"Walking Toward the Sunset" - Doug Rehberg

Robert Robinson was born in 1735 in Norfolk, England to poor parents. When Robert was 8 his father died. When he was 14 he was sent by his mother to London to learn how to be a barber.

There in London he became involved with a gang of lawbreakers and carousers. For three years he pursued the passions of his flesh. But then one night, at age 17, he attended a meeting where George Whitefield was preaching. He and his friends came to mock the words of Whitefield, but he came away converted.

Several years later he felt called to preach. He entered the school of ministry and within a few more years he became a Methodist pastor. Years later he left the Methodist Church and moved to Cambridge, England to undertake pastoral duties for the Baptists. Here he became known as more than a pastor. He was known as a theologian and hymn writer. He wrote theological treatises and many hymns.

When Robinson was 23 he wrote perhaps his most famous hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” In its second stanza he refers to the words of I Samuel 7:12 where Samuel is said to have taken a stone and called its name, “Ebenezer”, as a symbol of God’s power and faithfulness. Robinson refers to it this way, “Here I raise my Ebenezer – hither by thy help I’ve come.”

Yet in the third stanza he says, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it – prone to leave the God I love.” What Robinson writes in verse three is prophetic. After years of following Jesus he wanders from the pathway and once again lives a life characterized by lapses into sin, instability, and spurious teaching.

The story is told that one day he’s riding a stagecoach when he notices a woman deeply engrossed in a hymn book. She’s humming a hymn, and when she sees him looking her way she says, “Do you know this hymn?” Robinson stares at her saying, “Know it? I wrote it.” The hymn was “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Robinson said, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds if I had the feelings I had when I wrote them.” Of course the answer to Robert Robinson’s desperate longing was the same one he discovered at 17. The words of this hymn contain two significant truths – we can wander and the Lord never does.

This third week of our series, “Fully Alive” we turn to the life and ministry of Jesus. From Joseph, to Esther, to Jesus!

We will be in Luke 24 where two disciples (unnamed) are walking away from Jerusalem and toward Emmaus. It’s Easter afternoon and they are walking away! Like Robinson they are dispirited and lost in their own self-contemplation. They have left their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, not believing a word of the news that Jesus is alive. This familiar text – Luke 24:13-35 - contains much more truth than is often seen. The VBS question for the week is: “How can you live like Jesus is still at work in this world?” It’s a question to which those two guys on that road think they have an answer. Before Jesus shows up they’re dead wrong. After He leaves they not only know the truth, they’ve experienced it all over again.

In preparation for Sunday’s message, “Walking toward the Sunset”, you may wish to consider the following:

1. What is a disciple?
2. How did one become a disciple in Jesus’ day?
3. What are the evidences that none of Jesus’ disciples qualified to follow Him?
4. How does Jesus totally abrogate rabbinic practice of His day in calling His disciples?
5. How far and in what direction is Emmaus from Jerusalem?
6. How does Jesus’ behavior in this text mirror His behavior three years earlier?
7. How cogent is the discussion the two disciples are having as they walk along? Why does Jesus ask them about it in verse 7?
8. On what grounds does Jesus call them foolish in verse 25?
9. Why do they invite Him in verse 28?
10. How does Jesus impart His grace to them? What difference does it make in their lives?

See you Sunday!

"The Great Planner" - Doug Rehberg

When I was an undergraduate, back before most of you were born, I mentioned recently in our study of James. His name was Dr. Delvin Covey. Like James who says, “Come now you rich…”, Covey famously slapped down a student this way, “Class, let’s move on before we have time to contemplate that last comment.”

But there’s another memory I have of Dr. Covey, one that involves his response to a fellow professor. The other professor was new to campus. He had little knowledge of Covey or his pedigree. One day, in a lecture hall full of students, he asked Covey, “How is it that a Gordon professor made it all the way to Yalta as a translator for President Roosevelt?”

Now, you may recall that the Yalta Conference occurred in Eastern Europe in February 1945. It was a summit in which the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia met to determine the future of postwar Germany and the rest of Europe.

