Sunday – March 31, 2013 – Lessons from the Empty Tomb

Posted on April 4, 2013 by PastorAndy

March 31, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Easter 2013: Lessons from the Empty Tomb from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

It is very easy to read the story of the women at the tomb of our Lord and to expect a very different message from the angels. When I consider my shortcomings and lack of faith, I hear the angels prepare a word of rebuke at why these women failed to take Jesus at His word at rising again on the third day. How many other things has Jesus spoken to us in the gospels that we acknowledge as Scripture but still fail to truly take Jesus at His word?
Join us this Resurrection Sunday at we “Learn From the Empty Tomb” lessons on taking Jesus at His word for life and living from the Gospel of John 20 verses 1 to 18.

Word On Worship – March 31, 2013 Download / Print

John 20:11-13
“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

This is a teachable moment in the lives of these women, just as you and I have teachable moments when the Lord calls us closer to look and see, testing for ourselves that the validity of His promises is sure and not to throw away our confidence which yields great reward. Jesus is no longer in the tomb, but the evidence remains — the linen wrappings lying there with the face cloth rolled up to the side. No disciple has come to remove the body or any enemy to pillage the tomb. Jesus has yet again kept His word.

There is a time to believe the promises of God as a child believes a parent when told to be ready for school in the morning. But there comes a time when each one of us must learn by faith to believe the Word of God is unfailingly true. We will experience the prick of our doubts, just as the women must have felt when the angels reminded them in Matthew 28:6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.” This resurrection Sunday is the day for us to move forward, past our previous doubts and failures, into the realm of faith. Not understanding how God will do what He has promised, but believing He who has promised is faithful, and will bring it to pass for our good and His glory.

For the church to believe Jesus rose from the dead is fine, but it is not enough. We need to personally understand what kind of Savior rose from the dead. He is the same loving Redeemer who healed the sick, comforted the mourning and died for the sinner. That is the Savior who now calls us to share with others — the news Jesus Christ has risen — just as He said. He laid down His life so we could share in the inheritance as members of His family, if we believe as John did that first morning when he entered the tomb and saw and believed.

Sunday – January 27, 2013

Posted on January 29, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 27, 2013 – Read the Word on Worship

Who Does Jesus Think Is? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The world of wicked tenants described in the parable given from Jesus is very much like the world we live in. The tenants will stop at nothing to get what they way. They do not care that they have made obligations of themselves for the fruit of their labor, in the end they want what they want and will take it by any means necessary. They have not forgotten who owns the land, but their covetousness knows no bounds and leads them to say “mine is the power, the kingdom and the glory”. Do humans think that by erasing God from their lives that they can control their earthly and eternal destinies?
Join us Sunday as we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark as we look at “Who Does Jesus Think He is?” as we study Mark 11 verse 27 through chapter 12 verse 12.

Word On Worship – January 27, 2013 Download / Print

Mark 12:6-10
“He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ “They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

The world of wicked tenants described in the parable given by Jesus is very much like the world we live in. The tenants will stop at nothing to get what they want. They do not care that they have made obligations of themselves for the fruit of their labor; in the end they want what they want and will take it by any means necessary. They have not forgotten who owns the land, but their covetousness knows no bounds and leads them to say “mine is the power, the kingdom and the glory.” Do humans think that by erasing God from their lives that they can control their earthly and eternal destinies? Even when they have killed the son, they still have God to contend with.

To many, God seems to be the absentee landlord and a foolish one at that. They want to establish themselves as the lords of their little world rejecting the reality that they are creations of God and live in God’s vineyard. People think they will get away with it, but God’s judgment will inevitably come. The parable assures us that God will win even when it seems He has lost. Those who reject God’s claims on their lives and God’s call to repentance will always be losers, even when it seems they have won. They sow the seeds of their own destruction.

This parable particularly applies to the church today. Israel was chosen by to fulfill God’s gracious purpose for the whole world. God equipped them for the task, but they mistook that assignment as a special privilege and wanted to be accountable only to themselves, not God. If you ask what fruit God requires from us today, the answer comes from what immediately precedes and follows the parable. God requires that our place of worship be a house of prayer for all people and that our community be a forgiving one. We are to render to God what belongs to God and to love God with all of our heart, strength and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In other words, God expects the vineyard – God’s people – to be an accepting, prayerful, forgiving, devoted and loving fellowship of people built around His Son, Jesus Christ. Whenever we fall short of this standard, we invite God’s judgment.

