Stewards of Grace

Sunday Evening Sermons

Stewards of Grace

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Not From Around Here: The Complicated Life of a Sojourner / Stewardship; Spiritual Gifts / 1 Peter 4:9–11

Dave Stone says that “service is the language of grace.”

One day a couple of church members were out distributing loaves of bread in a low-income housing complex. They came to an apartment where they heard arguing through the door, but they decided to knock anyway. A man opened the door and asked what they wanted. One of the visitors said, “We don’t want anything. We just wondered if you know anyone who could use some loaves of bread?”

“Why are you doing that?” the man asked.

“Just to let people know that God loves them.”

“What did you just say?” the man asked, rather anxiously.

“We’re just handing out loaves of bread to let people know that God loves them.”

The man stared and said, “I can’t believe this. We just buried our three-week-old son yesterday, and now here you are at our door.”

The visitors offered to pray with them, and the couple accepted their offer. As they were leaving, and the door was being closed, they heard the husband say to his wife, “See, honey? I told you God cares. We thought he wasn’t paying attention to us, but he sent those people here to make sure we knew.”

Too many people make excuses as to why they can’t serve. Can you bake a cake? Can you cook some food item? Can you cut someone’s grass? Can you call people and give them an encouraging word? Can you do housework? Can you do handy work? Can you donate anything of value? Can you stop along your way and give a smile? Can you take an interest in someone else’s life?

The big thing is that you have to be ready to serve. You have to open your eyes and your ears to the needs of others.

As we continue to study 1 Peter, we see that even though we are not from around here, we are to use what God gives us, to help those who are around here. Perhaps they will also become pilgrims and join us in our journey to a better country. God has given us so many things, let us together be stewards of God’s grace.

Use Every Gift God Has Given You.

1 Peter 4:10 KJV

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

A “steward” was one who served as a house manager; he had no wealth of V 2, p 854 his own, but distributed his master’s wealth according to his master’s will and direction. The “gift” (charisma) stems from God’s grace (charitos). His grace is manifested to His church as believers exercise their spiritual gifts in service to each other. His grace is evident in its various forms, that is, it is “manifold” (nasb), variegated, rich in variety (poikil?s; cf. 1:6, where Peter said trials are poikilois, or varied).1

1 Roger M. Raymer, “1 Peter,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 853–854.

“As” is in the Greek text “in whatever quality or quantity.” The word “gift” here is not the usual Greek word, but one that refers to the special spiritual enablements given graciously to certain Christians as an aid in the discharge of the special duties to which God has called them, as in I Corinthians 12 and 13. The word “stewards” is literally “one who governs a household.” It speaks of the responsibility of the proper use and disposition of something entrusted to one’s care.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 116.

Use The Gift of Hospitality

1 Peter 4:9 KJV

Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

The word “hospitality” is the translation of a Greek word meaning literally “friendly to strangers.” Thus the thought in the mind of the apostle is not that of hospitality shown to one’s friends who do not need it, but to Christians who in their travels for the Lord Jesus, or for whatever other reason, may be in need of food and shelter. The persecutions which some of these Christians were enduring deprived them often of the necessities of life, and such an exhortation as this was needed.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 115–116.

  • without grudging

But even with all its value, the practice was often a costly act of love for Christians who themselves often lived on a hand-to-mouth basis. Thus Peter does not simply call for hospitality (a virtue that they knew about and that would be even more in demand as persecution forced believers to flee their native villages), but for it to be offered “ungrudgingly.” This term, which means “grumbling” or “complaining”

Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 159.

On June 28 (2005), four Navy SEAL commandos were on a mission in Afghanistan, searching for a notorious al-Qaeda terrorist leader hiding in a Taliban stronghold.

As the battle ensued, three of the SEALs were killed, and the fourth, Marcus Luttrell was blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade and blown over a cliff. Severely injured, he spent the next four days fighting off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, and then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

They took Luttrell back to their village, where the law of hospitality, considered “strictly non-negotiable,” took hold. “They were committed to defend me against the Taliban,” Luttrell wrote, “until there was no one left alive.” (Lone Survivor – by Marcus Luttrell)

Use the Gift of Speech

1 Peter 4:11 KJV

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Peter gives two general examples of how God’s gifts should be used. First, “if someone speaks” covers the whole range of speaking gifts, that is, glossolalia (the second half of which comes from the verb Peter is using), prophecy, teaching, and evangelism (or preaching). It is not referring to casual talk among Christians, nor is it referring only to the actions of elders or other church officials (to whom it will be restricted in the Apostolic Fathers), but to each Christian who may exercise one of these verbal gifts. Such speech is not to be simply his or her own good ideas, nor even good exegesis, but “as … the very words of God.” 

2 Corinthians 2:17 KJV

For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:2 KJV

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Use The Gift of Service

1 Peter 4:11 KJV

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Ability that God Giveth:

…appears only here and in 2 Cor. 9:10 in the NT. It originally meant “to pay the expense for training a chorus” for a Greek theater or “to defray the expenses for something.” In 2 Corinthians it indicates a God who “will supply and multiply your resources” (RSV). Here the Christian sees a service that God wants done. One can try to do it out of one’s own zeal and strength (which might appear effective in some ministries, but not in others, e.g., healing), a recipe for ultimate ineffectiveness and burnout, or one can depend on that strength which God provides; God has ordered the job done; God will pay the expenses, be they material, physical, or emotional. He “backs up the act” of the Christian who is being a good steward of his gifts in dependence on him.1

1 Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 161–162.

The Ultimate Aim is the Glory of God.

1 Peter 4:11 KJV

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Some of us remember the bitter conflict between Russia and Finland in 1939. At last, Finnish officials ordered evacuation of their beloved homeland, including that of an old lady living alone. She had only a few hours to gather together her belongings. She was also told that to prevent the house from falling into Russian hands, it would be burned when she left. When the soldiers returned to pick up the dear soul, she was on her knees scrubbing the floor. Being astonished, they asked: “Mother, did you not understand we must burn your home?”

“Yes,” she said, “but if I must give it to my country, I want it to be the best I have to give.”

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:36 AM October 8, 2020.

Not Dead Yet!

Sunday Morning Sermons

Not Dead Yet

Not Dead Yet

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Matthew 12:20

He’s washed up! He is a has-been, no longer necessary, useless! – These are all statements made in our cruel world when someone does not benefit another like he used to. Human beings can be written off and forgotten about quickly. Now, To be sure this seems harsh, but it is the way of business. If you cannot do the job, you are replaced. If you have made a stupid remark, or decision, you are forced into early retirement. If you listen to a pitcher who should be replaced, you will no longer manage the Red Socks. – This is simply the way things are.

It is a wonderful thing to be a blood-bought, born again Christian. There is nothing that the devil can do that will erase salvation! Butt… there are many Christians who feel that they are no longer useful to our Savior. We have been led to believe that God has sees our failure and has put us on the shelf, never to be used for his glory. It is a horrible feeling to believe that God has discarded you!

Our passage this morning is a quotation from Isaiah 42:1-4. The prophet is explaining how the messiah will be recognized. One distinct characteristic is that he will not get rid of the weak and broken. This morning let us meditate on this truth: Where there is life, there is hope… and we are not dead yet!

