Introduction

Westboro Baptist church, followed by bomb explosions in Boston and Texas tweeted that the victims were sinners upon whom God’s wrath descended and wowed to picket funerals of the victims.

Westboro’s careless response to a national tragedy actually reminds me of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus told it to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. So this is God’s message for you and me today.

Text: Luke 18:9-14

1. Spiritual pride

A. The Pharisee’s prayer indicates two symptoms of spiritual pride.

B. First, he passes judgment on  the tax collector and everyone else.

C. Second, his prayer is all about him, his good works and righteousness.

2. Humility

A. Unlike the Pharisee the tax collector is filled with the fear of God.

B. For him God’s presence is like a mirror that reflects the state of his soul.

C. He repents and seeks God’s mercy. He doesn’t brag or judge the Pharisee.

3. The outcome

A. The Pharisees were icons of spirituality while tax collectors were symbols of sin.

B. The tax collector left justified, but the Pharisee left the same way he came in.

C. God shows mercy to the humble hearted but despises the proud, (James 4:6)

Application

This parable has three lessons for us. If we apply these three truths we shall not leave God’s presence the same way we came in. Like the tax collector we shall leave justified, transformed and with peace of mind.

A. Don’t judge

I. To judge others means to pronounce them guilty. It is the fruit of spiritual pride.

II. Ex: tale bearing, gossip, criticism, backbiting, condemnation, allegations etc.

III. Don’t use correction as a cover to judge others. Correction is personal, loving and respectful but judging is not, (Matthew 18:15-17).

B. Don’t boast

I. Don’t go to church to show off your skills, wealth or knowledge. God shuns such motives.

II. Then ask the Holy Spirit to point out your shortcomings when you stand before God’s presence.

III. Repent and seek God’s mercy. Pray that he will give grace to turn from your old ways.

C. Depend on God

I. Pharisees used false spirituality as a lid to cover up their weaknesses and shortcomings.

II. In church also some Christians often cover their weaknesses with a sense of false spirituality.

III. Don’t let ministry or anything else sustain your self image. Rather depend on God and he will exalt you, (…those who humble themselves will be exalted… Luke 18:14)

Image: Kyle Steed

Introduction

The largest ‘Pyramid’ in Egypt belongs to Khufu, an Egyptian Pharaoh. Studies have revealed it took around 6700 highly skilled men (let alone the slaves) and 20 years of labor to build. Why did Khufu put such a huge effort into building himself a tomb? The Egyptians believed in life after death so much they made preparations while they were still alive. You see, God had placed eternity in their hearts.

These ancient Egyptians though were pagans has a very important message for us living in the 21st century. The time to prepare for tomorrow is today! In today’s sermon we are going to find out how to do this in accordance with God’s word?

1. Heavenly treasures, (Matthew 6:20)

A. When an Egyptian Pharaoh died all of his possessions were placed in his Pyramid along with the body, (total opposite of Jesus’ teaching).

B. Truth is Man can’t hold onto what is temporary and look forward to eternity at the same time because earthly treasures pull us back, (Matthew 6:21).

C. Just like Jesus said, Pyramids became a constant target of treasure hunters, moths and decay. There’s no treasure but empty rooms in those Pyramids today.

2. Build wisely, (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

A. Pyramids also boasted of its owner’s power and authority. Therefore Pharaoh’s assured their tombs were made to stand the test of time.

B. How foolish builders these Pharaoh’s were? Today all of these great structures lie in ruins.

C. In this verse Paul likens ministry to the construction of a building. The wise Christian also, like a good builder pays careful attention to every area of his ministry.

3. Accept Christ as savior, (Revelations 14:13)

A. The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They did not believe in heaven and hell though .

B. The Bible strongly disagrees however. Heaven and hell exist. Man must die once and face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

C. All are sinners and condemned to suffer in hell forever. The only way out is to accept Christ as the personal savior.

Application

1. How to gather treasures in heaven?

A. Use our Earthly resources in ways that will benefit us in Heaven instead of just enriching our lives here.

B. Matthew 19:21 confirms this assumption. He said we can store up treasure in Heaven by using our Earthly treasure to help the poor and needy.

C. Last but not least remember that our life on earth is temporary. Be prepared to leave this earth when the call comes. Until then live for Christ, (Philippians 1:21)

2. How to build wisely?

A. Build on the right foundation: Build your ministry upon Jesus the only right foundation. Don’t build on top of money, fame, skills, power or anything else.

B. Use right materials: At first glance it looks like Paul mentions six different kinds of materials here. But in fact, there are only two kinds: costly or cheap.

C. Costly material: Anointing, grace, good attitudes, service, submission, ethics, accountability. Cheap materials: Competition, pride, self dependence.