Sunday – January 20, 2012

Posted on January 22, 2013 by PastorAndy

January 20, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Jesus & The Original Occupy Jerusalem Movement from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Sadly most readers, and many commentary writers, are shocked to read that Jesus could be so spiteful to curse a poor fruit tree. Instead of seeing the guilt of an unproductive tree in full leaf, many people instead think Jesus is being irrational and petulant as He curses the tree. Yet would they wring their hands in disbelief when a chicken farmer assigns a chicken that no longer produces eggs to the stew? What we fail to see is both the fig tree and the activities of the temple failed to produce the very thing they created to produce. The tree was created to produce figs and the temple was created to be a house of prayer for all nations. What should the Master do when the when the proverbial chicken does not produce what it was created to produce?
Join us tomorrow as we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark as we look at “Jesus and the Original Occupy Jerusalem Movement” from Mark 11 verses 12 to 26.

Word On Worship – January 20, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 11:12-14
“On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.”

The last miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark is the most unusual. For the first time, a miracle of Jesus brings about death, not life. Needless to say, this raises many questions. How is it that Jesus can tell the disciples where to find a colt tied up from outside the city and yet He can’t see from a distance whether a tree has edible fruit? How is Jesus able to feed five thousand people with five fish and two loaves but one fig tree frustrates Him to the point of cursing it?

Sadly, most readers and many commentary writers are shocked to read that Jesus could be so spiteful as to curse a poor fruit tree. Instead of seeing the guilt of an unproductive tree in full leaf, many people think Jesus is being irrational and petulant as He curses the tree. Yet would they wring their hands in disbelief when a chicken farmer assigns a chicken that no longer produces eggs to the stew? What we fail to see is that both the fig tree and the activities of the temple failed to produce the very thing they were created to produce. The tree was created to produce figs and the temple was created to be a house of prayer for all nations. What should the Master do when the proverbial chicken does not produce what it was created to produce?

Jesus has taken the place of the temple during His ministry. Jesus announced in John 2 that He is the Temple. From there, Jesus proclaims throughout the gospels the forgiveness of sin, healing for the sick, and the restoration of people to society. He has replaced the tables of the money changers, where worshippers had to pay for atonement, with the Lord’s Table, were He presents the free offering of His life on the cross as payment for the forgiveness of sins to all who come to the Father through Him.

And that leaves one last question for you and me. What were we created for? Were we merely created to make sure we make arrangements with God to get our fire insurance in order? Or should we have learned from the parable of the soils in Mark 4 that the desired end is for our lives is to be people of the fourth soil producing fruit? The Lord is very serious about His people growing in maturity so that we produce good fruit. Do not miss the lesson of the fig tree. Realize how God deals with things that do not produce – especially when they outwardly profess to be fruit bearing.

Sunday – December 23, 2012

Posted on December 24, 2012 by PastorAndy

December 23, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

What Christmas Is All About from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to be reminded about what Christmas is all about. And sometimes that lesson comes from learning what Christmas is not about. Christmas is not about elves. Christmas is not about Frosty the Snow Man. Christmas is not about lights- even though they may be really pretty. And Christmas is not about the MAN- one Kris Kringle AKA in the Netherlands from where my family came, Cinder Klaus. There are so many things out there that have nothing to do with Christmas.
Join us this Sunday as we go back to what the Bible has to say about Christmas as we turn to Luke 1:26-38 and see “What Is Christmas Really About”.

Word On Worship – December 23, 2012 Download / Print

Matt 1:19-21
Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Christmas is a celebration of the God who spoke the universe into existence and entered the world of His own creation as a baby. The idea of a “god” entering into the affairs of men is not unique. Before the time of Jesus, many of the Greek gods were known to have had all sorts of entry into history and direct human contact. Even in modern times we have numerous examples of “super-beings” who intervene in human history. Some are larger than life, like the heroes of comic book fame and others are more human than divine such as the sports stars we see competing every week.