Jesus will not break a bruised reed

Matthew 12:20 KJV
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

A. Small stick with a crack or weak spot- not a mighty oak tree.

  1. Not much good for building
  2. Still had life in it

B. Bruised= an outward sigh of an inward hurt

  1. Personal failure
  2. The failure and hurt of others toward you

C. This bruise captivates the soul- Jesus sets you free!

Luke 4:18 KJV
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

D. David’s soul was bruised after his sin

  1. Guilt

Psalm 51:5 KJV
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psalm 51:7 KJV
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

  1. Lost joy

Psalm 51:12 KJV
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.

  1. Broken heart

Psalm 51:17 KJV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

E. God heals the bruised heart

  1. God is greater than your heart

1 John 3:20 KJV
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

  1. God heals the broken heart

Psalm 147:3 KJV
He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds.

   Hearts are flowers; they remain open to the softly falling dew, but shut up in the violent downpour of rain.—Jean Paul Richter

Robert J. Morgan, Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 338.

Jesus will not quench the smoking flax

Matthew 12:20 KJV
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

A. The picture

  1. A little light
  2. A little heat
  3. A lot of irritating smoke.

B. Peter

  1. Proclaimed his loyalty to Christ Matthew 26:33–35 KJV
    Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.

  1. Peter denied Christ and wept bitterly

Matthew 26:73–75 KJV
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

  1. Peter was greatly used after he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:41 KJV
    Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Jesus will bring judgment to victory

Matthew 12:20 KJV
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.

A. Victory over emotions

1 John 3:20 KJV
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 KJV
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

B. Victory over the flesh

Romans 6:6–11 KJV
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C. Victory over guilt

Romans 8:1 KJV
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:31 KJV
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:33 KJV
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.

D. Victory over death

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 KJV
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I recently read a peculiar story about a family in Lander, Wyoming that had gone to their local refuse dump to dispose of some unwanted family items that were either busted or greatly abused. As they were emptying there junk into a large dumpster, the man of the home saw something that caught his eye. It was apparently an ornate, antique four-poster bed that had been left there by some other family.

The man called to his wife to have her to look at it as well. After a few moments of discussion they both agreed that it most likely could be stored to its original condition. So, even though it was a bit worn and tattered, they began to inquire about that possibility with the management staff of the refuse center. They found that they there was no problem with taking the grand piece of junk home if they would just pay a small fee of a few dollars.

They proceeded to load the headboard, footboard and the wooden rails into the back of their pickup and pull-along trailer. As they were loading the post, which were separate pieces, they began to question the weight of each one. The husband felt they were quite a bit heavier than he had imagined they would be. But they finally got all the pieces loaded and drove home.

When they got home, the husband backed the truck and trailer into his driveway with the assistance of his wife and eldest son. They then proceeded to unload the bed one piece at a time. To their amazement, as their son picked up one end of the first bed-post, the finial at the top worked loose and slipped out of its socket. Thankfully they were standing in the front yard and a nearby hedge broke the fall, catching the post. But suddenly they heard the weirdest noise.

As they turned to look toward the area of the noise, something caught the glimpse of the father’s eye. A few silver coin tumbled to the ground near the base of the bush. After picking up the loose coins he looked in the opened end of the bed-post and to his surprise there were more silver coins inside. With the help of his son, he picked up the opposing end and hundreds of silver, brass and gold coins came rolling out onto the lawn. Many of the gold ones dated back into the 1800’s and almost all of the coins were near mint condition. After close inspection of the other three posts, they, too, were completely hollow and contained equal amounts of coinage.

What was cast away because of external circumstances had great value inside. Jesus not only sees our warn exterior, but also sees who we are and who we can become in Him. There is still life, there is still hope. We are not dead yet!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:54 AM October 7, 2020.

When The War Is Over

Sunday Evening Sermons

When The War Is Over

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Heaven; Kingdom; Eternity / Revelation 21:1–5; Revelation 22:1–7

A man who has a layover at an airport does not go into the bathroom, frown at its decor, and start redecorating! Why? Because he doesn’t live there. He has a home in another place. While he is away he will get by with only what he absolutely needs, to have more money with which to furnish his permanent home.

Why do we Christians work hard at trying to make our life in this world more comfortable? This is just the airport and we are in transit. We should spend our energy on enhancing our eternal reward, and not worry so much about the bare walls in the airport restrooms.638

The struggle to get through this sin cursed world is real and it is exhausting. However, we do not face these troubled times of folks with no hope. I have read the final chapter in God’s Book. I know how the story ends. I know what happens when the war is over!

There will be no more separation from God.

Revelation 21:3 KJV

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

 • God and man were close in the Garden of Eden.

 • Sin separated God and man.

 • God will be with man face to face again.

Revelation 22:4 KJV

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

There will be no more tears of regret.

Revelation 21:4 KJV

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Heaven

Dr. W. A. Criswell, the beloved pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was once asked, “Will we know each other when we get to heaven?” His answer: “We won’t really know each other until we get to heaven.

There will be no more death.

Revelation 21:4 KJV

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

1 Corinthians 15:26 KJV

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 KJV

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:10 KJV

But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

There will be no more sorrow = mourning that comes as a result of sickness and death.

Revelation 21:4 KJV

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Isaiah 35:10 KJV

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with songs And everlasting joy upon their heads: They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 25:8 KJV

He will swallow up death in victory; And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: For the LORD hath spoken it.

There will be no more crying 

 • a Greek word imitating the raven’s cry that denotes a great outcry or clamor.

Psalm 30:11 KJV

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

There will be no more pain.

Isaiah 33:24 KJV

And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

There will be no more curse.

Revelation 22:3 KJV

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Romans 8:21–23 KJV

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

There will be no more night.

Revelation 22:4–5 KJV

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Isaiah 60:19–20 KJV

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; Neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: But the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, And thy God thy glory. 

Thy sun shall no more go down; Neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: For the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, And the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Jesus is coming soon!

Revelation 22:7 KJV

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22:12 KJV

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 22:17 KJV

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Our Labor Is Not In Vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Heaven

“There are a lot of questions the Bible doesn’t answer about the Hereafter. But I think one reason is illustrated by the story of a boy sitting down to a bowl of spinach when there’s a chocolate cake at the end of the table. He’s going to have a rough time eating that spinach when his eyes are on the cake. And if the Lord had explained everything to us about what’s ours to come, I think we’d have a rough time with our spinach down here” (Vance Havner).

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:51 AM October 1, 2020.

Welcome Home

Sunday Morning Sermons

Welcome Home

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Heaven / 2 Corinthians 5:6–8

A preacher and a song leader were both avid baseball fans. These guys didn’t just like baseball; they lived, breathed and ate baseball. What time they weren’t about church duties, they were attending a game, watching a game on the tube, or coaching a little league game in the park.

One day, one of them mused about whether there would be baseball in heaven and quite a conversation ensued. “Everything is perfect in heaven, isn’t it? We will want for nothing in heaven, will we? Surely there will be baseball in heaven!” They finally made a pact that whichever one got to heaven first would somehow try to contact the other and let him know for a fact whether they had baseball.

As it turned out, the preacher died first. A week later he appeared to the song leader in a dream and said, “Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is, there is indeed baseball in heaven. The bad news is, you are scheduled to pitch this Saturday.”

What will heaven be like? I have been asked that quite a few times in my ministry. When I think of the typical streets of gold passages, I realize they are mostly talking about the New Heaven and New Earth… or the Kingdom where the Lion and the Lamb are lying down together.  

So what of Heaven right now? Some imagine heaven as a personalized fulfillment of your deepest longing or desires. Perpetual Baseball. A land of perfect food and no Hawaiian Pizza…. but what of Heaven for real what do we know?