Covey paused a moment, then replied for all to hear, “My dear sir the question is not how did I get to Yalta, but how did I ever get here?” I was reminded of Dr. Covey’s comment when Ellen Dillard, our Children’s Ministry Director, gave me a copy of the questions to be addressed this month at Vacation Bible School. The question for Day 2 (or this week’s message) is particularly interesting. “How can you live like God has a plan for you?” I can hear Dr. Covey, and anyone with the slightest biblical acumen answering, “How can you not?” In other words, what possible evidence can you provide that God does not have a plan for every life?

In theology it’s called the doctrine of divine providence. (You may want to read the bulletin insert this week for a fuller description of this doctrine.) The Bible clearly testifies (on nearly every page) that God is executing His plan meticulously throughout all of human history.

Perhaps the clearest expression of His providence is the incomparable words of Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” But there are other profound illustrations  in both Testaments, including the story of Esther. Think of it. Here’s a young exiled Jewess who becomes Queen of Persia by divine providence. God puts her there to deliver His people from slaughter by a proud and power-hungry king who just happens to be her husband! This ten chapter book screams of God’s providential role in every circumstance of every life. We will highlight this fact on Sunday in a message entitled “The Great Planner”. The text is Esther 1:1-5, 10-12 and 2:1-4, 15-23. In preparation for Sunday’s message you may wish to consider the following: 

1. Consider reading the Book of Esther.
2. How many times is God mentioned in the Book of Esther?
3. More than a century before the king’s party (in Chapter 1) God had moved a Persian King (Cyrus) to allow Jewish exiles to return to their homeland. Where’s God’s grace on display in the story of Esther?
4. Ahasureus is the Babylonian name of this Persian king. His Persian name is better known. What is it?
5. On what grounds does the king “divorce” his wife Vashti?
6. What New Testament parallels come to mind when you think: wine, women, and debauchery?
7. How does God use the king’s sin to bring about His purposes in chapter 2?
8. On what grounds does the king choose Esther to be queen? Can you think of any Old and New Testament parallels?
9. How does Mordecai prove in chapter 2 that God’s in charge?
10. How does God use the Book of Esther to show us what true trust and worship are?

See you Sunday!

"Living Like God's In Charge" - Doug Rehberg

This week we begin a six-week series entitled “Fully Alive” that mirrors this year’s VBS Curriculum.

In John 10:10 Jesus is speaking of Himself as the Door of the Sheep and He says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they (the sheep) may have life and have it abundantly.” What does it mean to have an abundant life? That is the theme of what we will be examining from the pulpit the next 6 Sundays and throughout the VBS week – June 24-28^th.

This first Sunday, we will examine the life of Joseph, Jesus’ namesake. As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, no biblical figure mirrors Jesus any more clearly than the 11^th son of Jacob, Joseph. And no experiences of Joseph’s life parallel the life of Jesus any more closely than the pain, suffering, and persecution he endures at the hands of sinful men. Rather than being outside the control of a loving God, each pain and affliction is a significant piece of the beautiful tapestry of Joseph’s life that produces countless blessings for others. In short, without the pain, betrayal, and suffering there would be no deliverance for others. Whether it’s in a pit, a caravan, a prison, or on a cross, the life of both of our Joseph’s trumpets the truth that God is never, absent from the lives of His people. Indeed, it's in the affliction that His presence is often best experienced and seen.

In preparation for Sunday’s message, “Living Like God is With You”, you may wish to consider the following:

1. Read II Corinthians 12:2-10 and ask yourself if Paul’s thorn in the flesh was a good gift or a bad one? 
2. What were the benefits of Paul’s thorn to himself and others?
3. What’s the difference between preaching and sharing?
4. Why does God give us so many illustrations of brokenness in the Bible?
5. What is the connection between brokenness and healing in Scripture?
6. Why does God require a broken Joseph to heal the brokenness in his brothers?
7. How does Joseph heal them in verse 4?
8. How does he heal them in verse 5?
9. How does he heal them in verse 24?
10. How is Joseph’s life a powerful portrait of Jesus?