3. How to accept Christ as the savior?

A. Remember, you receive salvation from your heart, not the head. You can’t accept Christ unless you surrender your pride and head knowledge first.

B. In your heart accept that you are a sinner in need of a savior. Ask God for forgiveness, simply but sincerely.

C. Confess that Jesus is your Lord. Believe him as your only hope for salvation. (Conclude with the sinner’s prayer)

Introduction

Jesus had breathed his last and someone had to arrange for his burial. All the disciples but John were in hiding. His mother was grieving and there’s no evidence Jesus’ brothers and sisters were in town. The Roman law did not permit burying  criminals accused of treason either and no-one dared to violate the Roman law.

This is when Joseph of Arimathea came forward and sought permission from the Roman governor to arrange for Jesus’ burial. Apart from Joseph there were 5 others involved in this account of Jesus’ burial. As I read this passage I found three challenges in each one’s response to the need of the hour.

Text: Mark 15:42-47

1. Joseph and Nicodemus

A. The decision makers. They were Jesus’ secret followers. Following his death they decided to blow their cover and publicly express their loyalty for Christ.

B. They faced great danger in doing so. Others could have accused them of treason and put them also to death.

C. This Good Friday I am challenging you to decide whether you want to be Jesus’ disciple or a disciple of this world.

2. Pilate the governor

A. Pilate was ignorant of the depth of Jesus’ suffering. This is why he was surprised to hear that Jesus died so soon.

B. Usually crucified criminals died very slowly. Jesus however had been through severe flogging, lost blood and exhausted.

C. This Good Friday I am challenging you to seriously rethink about Christ’s sufferings and commit/recommit to follow him whole heartedly.

3. The three Marys (Maries)

A. They were faithful to ministry even at the face of crisis and persecution. Fear could not hold back their passion for service.

B. The opposite was true about the 11 that was left. Overwhelmed with fear and discouragement they had stopped ministering and gone into hiding.

C. This is the final challenge. Serve the Lord faithfully and don’t let situations to stop you.

Application

1. Dare to be a disciple

(Read Luke 9:23 – explain in the light of decision making)

A. Self denial: Sacrificing one’s wealth, fame, comfort in obedience to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:8)

B. Carrying the cross: Disciples are subject to persecution. Nevertheless they must stand firm to the end and not give into pressure.

C. Follow Jesus every day: Discipleship is a painful, lifelong, daily process. Only the people whose focus are fixed on Jesus can finish the race, (Philippians 3:13-14)

2. Commit your life to Jesus

(Ephesians 4:18 – explain in the light of ignorance)

A. If you are a Christian don’t compromise in your walk with Jesus. If you compromise you are ignorant of the price Christ paid to set you free.

B. Some of you who have experienced Christ’s power are still not willing to surrender your life to Jesus. Make that commitment today.

C. People ignorant of Christ’s sacrifice risk their salvation. They are in danger of condemnation.

3. Serve him gladly 

(Psalm 100:2 – explain in the light of faithfulness in ministry)

A. Our love for Christ is best expressed in our deeds. You will serve him if your love is real.

B. Our service to Christ completes the impact of his suffering and death, (Romans 10:14)

C. God’s word urges us to serve him gladly. Don’t let sickness and problems discourage you, (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Image: SXC.HU

Introduction

The death of Jesus Christ actually shattered the hopes and dreams of his disciples. Though the resurrection had already taken place they were so affected by what happened three days ago they felt helpless, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged and left behind. It is at a time like this that Jesus met two of them on their way to Emmaus.

I know that some of us are feeling just like those disciples today. Perhaps you are wondering what has the resurrection got to do with your present situation. That is what we are going to hear in today’s sermon and how to deal with your situation through faith in the resurrected Christ.

Text: Luke 24:13-35

1. The disciples

Read Luke 24:13-24

A. Were under the control of the situation, (… as they talked and discussed…)

B. Which took full control of their emotions also, (… They stood still, their faces downcast…)

C. The disturbed emotions disturbed their faith, (… it is the third day since all this took place…)

2. The risen Lord

Read Luke 24:25-27

A. Rebuked them for doubting God’s infallible word, (… all that the prophets have spoken…)

B. Reminded them that God has a purpose behind everything, (… Messiah have to suffer these things…)

C. Explained to them the hidden meaning of scripture, (… He explained to them what was said…)

3. The divine moment

Read: Luke 24:28-32

A. Jesus walked with them all the way until it was dark,

B. Went into staying with them and took the role of the host, (… he took bread, gave thanks, broke it…)

C. Confirmed  that he is alive and presented among his disciples, (… then their eyes were opened…)

Application

There are 3 major lessons to draw from the incident on the way to Emmaus.