None of these inventions of imagination, ancient or contemporary, provide help for us to better understand the doctrine of the incarnation of Jesus Christ – fully God and fully man. Our minds are captivated by the fiction of people able to do more than humans are capable of doing. But nothing in fact or fiction compares with the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Except for a few disregarded prophets, no one anticipated God’s intervention into history by the birth of a child in a manger. Not even Judaism was looking for the Messiah in this way.

Today we have become so accustomed to biblical narratives of Christ’s birth that many have become numb to its significance. And that is the mystery of the incarnation. Something that was not known before is now made known to the world. The all-powerful, supreme God who created the universe humbled Himself, took on human form and entered His creation as a vulnerable infant.

This Christmas, my prayer is that we appreciate this mystery of the incarnation and understand in a new way how incredible it is for God’s greatness to be contained in human flesh. Further, that we take the next step to sincerely ask what this means for each of us. May this be the Christmas where the focus of our celebration is Jesus Christ, God incarnate, who entered human existence so that we may be born again, born of God.

Sunday – November 18, 2012

Posted on November 21, 2012 by PastorAndy

November 18, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Thankfulness is More Than a Word from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

On September 8, 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin collided with the schooner Augusta in the waters of Lake Michigan. The Lady Elgin was carrying more than 300 souls on the night she began to sink in the early morning hours, costing the lives of 279 people. Students from Northwestern University formed rescue teams to save the few they could from drowning. One student named Edward Spencer saved 17 people before he passed out from exhaustion. Years later R.A. Torrey asked him if anything stood out in his memory of the event, to which Spencer replied, “Only this sir, of the 17 people I rescued, not one of them thanked me.”
This Sunday we learn some lessons in having a thankful heart as we watch Jesus heal 10 lepers in Luke 17 verses 11 to 19 only to have one, a Samaritan, come back and give thanks to the Lord who healed him. This Sunday our message is “Thankfulness is More than a Word”

Word On Worship – November 18, 2012 Download / Print

Ephesians 5:18-21
“Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.”

Thankfulness is an important subject to the Apostle Paul and throughout the Word of God. Some combination of the word appears times 195 in Scripture and Paul uses it more than 40 times in his epistles. The concept of thankfulness in the New Testament comes from two Greek words. The first is charizomai, which contains the word for “grace.” The second is homologeo which means “to confess or acknowledge”. Thankfulness is the mental and/or verbal expression of your acknowledgment and appreciation of God’s person, grace and sovereign work in one’s life and the world.

So why be thankful? Because it honors our heavenly Father. When we are thankful, we recognize God exists and acknowledging Him as the very source and meaning of our life. True thankfulness recognizes our dependence on God and acknowledges everything going on in our lives is the product of God’s sovereign control. It is important for us to recognize thanklessness is dangerous to ourselves and to others. A thankless heart leads to proud humanism and dependence on man rather than God. Thankfulness becomes a spiritual barometer, reading the condition of our spiritual lives and providing a warning if we have ears to hear.

But is thankfulness a topic only to be considered at this time of the year? Certainly not. Scripture teaches us thankfulness is one of the primary purposes of prayer in the life of the believer. Thanksgiving turns our eyes from our problems and ourselves to the Lord in order that we might see His sovereign grace. Thankfulness is not saying all things in our lives are pain-free. But even the most difficult of life situations are used by God for the good of making us like His Son. With our eyes already turned toward God in thankfulness, we encourage an eagerness to go to God in prayer to lay our burdens as well as other matters at His feet.

So where does a thankful heart come from? Do not confuse thankfulness with what provides us with pleasure. True thankfulness requires spiritual understanding of the life situations in which we find ourselves. Because spiritual understanding is so vital to a thankful heart, a Scripture-filled life is necessary. Living in the Word keeps our focus where it needs to be. It is through being in the Word of God that we are encouraged to grow in the Spirit and remember that we are the children of God. May your Thanksgiving this year be the start of a bountiful harvest of joy, as you seek to cultivate thankfulness in your heart and mind about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sunday – November 11, 2012

Posted on November 13, 2012 by PastorAndy

November 11, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Pray For Kings and All Who Are in Authority from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

The elections are over, so now what? Maybe your candidate won or maybe they lost, but our job is more than just an election. Now is the time for us to get busy and be in prayer for all who in authority whether they are the President of the United States or local elected officials. Join us as we look at 1st Timothy 2 verses 1 to 4 and see why prayer for our leaders is of first importance and what our prayers can do to make the advance of the gospel possible.