See you Sunday! Don’t forget the patio dedication at noon and the Food Truck from 11:00 – 1:00PM!

Making Disciples - Dan Weightman

If you were to do a survey among believers and ask them about their primary focus as a Christian, you would likely receive a variety of responses. Some may say we are to focus on loving God and loving others. Others may say their focus is on service or worship. Still others may point to outreach and evangelism. Each of these are good answers, but at the end of Jesus’ time on earth it is notable that Jesus chose to put the spotlight on “making disciples.” If this is the focus, how do we accomplish this task and how are we to understand the Great Commission? This Sunday we are going to look at the wisdom behind this often neglected and misunderstood priority as we study the methods Jesus employed in making His own disciples.

"You Are Your Brother's Keeper" - Scott Parsons

The early church fathers considered church discipline as one of the marks of the true church.  If their assessment is true it should trouble us, because church discipline has become exceedingly rare these days.  I think there are a number of reasons for this.  For starters, it seems as if offending someone today has become the greatest of all sins, and few things offend a person more than pointing out their sin.  That is compounded by our mobile society in which a new church which will either ignore or even embrace their sin is usually pretty easy to find.  So rather than risking offending and losing church members, we simply say nothing.  Church discipline is also hampered by the reality that none of us is perfect. The “let him who is without sin throw the first stone” thing makes many of us afraid to speak up.  We know our sin and we really don’t want anyone pointing a finger back at us!  

But I think the greatest drawback with church discipline is the way in which we have formalized it.  We have taken it out of the realm of personal relationships and given it to church Sessions, Presbyteries and General Assemblies, with courtroom-like rules and regulations that make the process so formal, unyielding, complicated and ineffective that it ceased having any impact on the holiness of individuals.

James, as I believe the rest of Scripture does, clearly states that the responsibility for holding one another accountable for their sins belongs to each of us.  If you see your brother or sister falling into sin, you do not have the luxury of looking away, or waiting on some official body to step in and do something.  You are your brother’s keeper.  That is how God has designed His kingdom.  We tend to think of our relationship with God as deeply personal and private.  It is something strictly between God and me.  But in reality, salvation not only brings us into a relationship with God, but also brings us into a relationship with each other!  Together we are viewed by God as the bride of Christ.  Together we represent Christ to a fallen world.  Therefore if a brother or sister sins and wanders from Jesus, we have a responsibility to them and to God to bring them back.  That is how James concludes his book.  

Sunday we will talk primarily about how we reach out to those caught in sin.  I would encourage you to reread the entire book as you prepare for Sunday, and ask God to open your heart and mind to His calling on your life.

Blessings,

Scott

"Healing Prayer" - Doug Rehberg

In 1986 Bon Jovi released their third album, “Slippery When Wet”; and on it was the song, “Livin’ On a Prayer”. A good friend of mine counts this song one of his favorites of all time.

The song was the creation of three men: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child. The song is the band’s signature song, topping fan-voted lists for decades. After the September 11, 2001 attacks – in which New Jersey was the second-hardest hit state after New York, suffering hundreds of casualties, the band performed an acoustic version of this song for both states.

When asked to speak about the song and its meaning, Jon Bon Jovi said, “It deals with the way two kids – Tommy and Gina – face life’s struggles, and how their love and ambitions get them through the hard times. It’s working class and it’s real…I wanted to tell a story about people I knew…a lifestyle I knew.”

Here are a few lyrics:

Once upon a time not so long ago

Tommy used to work on the docks, union’s been on strike

He’s down on his luck, it’s tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day working for her man

She brings home her pay, for love, for love

She says, we’ve got to hold on to what we’ve got

It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not

We’ve got each other and that’s a lot for love

We’ll give it a shot

Woah, we’re half way there

Woah, livin’ on a prayer

Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear

Woah, livin’ on a prayer

Now James would understand that. As we’ve seen throughout our examination of this letter, life for the first century Christians is far tougher than what Tommy and Gina were facing; they had livelihoods. Many of those to whom James is writing don’t. Add to that the loss of loved ones due to intense persecution, the rampant spread of disease, and oppression, and their lot in life was meager at best.