As I considered this question in prayer, God the Holy Spirit took me on a tour. I would like to take you on the same one. This message is for people who have already put their faith and trust in Jesus as Savior. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that be it by the undertaker or the uppertaker in the Rapture, you are heaven bound.  

Let us, with the guidance of scripture and the Holy Spirit, though the eyes of faith, take a virtual tour of our next stop in eternity. Let our faith carry us across the river Jordan to the Promised Land as we hear the Father say “Welcome Home”.

Breathe In The Sweet Smell of Heaven.

The Smell of Sacrifice

Ephesians 5:2 KJV

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Philippians 4:18 KJV

But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:15 KJV

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The Smell of Prayers

Psalm 141:2 KJV

Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Revelation 5:8 KJV

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Revelation 8:3 KJV

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

Listen to the Soul Stirring Sounds of Heaven.

Shouts of Praise

Isaiah 6:1–4 KJV

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. 

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Revelation 4:8–11 KJV

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 

And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The Song of the Redeemed

Revelation 5:9–14 KJV

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 

And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Revelation 14:3 KJV

And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

Behold The Wonders of Heaven.

The Blood Stained Mercy Seat.

Hebrews 9:13–14 KJV

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The Mansion Prepared for You.

John 14:1–3 KJV

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

The Saints Who Have Been Cheering You On.

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Our Sweet Savior – Finally Face to Face!

1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Philippians 1:21–23 KJV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

2 Corinthians 5:6–8 KJV

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Colossians 3:4 KJV

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 KJV

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 John 3:2 KJV

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Dwight Moody was traveling by boat on one of the Great Lakes when a really bad storm developed. The other passengers on the boat cowered in fear. They even started an impromptu prayer meeting asking God to deliver them from the storm. Moody didn’t join in this prayer meeting. When asked why not, he answered with these words, “I have a sister in Chicago and one in heaven and I don’t care which I see tonight.”

No matter what trial you are facing or will face, if you are born again, it will fade to nothing the closer you draw to eternity. Through faith look forward to the sweet smell of Heavens prayers, the sweet sound of heavenly music and the sweet sight of Jesus’ face as he whispers… “Welcome Home”.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 6:18 PM September 30, 2020.

Finish Well

Wednesday Evening Sermons

Finish Well

Keep your Eyes on the Game Clock

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Not From Around Here / 1 Peter 4:7–8

Although the Cleveland Browns remained a competitive and strong team in the post-Jim-Brown era, they had yet to earn a Super Bowl win.

However, a combination of a strong quarterback in Bernie Kosar and skilled receivers in 1986 helped the team gain a level of success that they hadn’t achieved in years.

For a start, they won their first playoff game since 1969 when they beat the New York Jets in an overtime game.

Kosar had a career season that year – he threw for nearly 4,000 yards and became the king of comebacks and thrilling last-minute wins.

During the Jets game, he set records with 33 completions in 64 attempts as he piled on 489 yards.

And in the AFC Championship Game, he would be facing off against the Denver Broncos and a young John Elway, a talented quarterback who also seemed to know how to win in tight spots.

The game was a brutal back-and-forth competition that saw both teams at their best for the season.

However, the Browns led 20-13 with 5:32 remaining after scoring and kicked the ball to Denver.

The Broncos struggled to get the ball into play and started on their own two-yard line. Cleveland fans were pleased, but Denver was confident in spite of their position.

The first play of “The Drive” was a five-yard pass that took Denver out of safety danger.

On second down and 5, running back Sandy Winder ran three years to the 10-yard line.

Winder ran again the next play to pick up two yards and the first down.

Now on the 12-yard line, the Broncos had a little breathing room – the next play was a winder run for three yards and the next an 11-yard Elway dash.

On the 26-yard line, the Broncos still had some room to go and some time to burn.

But on two consecutive passes, Elway moved the team 34 yards (22 and 12 yards, respectively) to put the team on their 40-yard line.

The two-minute warning occurred just after the play – the Broncos had moved over half the football field in about three minutes.

Many assumed they still did not have time to finish, but others noted the Browns had yet to force a fourth down.

They wouldn’t for the rest of the game.

At first down and 10, Elway missed a pass to Vance Johnson – one of only a handful of unproductive plays in “The Drive.” Cleveland’s Dave Puzzuoli then sacked Elway for an eight-yard loss that seemed to seal the deal on the game.

However, Elway connected with Mark Jackson on third down and 18 to get 20 yards and the first down on the 14-yard line.

After another incomplete pass – with 0:57 left – Elway scrambled for nine yards to set up a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Johnson.

With just 0:39 left on the clock, kicker Rick Karlis added the extra point to tie the game 20-20.

Denver won 23-20 in overtime with a field goal.

Cleveland was stunned – though Denver would lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl 39-20 – Elway would later win two Super Bowls and was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

While Kosar went on to earn a Super Bowl ring in 1994, the Browns have still never won as a team.

John Elway was known as the quarterback responsible for THE DRIVE. He knew time was running out and acted accordingly. He knew how to manage the clock to his best advantage.

The Apostle Peter warns us to be aware of the clock. Like Elway, our time is limited. We are in the 4th quarter with less than 5 minutes to play. Let us follow the advice given in this general epistle and finish well.

The End Is Near

1 Peter 4:7 KJV

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

 • Death is certain and life is short.

Psalm 90:12 KJV

So teach us to number our days, That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

James 4:14 KJV

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

 • Christ’s Return is Imminent 

Romans 13:12 KJV

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Revelation 22:20 KJV

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

There is a great contrast between the believers of the apostolic age and ourselves. The voyager detects the near proximity of land by the fresh land-breeze which breathes in his face, wafting the sounds and scents of forest, or prairie, or heather covered hill. So through these Epistles we inhale another atmosphere than that with which we are so familiar in Christian societies. We live in the world and pay occasional visits into the unseen and eternal; they lived in the unseen and eternal, and paid periodic necessary visits into the world. We conform to the world; they were transformed by the daily renewing of their minds. We read the society papers, discuss society gossip, send our children into society, and strive to hold our own in dress and appointments with the cream of society around us; they, on the other hand, were thought strange and ridiculous, because they lived amongst men as “the children of the resurrection.” Surely the contrast is not to our credit, although we vaunt our fancied superiority.

(F. B. Meyer, B.A.)

Be Sober

1 Peter 4:7 KJV

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

sophroneo (????????, 4993) signifies (a) “to be of sound mind,” or “in one’s right mind, sober-minded” (sozo, “to save,” phren, “the mind”), Mark 5:15 and Luke 8:35, “in his right mind” – VINE

Peter uses this expression a great deal. He actually means, “Be ye therefore intelligent.” Be an intelligent Christian. An intelligent Christian is one who knows the Bible; that is, he will know it the best he can. (I often make the confession that I marvel at my ignorance of the Word of God. The more I study it, the more I see how little I really know about the Word of God.) But, my friend, an intelligent, sober–minded Christian is going to know all he can about the Word of God.1

1 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary: The Epistles (1 Peter), electronic ed., vol. 54 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 86–87.

Matthew 10:16 KJV

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Be Watchful

1 Peter 4:7 KJV

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

This sanity will lead to being “clear-headed,” an idea Peter uses half of the times it occurs in the NT (1:13; 4:7; 5:8; cf. 1 Thess. 5:6, 8; 2 Tim. 4:5). The opposite of such clear-headedness was intoxication (cf. Eph. 4:18), so this term meant literally “not drunk” and figuratively that the mind was alert and clear, devoid of mental “intoxication” or fuzzy thinking. Thus our author is calling for a mental alertness that sees life correctly in the light of the coming end. This will lead to prayer 27—not the prayer based on daydreams and unreality, nor the prayer based on surprised desperation, but the prayer that calls upon and submits to God in the light of reality seen from God’s perspective and thus obtains power and guidance in the situation, however evil the time may be. 

Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 156–157.

Matthew 24:41–42 KJV

Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Colossians 4:2 KJV

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

1 Corinthians 15:34 KJV

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

An Australian air traffic controller left some airline passengers up in the air. The controller overslept and arrived late to work. As a result, the control tower at Canberra International Airport opened 20 minutes late, which forced an arriving Qantas Boeing 737 from Perth to circle over the city for 20 minutes because the only person on duty at the tower was not senior enough to issue a clearance for the plane to land. Ben Mitchell, spokesman for Air Services Australia, acknowledged the error. He said, “The guy slept in.” Mitchell said the passengers were never in any danger and the plane was able to land only 12 minutes after its scheduled arrival time. Authorities have changed the roster to ensure that two senior controllers are present when the tower opens to eliminate the problem—assuming both wake up on time.

Our laziness and lack of responsibility may not leave people literally up in the air, but nevertheless they have real consequences.

—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell1

1 Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell, “Air Traffic Controller Oversleeps and Causes Delays,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

Be Loving

1 Peter 4:8 KJV

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

 • In light of the temporary nature of things.

 • In light of the fact that we will soon have no more chance to forgive and restore.

 • Love and cover the sins of the past.

1 Corinthians 6:7 KJV

Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”

Proverbs 10:12 KJV

Hatred stirreth up strifes: But love covereth all sins.

1 Peter 1:22 KJV

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

In Randy Alcorn’s book In Light of Eternity he imagines two twins having a conversation in their mother’s womb. “You know,” one says, “there’s a whole world out there–grassy meadows and snowy mountains, splashing streams and waterfalls, horses and dogs and cats and whales and giraffes. There are skyscrapers and cities and people like us–only much bigger–playing games like football and baseball and volleyball and going to the beach.” “Are you crazy?” the other twin responds. “That’s just wishful thinking. Everyone knows there’s no life after birth.” (Alcorn, In Light of Eternity, pg. 25)

It is easy to get caught up with the rhythm of life and lose track of the game clock. There are fewer and fewer chances to catch up. Let us be sober /intelligent. Let us be watchful/alert and driven to prayer. Let us love each other, pushing grievances against our brethren to the forgotten closet of our minds where they belong. There are better days coming and they are coming soon. Keep your eyes on the game clock and finish well.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:07 PM September 29, 2020.

One Lawgiver

Sunday Evening Sermons, Uncategorized

One Lawgiver

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Slander / James 4:11–12

The Critic

A little seed lay on the ground,

And soon began to sprout.

“Now, which of all the flowers around,”

It mused, “shall I come out?

The lily’s face is fair and proud,

But just a trifle cold;

The rose, I think, is rather loud,

And then, its fashion’s old.

The violet is all very well,

But not a flower I’d choose;

Nor yet the Canterbury bell—

I never cared for blues,”

And so it criticized each flower,

This supercilious seed,

Until it woke one summer morn,

And found itself—a weed.

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 87.

It is so easy to evaluate (judge) critique and slander each other these days. The sin is not unique to our time, but the ability to get on the internet and spew our judgmental ignorance and hatred to the entire world is. This evening as we meditate on our text passage, we will discover that the reason we dare not judge and slander other brothers and sisters in Christ is that there is A Lawgiver, it is not you or me, and there can be only one!

Do Not Slander Your Brother.

James 4:11 KJV

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Do Not Lie About Him

1 Peter 3:16 KJV

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

2 Timothy 3:3 KJV

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Proverbs 6:19 KJV

A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

Do Not Broadcast Truth With Evil Intent.

Ephesians 4:31 KJV

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

1 Timothy 3:11 KJV

Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Proverbs 11:13 KJV

A talebearer revealeth secrets: But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Proverbs 18:8 KJV

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, And they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

Proverbs 20:19 KJV

He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

Proverbs 26:20 KJV

Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: So where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

If You Slander Your Brother, You Are Judging Your Brother.

James 4:11 KJV

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Romans 14:14 KJV

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Matthew 7:1–2 KJV

Judge not, that ye be not judged. 

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Romans 2:1 KJV

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

Romans 14:10–12 KJV

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 

For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

If You Judge Your Brother, then You Are Judging and Slandering the Law.

James 4:11 KJV

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Leviticus 19:16 KJV

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

 It is thus the slandering damner who runs afoul of James’s words. Such a person is actually slandering and judging the Torah because he has usurped the role of God in the act of condemnation and has chosen to defy what God has said not to do. In this way, the slandering damner defies God and transfers authority from God’s Torah to himself.381 So, 4:11b’s words make sense only by assuming what is about to be said in 4:11c and 4:12a: that judgment belongs to God alone.1

1 Scot McKnight, The Letter of James, The New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011), 363.

There Is Only One Lawgiver.

James 4:12 KJV

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

4:12. Only One is above the Law. He alone has the right to modify or overrule it. God is the one Lawgiver and Judge. “Lawgiver” is a compound noun used only here in the New Testament (nomothet?s, from nomos, “law,” and tith?mi, “to set, place, constitute, or lay down”). God not only authored the Law; He also administrates the Law. He serves as both the executive and judicial branches of the divine government. God is King; He institutes and declares His Law. God is Judge; He upholds and enforces His Law.1

1 J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

Only God Can Save Or Condemn

Matthew 10:28 KJV

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Deuteronomy 32:39 KJV

See now that I, even I, am he, And there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: Neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

How Dare You Presume God’s Role? Who Do You Think You Are?

But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? is another of James’ typical penetrating rhetorical questions. A humble attitude and just actions are essential for spiritual growth. James then went on to show how these qualities of life militate against empty boasting.1

1 J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 831.

The point is clinched with a devastating question. The disjunctive pronoun is sarcastic, emphasizing the sheer folly of the world to judge, while the vigorous proleptic you serves to widen the gulf between God’s judgment and man’s. “And who are you that pass judgment on another?” To which John Wesley replies: “A poor, weak, dying worm.” For James, as for us, however, the best answer is scornful silence.1

1 James B. Adamson, The Epistle of James, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 178.

 A man was applying for the job of private secretary to Winston Churchill. Before introducing him, an aunt of Churchill’s told the man, “Remember, you will see all of Winston’s faults in the first five hours. It will take you a lifetime to discover his virtues.1

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 87.

Do not slander your brother or sister in Christ. 

There is only one Lawgiver! Do not presume authority over your Brother of Sister. There is only one Lawgiver. Do not presume authority over the Law. There is only one law giver. It is not you. It is God, now let Him work!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:22 AM September 25, 2020.

Wisdom Protocol

Sunday Morning Sermons

Wisdom Protocol

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

James 1:5–8

The story is told of an old man whose grandson rode a donkey while they were traveling from one city to another. The old man heard some people mumbling, “Would you look at that old man walking, suffering on his feet, while that strong young boy is totally capable of walking?”

The criticism cut deeply, so he changed positions. The old man started riding the donkey while the boy walked. Sure enough others started grumbling. “Would you look at that—a healthy man riding the donkey and making that poor little boy suffer! Can you believe that?”