Word On Worship – November 11, 2012 Download / Print

Matthew 6:32-33
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

One of our greatest problems with prayer is we do not fully know to whom it is we are praying. We have left God to the realm of human imagination and fantasy such that we say, “I would like to think of God in these terms.” That “I like” mindset guarantees that all concepts of God which come from our speculation and imagination will be seriously wrong. Such ideas continually lead to uncertainty about God because God is not the focus of our lives. The only place we can get a clear picture of the living God and understand why prayer is so essential is from the Bible, where God bears witness about Himself so we may begin to know who He truly is.

To understand why prayer is so essential, we must first grasp how God is a personal God. Today, many people remove the personal attributes of God and think of Him as a “higher substance.” Society enjoys the facelessness of such a God because we can collectively leave God on the shelf with our other faceless pursuits of career, family, and education, as if He were a fashion statement to be worn in the right season of Christmas and Easter. In other seasons where our devotion is spent in total pursuit of ourselves, we can fold Him up and put Him away until He is needed. The truth is, impersonal ideas about God will always be inferior to the true nature of God.

God is always described as a personal God of real people in Scripture. He speaks of Himself as “I” and addresses humanity as “you.” From Genesis to Revelation, God relates to people personally and is never seen as an “it.” Therefore, we must not allow ourselves to see Him as an object from whom we can stand apart and observe in the way scientists examine an organism through a microscope. God is always the subject, not a mere object, always above us, never below us. He presents Himself in personal terms and so we must always think of Him in personal terms as the God who is eternally here and has His eternal eye on us. He takes an active interest in us just the way we are.

So how does this relate to prayer? Since God is personal, it should be no surprise to find His relationship to humans involves two-way speech, where we listen as well as speak. There is a language between God and us just as there is between you and me. As God used language to address the people in the Bible, such as Abraham and David, we are called to converse with God using language, seeking His Kingdom and His righteousness. His lessons and commandments as revealed in His wonderful Word remain our enduring and steadfast guide. And none of this would be possible if our heavenly Father were not a personal God who speaks to us and hears our call.

Sunday – November 4, 2012

Posted on November 6, 2012 by PastorAndy

November 4, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Where is God on Election Day? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

It is a week away… not the end of the world but if you listen to the advertising you might be convinced otherwise… Election Day. With both sides convinced God is on their side, the question we are all wondering is “Where is God on Election Day?” Join us this Sunday as we take a break in our study in the Gospel of Mark to look at the example of another king who learned a lesson about Who is in charge , even when we have questions about what it all means in Daniel 4 verses 28 to 37 as we try to answer that very question, “Where is God on Election Day?”

Word On Worship – November 4, 2012 Download / Print

Proverbs 11:10-11
“When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.”

Dr. Haddon Robinson, president of the Conservative Baptist Theological Seminary in Denver has written, “Fundamentalists who preached during the sixties that God and Caesar were to be kept apart, have had a turn of mind about what the Bible teaches. Political involvement now smacks of a religious crusade… The fact is that there has probably been no time in the recent history of our nation when evangelical Christians have been as interested and involved in the political process.” This has brought an equal and fervent response from unbelievers to keep Christians out of the political dialog under the banner of “separation of church and state.”

We often consult the Book of Proverbs for wisdom in many areas of life, but one area it shines a particularly clear light upon is politics. For many secularists, a government which seeks to uphold righteousness in any area but the environment is only out to make life miserable for people. The Book of Proverbs assumes the purpose of government is to promote righteousness because righteousness is mutually beneficial for government and the people. Righteousness is not only right, it is best. When a government promotes righteousness, the people are blessed. But when the government fails to achieve its intended purpose, the people suffer.

The problem is that government is often tasked with matters that are humanly impossible. Righteousness and justice are God-given characteristics. For any government to employ such standards would require it to seek divine enabling to accomplish their purpose. While there is wisdom in separating religious functions from political office, there is no way we can separate righteousness from political office. If the purpose of government is to promote righteousness and punish evil, how can we avoid defining righteousness and defending it as a part of our political obligation to God?