So what does James tell them at the conclusion of his letter? What practical exhortation does he give them in verses 13-18? In a word – “PRAY”. He calls them not to live “on a prayer”, but to establish a lifestyle of prayer in which every want and need, joy and blessing is bathed in prayer. Look at what he says here. He talks about the incalculable value of prayer. In fact, in six verses he mentions prayer seven times, describing its application and its power. We are going to look carefully at all of this on Sunday, Mother’s Day, in a message entitled, “Healing Prayer”. I hope you are planning to be with us, especially since this text has been used throughout the centuries to support some serious fallacies.

In preparation for Sunday, you may wish to consider the following:

1. What examples do you have of specific answered prayer in your life?
2. Did God ever surprise you in answering your prayer?
3. How are the words of James 5:13-18 an elaboration of what James says earlier in his letter?
4. In verse 13 what’s James saying about what our focus should be in all circumstances?
5. How are praying and praising two sides of the same coin?
6. What can we learn from verses 14 and 15 about the extremity of the need for prayer in special cases? (note the word “over” in verse 14)
7. Is James promising healing every time the elders anoint with oil and pray?
8. Who does he say we should confess our sins to? What are the circumstances?
9. Why does James cite Elijah as an example of effective prayer?
10. How is this example an encouragement to us?

See you Sunday!

"Patience" - Doug Rehberg

A woman once approached the famous violinist Fritz Kreisler after one of his virtuoso performances. Her approach was actually more like a rushing teenage groupie. As soon as she was within shouting distance she exclaimed, “I’d give my life to play as beautifully as you do!” Kreisler’s reply was a classic. He smiled and said, “I did,” and walked away.

Last week a dear friend was lamenting his lack of patience with his wife. The same day I heard another man say, “I hate traffic; just hate it!”

This week I read about a man who hates to stand in line anywhere he goes. Every time he sees a line - at the grocery store, a ball game, anywhere, he always says the same thing, “I stood in line all through the Army and I don’t intend to stand in any more lines for the rest of my life!” Now when we hear the word, “Patience”, that’s what we normally think; lines, spouses, traffic. But not our friend, James. He’s talking about a patience that is much more like that of Fritz Kreisler than that ex-Army man.

Throughout our four-month investigation of James’ letter we have repeatedly seen how practical James is, and how relevant his words are to our lives. Rather than portraying the Christian life as a war or a series of big spiritual battles, it’s a series of small choices we make every day.

One of my college professors, Thomas Howard, famously said, “Heaven and hell are under every bush.” And what he meant by that is what James is talking about throughout this letter. Hell is, “Your life for mine.” In other words, “It’s all about me…The purpose of your life is to satiate my deepest desires.” Heaven is the opposite, “My life for yours. I am here to love you as I love myself.”

In Sunday’s text, James 5:7-12, we will hear James talking about the necessity of patience. It’s a patience that resembles not only the Old Testament prophets and people like Job, but God Himself. If anyone ever demonstrated biblical patience, it’s Jesus Himself.

As with most of James’ words, there’s a lot in this text. If we begin to see the Holy Spirit applying its truth to or lives, our joy and peace will explode. In preparation for Sunday’s message entitled “Patience” you may wish to consider the following:

1. Why does James pepper these verses with the word, “brother”; or as some manuscripts say, “brother and sisters?”
2. What six imperatives does James issue in these six verses? (Hint: One of them is repeated.)
3. What do you know about the early and latter rains in Palestine?
4. What does James mean in verse 8 when he says, “Establish your hearts”?
5. What does James analogize to the latter rain?
6. How does the coming of the Lord breed biblical patience?
7. Why the admonition against grumbling in verse 9? What connecting is there between patience and a lack of grumbling?
8. What is the secret to steadfastness?
9. What does avoiding oath-taking and swearing by heaven or earth have to do with patience?
10. Look at Luke 9:51 and what Jesus does. James uses the same word to describe what he calls all of his brothers and sisters to do.

See you Sunday!