To avoid further criticism, the old man changed again. This time, he and the boy both hopped up on the donkey. They both started riding. You guessed it, people still criticized him. He could hear people saying, “Would you look at those heavy brutes making that poor donkey suffer.”

So he and his grandson jumped down and they both started walking. He thought, No one will criticize us for this. But people are fickle. He soon heard some people say, “Would you look at that waste-—a perfectly good donkey not being used.” The old man was at his wits’ end. What should he do? The old man decided to carry both the donkey and boy.

Do you ever at your wits’ end not know what to do? This old man tried to make wise decisions but ended up carrying a monstrous burden. Why? He looked to his own knowledge to resolve his problem of receiving criticism. He needed more insight than he had.

Life is complicated. Often we are given confusing information or conflicting input. COVID has served as a mighty illustration of that point. Wear a mask… don’t wear a mask… and the statistics slung by folks from all sides make me dizzy.  

So we go to the Bible. We can get absolute truth from the Bible! But what if there is a subject we need to address that is not specifically addressed by the Bible? COVID protocol is not a scriptural topic. Sure, you could read things into passages, but you know and I know that you cannot honestly say the Bible gives clear direction about masks, vaccines, or social distancing. What about non COVID stuff? Should you take that job? Should you date? Should you marry? Should you buy a car or wait?

James tells us in chapter 1 and verse 4 that it is possible to be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. But wait! I don’t know what to do here! James, through the Holy Spirit, tells us that it is possible to get specific Wisdom from God fashioned specifically for you in your specific situation. In order to know from God what is the best choice to make you need to follow Wisdom Protocol.

Ask For Wisdom From God.

James 1:5 KJV

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

  • Ask The Giving God

• Acknowledge your lack of wisdom

 • Ask and search the scriptures.

 • If your “answer” conflicts with Scriptures then it is not God’s Answer.

 • If your “answer” conflicts with someone else’s choices, recognize that God can lead different folks differently.

Romans 14:4 KJV

Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Ask The Gracious God.

 God gives his wisdom to men not only just for the asking but also without chiding a man for his previous sins, many of which the man may not even know he has committed.

 – James B. Adamson

Proverbs 10:22 KJV

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, And he addeth no sorrow with it.

Ask For Wisdom In Confidence.

James 1:6–7 KJV

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 

For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 • Ask in faith – confidence in prayer

 • Ask without wavering

Doubting (?????????????). Compare Matt. 21:21. Not equivalent to unbelief, but expressing the hesitation which balances between faith and unbelief, and inclines toward the latter. This idea is brought out in the next sentence.1

1 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 725.

 The doubter is like “a sea of waves,” now wind-driven toward the southeast, and now toward the northwest, with nothing that could sensibly be called progress. Though we know there could be a storm on the Lake, we are here assuming no more than normal winds and their effects on the waters.  – James B, Adamson

The most famous doubter of all time is Thomas. Through history Judas has been the only disciple criticized more than Thomas. Tradition has given him a new name: “Doubting Thomas.” He wanted proof that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

But can you blame him? When the resurrected Christ appeared to some of his disciples, Thomas was not there. Can you imagine seeing someone die, knowing he was buried, and then hearing from friends that they had seen him alive? You might feel sympathetic toward them, expecting them to get over it in time. If they keep telling you on and on and on, you might feel a need to confront them. That was the situation for Thomas.

In recent years, many Christians have been more sympathetic to Thomas. They have recognized that if they had been in the same position they may have had the same doubts. In his position, I have almost no doubt that I would have been a doubter. My nickname might have become, “Doubting Mark.”

 Devotional writer Selwyn Hughes wrote “Those who doubt most, and yet strive to overcome their doubts, turn out to be some of Christ’s strongest disciples.” Thomas was transformed, saying, “My lord and my God!” That does not hit us as powerfully as it would hit the original disciples. Before that day, they called Jesus rabbi, meaning teacher. They called him Christ, meaning the anointed one. The called him the son of the living God. No one, before Thomas, had called Jesus, “God.” Jewish leaders would not have hesitated to pass the death sentence on Thomas for blasphemy. It was an incredible and dangerous thing to say.

 The Bible says that the one who had been most honest about his doubts was the first to call Jesus, “God.” There are traditions that say he was the disciple who traveled furthest to tell others about Christ. Tradition teaches that he proclaimed the gospel in Babylon, Persia, and all the way to India. There are Christian churches in southern India claiming to trace their heritage to Thomas.

Ask In Stability

James 1:8 KJV

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Double-minded (???????). Peculiar to James, here and ch. 4:8. Not deceitful, but dubious and undecided.

Unstable (???????????). Only here in New Testament. The kindred ???????????, confusion, is found ch. 3:16, and elsewhere.1

1 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 1 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 727.

God is not pleased with a double-minded (lit., “two-souled,” dipsychos; cf. 4:8) man who is unstable in all he does, like an unsteady, staggering drunk. The answer from God depends on assurance in God.1

1 J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 821.

When the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1519 he was intent on conquest. To assure the devotion of his men, Cortez set fire to his fleet of eleven ships! With no means of retreat, Cortez’s army had only one direction to move, into the Mexican interior.

Cortez understood the price of commitment—and he paid it. He did not want his soldiers to possess a divided loyalty (a double minded man!, Lk 16:13, Mt 6:24, James 1:8).

Have you settled the issue of who is Lord of your heart?

Have you “burned down the ships” and left the old ways of the world behind you?

Can you say, “I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS……NO TURNING BACK!”

God really does answer prayer! God really does give wisdom! God really does lead individually. I know we would rather have someone just tell us every little detail of the Christian life, but that is not God’s design. He wants you to come to Him, the Giving God. He wants you to come to Him in confidence. He wants you to get rid of the instability of hesitation, but come to Him in the rock solid stable expectancy that He will give you the wisdom you are asking for. This is Wisdom Protocol.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:10 PM September 24, 2020.

Embrace The New Now

Wednesday Evening Sermons

Embrace The New Now

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Not From Around Here: The Strange and Complicated Life of a Sojourner / Conversion / 1 Peter 4:3–6

 In England there is a paper factory that makes the finest stationery in the world. One day a man touring the factory asked what it was made from. He was shown a huge pile of old rags and told that the rag content was what determined the quality of the paper. The visitor wouldn’t believe it. In weeks he received from the company a package of paper with his initials embossed on it. On the top piece were written the words “Dirty rags transformed.”

The same is true of the Christian life. It is a process of transformation from what we were into something new and wonderful.1

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 81.

Last week we discovered that we should arm ourselves with the mind of Christ in order to endure sufferings and live right. In tonight’s passage, we see that Peter turns the focus on how we should view our past before Christ. In light of the salvation that was purchased for us we are to vigorously live in the now because we have wasted enough time in the past, our former friends will not understand us, and our future is secure. As believers we are to embrace the new now.

Embrace the New Now Because Our Past Deeds Were a Waste.

1 Peter 4:3 KJV

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

 • lasciviousness

Then the apostle enumerates some of the sins which were part of that world out from which they were separated. “Lasciviousness” is the translation of a word which refers to actions that excite disgust and shock public decency. In the New Testament, the prominent idea in the word is that of sensuality.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • lusts

The Greek word translated “lusts” is not limited to the sense of a sexual desire, but has the unrestricted sense of a passionate desire, here a sinful one, as the context indicates.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • excess of wine

The words “excess of wine” are the translation of a Greek word made of two words, “wine” and “to bubble up or overflow.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • revellings

“Revellings” is the translation of a word which meant at first, “a village merrymaking.” Then it came to mean “a carousal” such as a party of revellers parading the streets, or revels held in religious ceremonies, wild, furious. and ecstatic.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • banquetings

“Banquetings” is from a Greek word speaking of drinking bouts possibly held in connection with pagan religious rites such as Paul speaks of in I Corinthians 10:14 where he forbids Christians to drink the cup of demons.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • abominable idolatries

The Greek word translated “abominable” means “contrary to law and justice, illicit, criminal.” These idolatries were forbidden by Roman law. They must have been pretty bad1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

Embrace The New Now Because Our Old Friends Will Not Understand.