In carrying out that duty, we must recognize any form of power can be prostituted to the advantage of those who wield it. Any power given by God to man is a stewardship. And when power is abused, God may elect to take it away, just as God did with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. He had received good counsel from his advisors in 1 Kings 12:7 “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” Rehoboam did not learn leadership is really servanthood and rejected their advice. This is what Jesus taught the disciples in Mark 10:35-45. All power is given by God, whether it is political, financial or relational, so that we may serve others. When we forget this truth we are in danger of being set aside.

Sunday – October 21, 2012

Posted on October 21, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 21, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

The Most Important Question from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

There are a lot of questions we ask ourselves about our lives. What will do to earn a living, how should we raise our families, how can we define success in our lives. But the most important question any one can ask themselves is who is Jesus of Nazareth? Who Jesus is and what you are going to do with that answer is the single most defining issue you have to make with eternity. Join us this Sunday as we look at "The Most Important Question" from Mark 8 verses 27 to 38.

Word On Worship – October 21, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 8:34-35
“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

If ever there was a man who could be right and yet simultaneously wrong at the same time, Peter must be him. In our passage, Peter makes his stunning confession of faith in Jesus being the Messiah. But then Jesus tells the disciples His path will lead to suffering, humiliation and ultimately death on the cross and Peter’s reaction is to tell Jesus no way! One can hardly blame Peter for missing the point since the cross was contrary to every interest in Peter’s life at this time. Are we any different than Peter today?

We need to remember the Jewish method of execution was stoning. When Jesus told them they would need to take up their cross to follow Him, they heard Roman execution. To be Messiah meant possessing the Wisdom of Solomon, providing bread in the Wilderness like Moses, leading in conquest like Joshua and establishing an eternal kingdom like David in the minds of the disciples. Nowhere in their job description for the Messiah was death at the hands of the same Romans they expected Jesus to overthrow. Jesus is heading to His own death and they will be following Him to the same destination.

Following Christ requires the believer to act in ways which are contrary to our basic instincts and interests. Jesus is not going the way our culture is going. That leaves us with the hard choice to follow our goals and self interests or to die to them by taking up a cross, a Roman method of execution. That certainly was no more popular in the minds of the disciples that in our minds today. The gospel is all about taking up our cross and embracing death. The result of following Jesus means our lives will turn upside down. No matter what our culture may be – American, Chinese, Islamic or even Jewish, when you come to Christ He will turn your values upside down. Following Jesus means we are going to die to the way we used to live our lives.

When I read through the Gospel of John, one of the key words is BELIEVE. But here in the Gospel of Mark the key word is FOLLOW. Many would like to apply this as a multiple choice where we can believe or follow Christ. Jesus makes it clear it is both to believe and follow. What do you believe about Jesus ? Will that compel you to follow Him? With what you know about Jesus, are you willing to get behind Him and follow His lead, even when the road He has chosen leads us to Golgotha? We must be ready to follow when Jesus leads us along the roads we would never have chosen for ourselves.

Sunday – October 14, 2012

Posted on October 18, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 14, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Lessons from the Leftovers from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Jesus is continuing His ministry in Gentile territory and after teaching for three days feeds the crowd of 4,000 people in attendance. But instead of seeing the sufficiency of Christ in their midst, the disciples connect all the wrong dots and worry about what they are going to do for lunch with only one loaf of bread in the boat. Let’s see if we can make the connections and learn “The Lessons of Leftovers” in our study of the Gospel of Mark chapter 8 verses 1 to 26.

Word On Worship – October 14, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 8:11-12
“The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

“Seeing is believing” is more than a Madison Avenue marketing ploy. We want to test the merchandise ourselves to see if it lives up to the hype. Our generation is seen in the actions of the Pharisees. The Pharisees are looking to dictate to God the terms and conditions under which they will believe or not believe. They want unequivocal, irrefutable and visible evidence that removes any doubt from the decision of faith. In reality, they are really looking for something from Jesus to eliminate the need for faith. But is our generation any different?