1. Don’t succumb to situations – Situations and disturbed emotions are Satan’s most powerful weapons. Disciples, despite the hard evidence  failed to believe resurrection actually took place because they were distracted by the situation. We already know that God is in control of every situation. He is already working through the situation. His presence is there. The man who succumbs to the situation however doesn’t realize this. Therefore He gets discouraged very quickly.

2. God’s ways are different – The disciples thought Jesus will overthrow the Roman empire and become the king of the Jews. Most of us feel like the disciples when our wishes don’t come to pass. The reality is our wishes are not in line with the will of God. How do we find out God’s will and purpose then? By diving into his word.

3. God is with us – Everyone has to take a walk to Emmaus at some point in life. We feel like we are alone. The truth is he is walking by our side. We don’t realize his presence because we are distracted by our situation. The Lord lets us walk like this for a short period. In the middle of the journey he suddenly reveals himself, restores our hope. Most of all he becomes our host.

Introduction

There are two things in this world that young people are most attracted to. Sex and technology. Both are good but dangerous if handled unwisely. Aaron Swartz was fascinated by the latter. Unfortunately his fascinations didn’t have limits.

Now Please take note that I don’t intend to judge Aaron in writing this article.I rather want to emphasize the fact that there are many brilliant minded people like Swartz who need to be taught to use their skills wisely, which is something only the church is capable of doing. A good point to start with would be to identify and create an awareness of the 3 major mistakes Swartz made.

1. Using technology responsibly, (1 Corinthians 13:11)

I am responsible for what I do with technology and how I use it. The number one reason I started my own Christian Computer club this year was to teach young Christians the biblical principles and ethics of using technology and encourage them to use it responsibly and in a way that brings glory to God.

Technology is a good thing. It can also be dangerous if used carelessly. Harvard academic, activist and personal friend of Swartz, Lawrence Lessig said this about Aaron’s death. ‘Aaron brought Aaron here, through his alleged actions.’

2. End never justifies the means, (Genesis 19:8)

As leaders we must teach young Christians that ‘the end never justifies the means’ especially with technology. Unlike black hat hackers do Aaron didn’t intend to make a profit from the protected scholarly articles he  downloaded from JSTOR through means of unauthorized access to MIT network. He just wanted to make those articles available to any one free of charge.

His motives were pure but the methods were not. Lessig wrote later, ‘The causes that Aaron fought for are my causes too, but as much as I respect those who disagree with me about this, these means are not mine.”

3. Talent cannot substitute character, (Judges 16)

It seems as if not a month goes by without hearing of some highly talented and “successful” individual whose character, or lack of it, has brought them low, tainting their reputation and legacy.

We have many young men and women in church. Each one with a different kind of gift. All of them need our help to become people driven by character other than talent. Character should always control talent. Not vice versa.

Conclusion

Aaron was not the first person of his kind to commit suicide. Jonathan James a teenage hacker committed suicide on 18th May 2008 after he was convicted of hacking into corporate networks. Aaron will not be the last victim unless the church acts soon.

Years ago fornication was the biggest worry the church had to deal with. Abuse of technology is a new social issue and the church is not ready.  Sadly certain Christian communities are not only ill-prepared but totally ignorant. I was shocked when I heard that members of the Westboro Baptist church wanted to picket Aaron’s funeral.

It’s high time that we take abuse of technology into account when planning our sermons and designing teaching curricula and we will be able to minimize tragedies like Aaron and James.

Image: peretzp

In August 2012 when we bought our first multimedia projector we had no doubt that motion backgrounds and video loops will add a lot of color to our worship services. Therefore as usual we searched the web which returned many free resources but they were of very poor quality. The official web site of EasyWorship has a huge collection of high quality items at very affordable rates but didn’t want to buy them because we don’t make payments online unless it’s really necessary.

Finally we decided to stick to still backgrounds. Last Saturday however  we searched the web once again and to our great surprise came across a wonderful web site called Free Worship Backgrounds. It seems the web site was launched short time ago and was not visible in Google search results until now.

All the backgrounds are of high quality and completely free and you can use them in both Windows (WMV and AVI) and Mac (MOV) Computers.  They are compatible with most of the popular worship presentation software such as EasyWorship, Media Shout, Pro Presenter, Song Show Plus and Worship Him also.

Right now it seems they don’t have a huge collection like commercial worship media providers do. However new backgrounds are added in a regular basis and hopefully there will be a much larger collection to select from. Optionally you can subscribe to their RSS feed and stay up to date each time a new background is introduced, which we did gladly!
Visit: Free Worship Backgrounds

Introduction

The arrival of the wise men wasn’t a part of the story of Jesus’ birth at all. They actually came in a time when the miracle of Jesus’ birth had long since worn off – while Mary and Joseph were caught in the busyness of life and parenting. In a time like this the gifts once again reminded them of three important truths God had told them in the beginning. Today even as the Christmas season is far behind us and we are about to get caught in the busyness of the new year God wants to remind us of those three truths.