1 Peter 4:4 KJV

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

 • Your new choices are seen as strange. You are headed in different directions.

2 Corinthians 6:14–17 KJV

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

 • You no longer hang out with the same type of folks.

Psalm 1:1 KJV

Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

 • Same excess of riot

The word “excess” is the translation of a Greek word meaning literally “a pouring forth or an overflowing.” It was used in classical Greek of the tides which fill the hollows. Alford translates it by the word “slough,” a state of moral degradation or spiritual dejection into which one sinks or from which one cannot free one’s self.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 112.

 • Now they speak evil of you

The people of the world, the former associates of these Christians to whom Peter is writing, thought it a thing foreign to the natures of these Christians when they did not run any more in a troop like a band of revellers with them in the same slough of dissoluteness. They did not realize that their totally depraved nature which before salvation had given them a love for sinful things, now had its power over them broken, and that another nature, the divine nature, had been given them as their new motivating principle of life which caused them to hate the things they once loved and love the things they once hated.1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 113.

A young girl who had recently become a Christian asked the famous Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon…”What friends do I need to give-up now?” The Prince of Preachers replied “Hey, you do not have to give up any of your friends, they would give you up” 

Embrace The New Now Because Your Future Is Secured.

1 Peter 4:5–6 KJV

Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

 • You will not face the Great White Throne.

Revelation 20:11–12 KJV

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 • You will face the Bema Seat

1 Corinthians 3:12–14 KJV

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Sometimes we can be seduced by distorted memories of the past. Like the Israelites who longed for the fleshpots of Egypt, we can sometimes look backward. Live in the New Now! We wasted enough of our bodies souls and time in the corruption of the past. Live in the new now. Our old friends no longer share the same things in common. Live in the new now! We no longer are piling up judgement but are now accruing rewards. Live in the now now!

The Spirit of…

Sunday Evening Sermons

The Spirit of…

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Fear; The believers pray for boldness; Boldness; Love; Sober / 2 Timothy 1:7

Wolf eels, which grow to be approximately six feet long, live in the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean in rocky dens on the sea floor. They have large, almost human-size eyes and formidable teeth, which give them a fierce appearance.

It is no wonder that for years, many marine scientists and divers believed them to be predatory and vicious. A recent discovery, however, has debunked that myth forever. Wolf eels actually use their long, sharp teeth to crack the shells of mollusks in order to get the meat inside. They do not bother humans at all. In fact, they are so docile that some have even played with the divers who studied them.

Something that looked fearful turned out not to be worthy of fear at all. Appearances can be deceiving, especially in spiritual matters. Peter was fine until he put his eyes on the waves at his feet and allowed the seeming impossibility of walking on water to rule his belief.

1 Charles F. Stanley, On Holy Ground (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), 9.

Fear of what might be is crippling believers today. What of COVID? What of BLM? What of the elections?  

In his second letter to preacher boy, Timothy, the Apostle Paul spends some time encouraging him to step up to the battle of truth to which he was called. In our passage this evening, we find Paul talking about Timothy’s disposition. The term “spirit of” was not talking about a living spiritual entity, but rather a mindset. God has equipped the believer with truth and fruits of the Holy Spirit. He no longer needs to have the spirit of fear or a disposition of fear. In Christ the believer has the spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind.

Believers are not Given the Spirit of Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The word “spirit,” used with “fear,” is best understood as referring to a disposition of the mind, thus, a spirit of fear. “Fear” is deilia (??????), “fearfulness, timidity.” 1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 118–119.

Romans 8:15 KJV

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

He was a professional thief. His name stirred fear as the desert wind stirs tumbleweeds. He terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line for thirteen years, roaring like a tornado in and out of the Sierra Nevada’s, spooking the most rugged frontiersmen. In journals from San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier.

During his reign of terror between 1875 and 1883, he is credited with stealing the bags and the breath away from twenty-nine different stagecoach crews. And he did it all without firing a shot.

His weapon was his reputation. His ammunition was intimidation.

A hood hid his face. No victim ever saw him. No artist ever sketched his features. No sheriff could ever track his trail. He never fired a shot or took a hostage.

He didn’t have to. His presence was enough to paralyze.

Black Bart. A hooded bandit armed with a deadly weapon. What was his deadly weapon? One word, it was FEAR!

Fear has prevented many Christians from experiencing the blissful happiness that Jesus is defining in the beatitudes. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of God, fear of tomorrow – and the list goes on and on. Fear’s goal is to create a cowardly, joyless soul. He wants you to take your eyes off the mountain peak and settle for the dull existence of the flat lands.

And by the way, remember Black Bart? As it turns out, he wasn’t anything to be afraid of, either. When the hood came off, there was nothing to fear. When the authorities finally tracked down the thief, they didn’t find a bloodthirsty bandit from Death Valley; they found a mild-mannered druggist from Decatur, Illinois. The man the papers pictured storming through the mountains on horseback was, in reality, so afraid of horses he rode to and from his robberies in a buggy. He was Charles E. Boles – the bandit who never once fired a shot, because he never once loaded his gun. 

Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story; (New York, NY: Bantam, 1977) Page 117

Believers are Given the Spirit of Power

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1. dunamis (???????, 1411) is (a) “power, ability,” physical or moral, as residing in a person or thing; (b) “power in action,” as, e.g., when put forth in performing miracles. It occurs 118 times in the NT. It is sometimes used of the miracle or sign itself, the effect being put for the cause, e.g., Mark 6:5, frequently in the Gospels and Acts. In 1 Cor. 14:11 it is rendered “meaning”; “force” would be more accurate. Cf., the corresponding verbs, B, 1, 2, 3 and the adjective C. 1, below. See abundance, deed, might, power, strength, violence, virtue, work.1

1 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 2.

1 Corinthians 2:4 KJV

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

…force of character, which if not natural, may be inspired by consciousness of a divine appointment,1

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 119.

Of power (????????). Found in all the Pauline Epistles except Philemon. In Pastorals only here, ver. 8, and ch. 3:5. Not used by our writer in the sense of working miracles, which it sometimes has in Paul. Here, the power to overcome all obstacles and to face all dangers. It is closely linked with the sense of ???????? boldness.1

1 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 4 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 290.

The Spirit of Power that we receive is not like the human power that we recognize as strong. It’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own.

A young man growing up in the wrong part of Houston became a bully. He would get in fights in school, in the neighborhood, and began mugging people to get spending money. He even beat up people just for the sake of doing it.

He learned to box, and became pretty good at it. He began to make a lot of money and could have almost anything he wanted. One day, during his training session for an upcoming bout, he heard his mom talking to his sister on the telephone about his favorite nephew. The young boy had had a seizure and now lay in a coma in the hospital. Doctors said he would probably die, but that if he came out of the coma he wouldn’t be able to move his limbs, or speak, or do any of the human functions we consider part of living.