Jesus has proved His authority throughout His ministry. He sent the healed leper to them as a testimony of His power to heal. He confirmed His authority to forgive sin by commanding the paralytic to walk. He taught with authority that the people had never seen from the religious leaders. He broke Sabbath commands with Old Testament precedent for His actions. He commands storms to be stilled and demons to be removed. But the Jewish leaders have rejected the evidence and moved forward to plot His death. The response of our Lord is to deny them any further evidence since they refuse to believe no matter what He says or does.

The Messiah they want will never come. They want a compliant superman who has the power of heaven to fulfill their own earthly program. They dream empty dreams of overthrowing tyrants so they may be installed as the new tyrants. They want Jesus to give them proof of what they want to be true, without having to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. Does this sound like the Jesus our generation wants? This was the very temptation Satan used in the Wilderness. For Jesus to resist such pressure and remain obedient to God required a clear vision of God’s will, unwavering dedication and continual prayer.

Today people still want convincing signs. If we were in the crowd when He was crucified, would we demand He come down in some dramatic show of force so we might believe He is the Christ? Each one of us must discern the truth of from the way He gave His life on the cross and the evidence of the resurrection. Scoffers will appear in every generation asking for signs only to ridicule faith in God against all evidence presented to it. Mark’s Gospel shows us the Creator does not bow to such demands from the created. We must follow the example of Jesus and demonstrate our faith by our commitment to obey God and giving ourselves as a sacrifice to others.

Sunday – October 7, 2012

Posted on October 9, 2012 by PastorAndy

October 7, 2012 – Read the Word on Worship

Does God Ever Lose an Argument? from Sunrise Community Church on Vimeo.

Does God ever intend on losing an argument? Do you think He ever changes His mind? After declaring all food clean, Jesus begins to go into Gentile territory to begin ministering to those who were outside the children of Israel. Will the ministry to the Gentiles be a second class ministry? Will Jesus with hold healing from the Gentiles or does He need extra persuasion? If you want to know the answers, don’t miss this Sunday’s message from Mark 7 verses 24 to 37 as we see “Does God Ever Lose an Argument?”

Word On Worship – October 7, 2012 Download / Print

Mark 7:26-27
“She kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Why would Jesus show such contempt to a woman only seeking help for her daughter and compare her to a dog? It implies the only legitimate diners are the children of Israel. If you are confused, you are not alone. The response of Jesus to this desperate mother has confounded readers, not to mention scholars, for years. The scene upsets our sense of justice. We do not mind when Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, because their sense of entitlement deserves condemnation. But the response of our Lord seems to be out of character for a mother interceding for her child.

To deal with this incongruity of Scripture not meeting our expectations, people have found many ways to excuse the perceived harshness of Jesus. Surely He must have used a gentle, maybe even humorous tone of voice to lessen the sting. Maybe Jesus was not convinced His mission was to include the Gentiles just yet? Or could this be Jesus testing the faith of this woman? Others, with a low view of Scripture, argue this incident is merely an invention of the Church which was read back into the history of Jesus to demonstrate Jewish prejudice towards Gentiles.

Stop making excuses for Jesus and His response. A dog is a dog, whether they are pampered pet or feral street hound. No matter how Jesus said it, to call this desperate woman a dog is not a term of endearment. And if this is a test of faith, why does not Jesus commend her faith when it was proved true? Mark may not be aware of the problems which step on our political correctness, but surely the Holy Spirit who inspired Mark’s account is. We come to the Scriptures with our own bias, expectation and selfish desire. Our bias is to make Jesus more Gentile than Jew because we received Him gladly. Our expectation is for Jesus to be more favorable to Gentiles because so many Jews have rejected their Messiah. And our selfish desire obligates Jesus to respond to every request made upon Him because we expect Him to respond to our every beck and call.

Our problem with this response of Jesus is we do not understand who we are, unlike the Canaanite woman. We are self-deluded to think Jesus accepts us just as we are. When Scripture filters out our selfish expectation, we see all of our righteousness is like filthy rags and God accepts us only as Jesus is – holy, righteous and pure. We are ready to begin talking about the grace of God in the Person of Jesus Christ only after we know what we truly are without Him. Never forget the only solution for our sin is the harshness of the cross. The cross is the only way sin, Jew or Gentile, could be dealt with to be accepted by God.

Sunrise Community Church

Jesus is THE Way, not only a statement of faith; the way of life.

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