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

1. Gold: Reminds us that Jesus is King

A. Expects the loyalty of his people, (John 19:25-27)

B. Expects to be honored by his people, (1 Corinthians 10:31)

C. Expects that we will submit to his will, (Matthew 19:16-22)

2. Frankincense: Reminds us that Jesus is God

A. Expects to be worshipped, (Philippians 2:9-11)

B. Expects to be trusted, (Psalm 46:10)

C. Expects us to be holy, (Leviticus 20:26)

3. Myrrh: Reminds us of his sacrifice

A. Believe that Christ died for our sin, (John 3:16)

B. Don’t take God’s salvation for granted, (Philippians 2:12)

C. Proclaim his salvation to everyone, (Romans 10:14-15)

Conclusion

I. If you still believe that Jesus is King,

A. Be loyal to him. Give him the first place in your life

B. Honor him in your deeds, speech and thoughts

C. Submit your (new year) plans to his expressed will

II. If you still believe that Jesus is God

A. Worship God alone. Crush all the idols

B. Depend on him alone in all situations

C. Depend on him to live a holy life

III. If you still believe in Jesus’ sacrifice

A. Let him into your life if you have not already

B. Live a life worthy of the calling you have received

C. Utilize every opportunity to share Christ with others

Image: SXC.HU

Text: Genesis Chapters 25-33

Introduction

It’s a well known fact that at the end of a year many people attempt to start life all over again. Unfortunately most of them at the end of another whole year find themselves right where they were. Tonight even as we step into a brand new year I decided to share with you about another man who found himself in the same situation. If you have been trying to start over but wasn’t successful chances are high that you have been repeating the mistakes he made. By the way the man is known to us as Jacob. These are the mistakes he made and how he overcame.

1. Let it go

A. Jacob’s chase for wealth and power, (Genesis 25:26; Genesis 25:29-34; Genesis 27:1-40)

B. Turned him into a deceiver and a runner, (Genesis 27:41-42)

C. Until he decided to let go of it one day, (Genesis 32:13-19)

2. Hold fast

A. Jacob means deceiver. Israel means ‘triumphant with God’

B. A changed name meant a changed man (ex: Saul becoming Paul)

C. This process of change wasn’t easy but he held fast onto God, (Genesis 32:24-31)

3. Face it

A. Buried his past hoping to start over which didn’t work, (Genesis 27:43-45; Genesis 29:27)

B. Prosperity couldn’t help him either, (Genesis 31:1)

C. He couldn’t start over until he dealt with his past, (Genesis 33:1-18)

Application

Let go of it: Bad habits, addiction, abusive relationship etc. I cannot be specific but you know what are things in life that must be left behind. Prayerfully consider the things in life that you must get rid of.

Hold fast: Character needs to be changed through the work of the Holy Spirit before anyone could start over. This is not a pleasant experience. It takes time. You must obey and hold fast to God during the process.

Face your past: This is painful and fearful (ex: abusive parents, sexual harassment as a child). Career, marriage life or other things can’t cover it up. Dealing with your past (seek biblical counseling) is the key to killing the problem forever.

Image: evalottchen

Text: Luke 2:25-38

Introduction

Luke’s narration here isn’t exclusively about Jesus’ birth and there are many other passages to preach a Christmas sermon from. Then why did I choose to preach from this passage? The reason is –  we find the true purpose God intended for  the season called Christmas in the words spoken by Simeon and Anna. In them we find that,

1. Christmas is the season for discovering peace

A. Think about Simeon & Anna. A life time of chasing peace with God, (Luke 2:25-27)

B. Man is sinful and is in need of being reconciled to God, (Luke 2:28-32)

C. Christ ended man’s war with God. Just believe to discover, (illustration: Shoichi Yokoi)

2. Christmas is the season for making decisions

A. We are here today because God has a plan, (Luke 2:27^a)

B. He wants us to make an important decision today, (Luke 2:33-34)

C. Whether to believe in him and live or die in unbelief, (illustration: To every man)

3. Christmas is the season for remembering

A. That Christian life isn’t a cake walk, (Luke 2:35)

B. Peace with God means war with the world, (Video clip: attacks on Christmas)

C. In this world we will have trouble. But Christ overcame the world

4. Christmas is the season for telling others

A. Anna knew the news about Jesus was too great to keep for herself, (Luke 2:36-38)

B. The Shepherds. Their joy was so great they had to break the news

C. If you are convinced of the priceless nature of God’s salvation you will tell others

Conclusion

Every year Christmas is a special and blessed time. If you haven’t made that crucial decision yet to let Jesus into your heart, now is the time to do so, and years from now you will rejoice, remembering that Christmas in 2012 was the most blessed thing that ever happened to you.