He ran into the room where his mom was on the phone and shouted, “Momma, call the hospital and tell those doctors to give him the best of everything. Tell them I’ll take care of all the bills, to fly in the best doctors from wherever they have to. Tell them who I am, and that I’ll take care of everything — whatever it costs.”

His mom spoke to the doctors, and then told him, “Son, you’re just going to have to pray.”

He realized then how grave the situation was. When someone tells you the only thing you can do is pray, things are looking pretty bad.

Then it hit him. All of his money, his fame, his influence, his friends — none of that could solve this problem. It was out of his hands, out of the doctor’s hands, out of everyone’s hands. For the first time, he was totally powerless.

And for the first time, George Foreman dropped to his knees and prayed.

He wasn’t sure God existed, but he knew that when all else failed, people prayed. He asked God, if he really existed, to help his nephew. Then he got back in bed. A few seconds later, he got back on his knees and offered to give up all his wealth if God would heal his nephew. Then he got back in bed again. A few seconds later he got back on his knees a third time and got angry at God for letting this happen to his nephew, a child who hadn’t experienced life yet. George told God to take his life instead. Let the boy live and take George’s life instead.

The next morning George’s sister called from the hospital. His nephew had woken up and could move his eyes, but the doctors said he wouldn’t ever walk again.

She called later that day, and the boy had begun moving his toes. The next day the boy was talking, and a week later he was on his way home, “walking, talking, and back to normal.” The doctors had no logical explanation. But George Foreman knew God had just given him a miracle.

Three months later in March 1977, George Foreman died in his locker room after fighting Jimmy Young. He collapsed in a heap, and entered what he describes as “a deep, dark void, like a bottomless pit.”

In his book, God in My Corner — A Spiritual Memoir, George wrote “I knew I was dead, and that this wasn’t heaven. I was terrified, knowing I had no way out. Sorrow beyond description engulfed my soul, more than anyone could ever imagine. If you multiplied every disturbing and frightening thought that you’ve ever had during your entire life, that wouldn’t come close to the panic I felt. …

“ I screamed with every ounce of strength in me, ‘I don’t care if this is death. I still believe in God.’

“Instantly, what seemed to be like a giant hand reached down and snatched me out of the terrifying place. Immediately, I was back inside my body in the dressing room.”

George accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He realized his human power, his money, his prestige, were worthless in the next life, and meant to be used as tools to lead others to Jesus during this one.

He went on to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World twice. He was ordained as an evangelist in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and became pastor of a small church. He also became involved in prison and hospital ministries.

You probably know him best for the George Foreman Grills that continue to sell around the world. And he recently baptized his own 23-year-old daughter who finally decided to dedicated her own life to Jesus.

That’s God’s idea of power.

Believers Have Been Given a Spirit of Love.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Romans 15:30 KJV

Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;

The second mark of the Spirit is “love” (1:13; 2:22; 3:10; see on 1 Tim 1:5). This is one of several components characteristic of authentic Christian existence as portrayed in these letters that Timothy is especially to pursue and exhibit. It often occurs alongside “faith,” identifying the observable dimension of Christianity as service to others done in the power of the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:6; 22–23; 1 Tim 2:15 note).1

1 Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2006), 462.

1 John 4:16–19 KJV

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

We love him, because he first loved us.

One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, “Mommy, will you stay with me all night?” Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, “I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.” A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, “The big sissy!”

Believers Are Given the Spirit of a Sound Mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

???????????b, ?? m; ?????????b, ?? f: to behave in a sensible manner, with the implication of thoughtful awareness of what is best—‘moderation, sensibility.’

???????????b: ?????? … ?????? ??? ??????????? ‘(his) Spirit … (fills us) with love and moderation’ 2 Tm 1:7. For another interpretation of ??????????? in 2 Tm 1:7, see 32.34.

?????????b: ?? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ?????????? ‘in faith and love and holiness with sensibility’ 1 Tm 2:15.1

Third in the list is a quality that can be viewed from several perspectives as either “self-discipline,” “self-control,” “discretion,” “moderation,” or “prudence.” The word group to which this term belongs is also integral to the interpretation of the Christian life in these three letters, and it was a dominant feature in secular ethical thought (see 1 Tim 2:9 Excursus). It depicts the self-control over one’s actions and thoughts that prevents rash behavior and aids balanced assessment of situations. In this context, it would apply to Timothy’s appraisal of the situation of opposition and confrontation and allow him the clarity of thought necessary to trust in the invisible God despite the threats of very visible opponents.1

1 Philip H. Towner, The Letters to Timothy and Titus, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2006), 462.

1 Timothy 4:7 KJV

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

Of a sound mind (???????????). N. T.o. oLXX, oClass. Not self-control, but the faculty of generating it in others or in one’s self, making them ???????? of sound mind. Comp. Tit. 2:4. Rend. discipline. See on ?????????, 1 Tim. 2:9.1

1 Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 4 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 290.

One night I was certain that I was about to become the victim of a home invasion.

Something had awakened me. I heard a strange noise and became even more alert. As I slowly looked around with my heart thumping I saw him! He was standing there looking at me. I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t think he knew I was awake, and I knew I had to act fast. I slowly tensed my muscles like coiled springs and leaped at him throwing a mighty punch!

It was amazing! I completely knocked that jacket off the chair I had thrown it on before going to bed. After I turned on the lights I felt silly.

It is amazing how our perceptions can be off. Often the things we fear might be, are nothing in reality.

We are navigating perilous times, but God has not given us a fearful disposition. He has given us a disposition that can overcome obstacles. God has given us a disposition toward love, not fear. God has given us a disposition of sober thinking. We are to be disciplined, not panicked in our responses. This is the spirit which we have been given.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:38 AM September 18, 2020.

Christians in the Midst of Crisis

Sunday Morning Sermons

Christians in the Midst of Crisis

Pastor Don Carpenter / General

Mission; Mercy and Compassion; Comfort / 1 Thessalonians 5:14

As calls to crisis hotlines spike amid the coronavirus, those who respond feel the strain

Suzanne Hirt

USA TODAY NETWORK

June 15, 2020

Thousands of anxious, stressed, isolated and uncertain callers are flooding helplines nationwide. They are teenagers and senior citizens. They have lost jobs, homes and relatives. Some express suicidal thoughts or fears that their positive COVID-19 test is a death sentence. Others reach out in the throes of a panic attack.

“Our phones are ringing off the hook,” said Honberg. “We stay busy. You hang up and it rings again.”

The dramatic increase is straining the licensed social workers and volunteers who strive to support callers’ mental and emotional health even as the pandemic takes a toll on their own lives and families.

In an April survey of crisis providers nationwide, nearly half of the 93 call centers that responded reported an increase in call volume, and almost as many said their workforce was overwhelmed. Many cited burnout, fatigue and mental or physical health concerns. 

The Alliance, known as NAMI, reported a 65% jump in HelpLine calls, callbacks and emails for the period of March 1 to April 30 from last year’s numbers in the same time span. Callers in the past typically wanted information or resources for a loved one, but now, four times as many people are reaching out about their own needs.

The Disaster Distress Helpline, a sub-network of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that offers emotional support to people in need after natural and human-caused disasters, saw an 890% spike in call volume in April compared with April 2019.

The Crisis Text Line, which provides round-the-clock support via text messages with a trained crisis counselor, had 9,854 counselors active during a 28-day period ending May 29 – more than double the number that were active in the 28 days before the pandemic, CEO Nancy Lublin said. 

