25, 2020. Please check out Hope Church Clinton by CLICKING HERE!

Will we sacrifice our witness to exercise our rights?

If you truly know me, you know that I love liberty and freedom. I am a separatist to the core. I do not preach politics from the pulpit, only the written Word of God. I believe the government has no right to control churches, nor do I believe the church has a right to control governments. I saw the attached comments on a Facebook post earlier and it helped me confirm what I had been feeling throughout the last few days. It may be our constitutional right to do church as we please, but dare we sacrifice our witness to an unchurched world in the process? In 1 Corinthians 6:12, the Apostle Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything” (ESV). In context, we aren’t exactly sure what Paul was referring to (eating meat sacrificed to idols?), but we get the point. May we dare not use our liberty to cause another to stumble or to become a slave to freedom itself.

Either way, these two persons have lost respect for the Bride of Christ along the way. Church-hurt. Something we as pastors and believers will have to answer for someday. It is paramount we preach Truth, but we must preach Truth and live it out in love. If someone walks out of our church with a “never again” attitude, I pray they will also be able to say that it was the Word of God that offended them and not my self-righteous attitude or opinions. Lord, heal our churches and heal our land. Come, Lord Jesus. Come.