“It’s stressful to think that there are people calling us and we can’t take their call immediately because we’re already on the phone with somebody,” said Rose Andre, a staff member at the Colorado Crisis Hotline, which also answers National Suicide Prevention Lifeline calls that originate from a Colorado area code. “We’re all feeling that chaos.”

COVID is not the only stress we are facing, our nation is plagued with racial tensions, police abuse of power, hatred for the military, disdain for law and order, a mistrust of the electoral system, and a general feeling of anxiety and hopelessness.

Beside all this people are carrying personal issues, like health threats, relationship problems, financial pressures, and other things. Everywhere you go people are hurting. I think based upon the article we just shared, the nation is in crisis.

Right in this room there are folks who are hanging on to sanity by a thread. Now more than ever we Christians need to serve as selfless Crisis workers. We must give warning, comfort, support, and patience to folks all around us.  

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonian believers gave them a similar exhortation.  When everything seems to be falling apart, we need to get our eyes off of ourselves and look on the needs of others. We need to be ready with a word that will comfort and rescue the person next to us. We need to be ready willing, and prepared to be used as Christians in Crisis.

Warn The Unruly

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

 • Warn those who are idle.

In this context, warn implies a strong admonition not to behave in a particular way. A satisfactory translation may be simply “tell those who are idle that they must not be so,” “tell those lazy people that this is not right,” or “speak strongly to the lazy persons.”

Ellingworth, P., & Nida, E. A. (1976). A handbook on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians (p. 119). New York: United Bible Societies.

 • Warn the disorderly

Admonish the disorderly (?????????? ???? ???????? [noutheteite tous ataktous]). Put sense into the unruly mob who break ranks (? [a] privative and ?????? [taktos], verbal adjective of ????? [tass?], to keep military order). Recall the idlers from the market-place used against Paul (Acts 17:5). This is a challenging task for any leader

Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (1 Th 5:14). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

 • Warn the unruly

Them that are unruly (???? ????????). N. T.o. The A. V. is more vigorous and less stilted than Rev. disorderly. From ? not and ??????? draw up or arrange. Those who are out of line. Comp. the adverb ??????? disorderly, 2 Th. 3:6, 11. Probably referring to the idlers and busybodies described there.

Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 4, pp. 48–49). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

2 Thessalonians 3:11 KJV

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

A group of 49 students and staff from Royd’s Comprehensive Middle School in England went on a week-long outdoor trip. One morning, a teacher took a small group on a river walk. She had never seen the water higher, so she led the kids through the dangerous river, instead of walking behind as usual. One of the boys slipped while trying to cross the swollen river, and needed help to get out.

Later that day another group and another teacher go on the same walk. This time, Rochelle and Hannah, two 13 year old girls, are swept away to their deaths in the flooded stream. One of the girls laughed as she slipped in the water. She thought she looked silly–her friends laughed with her. She had no idea of the danger she was really in.

Ms. Nicholson was asked why she had not warned the later groups. Her answer: She didn’t think anyone would answer the phone at the youth hostel where they were staying. She didn’t think anyone would listen.

SOURCE: SermonCentral staff. Citation: Stokes, Paul. River Fear Not Passed on by Walk Teacher. UK Telegraph, Feb 21,2002. 

Comfort the Feebleminded

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Fainthearted

oligopsuchos (??????????, 3642), lit., “small-souled” (oligos, “small,” psuche, “the soul”), denotes “despondent”; then, “fainthearted

the timid (oligopsychous, lit., “short of soul”) need encouragement. These fainthearted people tend to become discouraged and despondent more easily than most. They need cheering up, stimulation to press on, and extra help to live the Christian life. (Interestingly the verbs in these two commands [parakaloumen and paramytheisthe] are in the same order as the first two participles in 2:12.)

Constable, T. L. (1985). 1 Thessalonians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 708). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

A literal translation of encourage the timid could result in precisely the wrong meaning, namely, “encourage the timid to be more timid.” A more satisfactory equivalent may be found in a rendering such as “give courage to those who are fearful,” “take away the fear from those who are afraid,” or “give confidence to those who are afraid.”

Ellingworth, P., & Nida, E. A. (1976). A handbook on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians (p. 119). New York: United Bible Societies.

A little girl lost a playmate in death and one day reported to her family that she had gone to comfort the sorrowing mother. “What did you say?” asked her parents. “Nothing,” she replied. “I just climbed up on her lap and cried with her.

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 70.

Support The Weak

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Word Studies in the New Testament Chapter 5

Support (?????????). Comp. Matt. 6:24; Tit. 1:9. ???? against and ??????? to hold one’s self. The primary sense is, keeping one’s self directly opposite to another so as to sustain him.

“Weakness,” it should be noted, has very often been held in disdain by others, who think of themselves as the “strong”; however, Paul has here captured one of the marks of truly Christian faith, as it has been exhibited in full by our Lord himself in his earthly life.

Fee, G. D. (2009). The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 210–211). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

In any case, it is clear that Paul’s use of the word weak, here as in Romans 14:1–2, does not imply any condemnation. Like the timid, the weak are people who need help, no doubt because they are immature or inexperienced. Since it is impossible to know precisely the meaning of weak in this context, it may be best to use a descriptive phrase which will fit with the meaning of “help,” for example, “help those who need help,” or “help those who are lacking in some way.”

Ellingworth, P., & Nida, E. A. (1976). A handbook on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians (p. 119). New York: United Bible Societies.

The Joe Bayly family, in the course of several years, lost three of their children. In his book View from A Hearse, (Elgin, Ill.: Cook, 1973) Joe Bayly shared his honest feelings when one of his children died:

“I was sitting there torn by grief. Someone came and talked of God’s dealings, of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave. He talked constantly. He said things I knew were true. I was unmoved, except to wish he’d go away. He finally did.

“Another came and sat beside me. He didn’t talk. He didn’t ask me leading questions. He just sat beside me for an hour and more, listened when I said something, answered briefly, prayed simply, and left. I was moved. I was comforted. I hated to see him go.”

1 Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 70.

Be Patient With Everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Be patient with everyone may be expressed idiomatically, for example, “speak softly to everyone,” “move slowly with everyone,” or negatively, “do not speak sharply to anyone,” or “do not shout at anyone.”

Ellingworth, P., & Nida, E. A. (1976). A handbook on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 119–120). New York: United Bible Societies.

That is, in human relationships more is needed than simply “being patient” with others, and Paul’s word here implies that “something more,” namely that they are to be “forbearing” toward, and thus “suffering long” with regard to, others in the believing community. Furthermore, this distinction between the two words regularly rendered as “patient/patience” in English is consistent in Paul’s own usage. “Patience” (hypomon?) is needed in trying situations; “forbearance [long suffering]” is what is required in interpersonal relationships—“with everyone.”

Fee, G. D. (2009). The First and Second Letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 211–212). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

F.B. Meyer once said that when we see a brother or sister in sin, there are three things we do not know:

First, we do not know how hard he or she tried not to sin.

Second, we do not know the power of the forces that assailed him or her.

Thirdly, we also do not know what we would have done in the same circumstances.

Conviction and compassion – it’s not a binary concept of one or the other. It is both strength of conviction and depth of compassion that will enable us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that God has called us to be.

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You are needed! Unruly folks need to hear your warnings. Feebleminded, timid, small -souled, despondent people need your comfort. Weak, immature, vulnerable people need to lean on you as you support them. Everyone needs you to be long tempered giving grace to folks who need it most. This is to be the behavior of Christians in the Midst of Crisis.

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 1:25 PM September 17, 2020.