Hebrews 10:16-25 How Good Friday is Good For Us

What is so good about Good Friday? That is the question many of us probably ask when Good Friday comes around every year. After all, what is good about a day that commemorates Jesus' horrible torture and execution on a Roman cross?

Good Friday is a dark day in some respects because it commemorates the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but it is also a bright day in other ways because Jesus' death and resurrection on Easter Sunday paved the way for our relationship with God to be restored. This is the good news that Jesus has asked us to spread, but in order to understand the good news, we have to understand the bad news that is called our sinful, human nature. Once we see that we are slaves to sin, the good news of deliverance makes sense.   

The book of Hebrews tells us to live by faith in God alone. The father of our faith is Abraham. His faith in God made him "right" before God. As a result of this righteousness, God protected his family as they grew into a nation, the Israelites. Moses was their first official leader to establish their worship, culture and laws. God spoke to Moses as he wrote down God's ways for the people, including the Ten Commandments.

These rules were given to teach the Israelites how to live. They were enforced to protect the Israelites from walking away from God and to protect them from destroying themselves and each other. These rules were not designed to replace faith, but by the time Jesus came these rules were more important than faith, mercy and kindness. The rules were more important than the people. Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. He came to fulfill it so that we, like Abraham, could be righteous through faith in God. 

The good news of salvation is the cornerstone of the joy of Easter. In order to appreciate the joy of Easter, we have to appreciate what Jesus endured on Good Friday. Sin had to be punished because God is a just god who demands justice and hates sin. Because he hates sin, and because he wants to restore  a loving relationship  with us, someone had to pay the price for our sins.

In Old Testament times, sins were paid for by sacrificing animals. These animals had to be prefect in the eyes of the priests, which led to the marketplace in the temple where animals who were deemed to be perfect for sacrifices were available for sale. That was the same marketplace where Jesus upset the tables and drove out the moneychangers. When he laid his hands on the animal, the priest symbolically transferred sins to the animal, and the animal's death symbolically cleansed the people from their sins.

Unfortunately, there was a problem. These sacrifices had to be repeated every time someone sinned, and because the priests were human, they also had a sinful nature. God wanted one ultimate sacrifice in order to complete his plan for our restoration to him. The only perfect sacrifice that would fulfill his plan was Jesus Christ, who was the perfect sacrifice because of his sinless nature. 

We can't underestimate the importance of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Before his death, we were separated from God. No one could approach God in the Holy of Holies portion of the Temple except for the high priest, and even then he could only enter it once a year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus' death destroyed the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple, and provided a way for us to be reconciled to him. Jesus removed the barriers for anyone who wanted to know and worship God. We can serve the Lord and abide in his presence.

When we accept what Christ did for us on Good Friday, we can get out of the black hole of our sinful, earthly life. That can be a struggle that we can't fight on our own. The Holy Spirit will help us, but other Christians are also ready to fight alongside us. The writer of Hebrews even states in Hebrews 10:24-25 that we must "not neglect our meeting together, as some do, but encourage one another, especially now that Christ's return is drawing near". Around Jesus were a close knit group, but those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour were quickly shunned by non-believers. The writer of Hebrews encouraged the early believers by reminding them that God will never abandon them. We as believers today can also be confident in our hope because God will never abandon us.  

It is important for believers to gather together on a regular basis to worship God. We were not designed to "go it alone". Belonging to a church not only protects our fellowship with God, but it is a vital part of how God matures us and transforms us to his image. Part of that transformation includes believing in Jesus in faith, especially in what he did for us on Good Friday.

There is strength in numbers. Getting together with other Christians strengthens our faith and provokes us to do more for God. All of us can encourage someone, whether it is a family member, friend, co-worker, casual acquaintance or a stranger. We can encourage others to keep going in times of difficulty. By worshipping with other Christians, we can celebrate the Eucharist and remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We can't keep our faith strong unless we have encouragement from fellow Christians, just like Jesus encouraged his disciples and the early followers. True believers will not look the other way when we sin, just like God can't and doesn't ignore sin. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can have eternal life. We have direct access to God, unlike the Israelites in the Old Testament. Jesus' sacrifice means that we do not have to feel guilty about sinning against God, provided that we confess our sins and ask God to forgive us.

Belonging to a good church is so beneficial for both individuals and families that it is well worth finding a church where leaders and members not only love God and believe and teach his Word, but also where they are loving, accepting and non-judgmental; where they present grace with truth; and where they are committed to ministering to each other's needs. That's why God designed the church, and that's why  people such as Pope Francis I are trying to bring the church back to its roots just like Jesus brought the church back to its roots by his sacrifice on the cross. That, my friends, is one reason why Good Friday is good for us. 

The Christian life is based on God's promises. These promises fall into two categories:

                              1.            Unconditional: These are promises made without exceptions. A good example is the promise God made to Abraham to bless all the families on earth through him. Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, fulfills this promise because salvation is made available to all believers because of what he did on Good Friday.

                              2.            Conditional: These are promises that are subject to certain conditions. A good example is the promise that Jesus made to the disciples that the Holy Spirit would come to them if they waited in Jerusalem. We as humans can only make this type of promise because we can't control every circumstance.

The truth of the cross is that God remembered every single sin that every believer has committed or will commit (no matter how small) and punished Jesus for each and every one of them as our substitute. Jesus' righteousness is imparted to us so that we stand before God completely spotless. God forgets our sins because Jesus took them upon himself for us. The penalty has been paid, and so our sin debt has been forgiven.

God promises in Hebrews 10:17-18 that he will forget our sins if we confess them and believe in him in faith. The key words are "in faith". There are people who make what sounds like great confessions of faith, but in reality they have no faith at all. Real confessions come from the heart when believers get God's Word so deep in their hearts their lives are aligned with God's plan for their lives. For example, believing in the forgiveness of sins calls on us to live our lives in a particular way. When we live with God's forgiveness in our hearts, we are positive and hopeful. The hope of forgiveness comes from the pain of Good Friday. 

I want to close my message with a story about a little boy who was visiting his grandparents. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you, Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember, the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.

                                                                        
Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help make supper." But Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." And she whispered again, "Remember, the duck?" So Sally went fishing, and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window, and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Jesus Christ is like the Grandma, standing at the window. He sees all our sins, but because he had made the ultimate sacrifice with his blood, we can have forgiveness. Christ is the sin eater who has taken care of all our sins, and that is another reason why Good Friday is good for us.

 Bibliography

      1.            Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

      2.            Justin Holcomb, "What's So Good About Good Friday?" Retrieved from www.christianity.com

      3.            Gwen Smith, "Through the Veil". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmil.com

      4.            Steve Preston, "Assembly Together". Retrieved from bibletalk@freegroups.net

      5.            Elizabeth Cole, "Friends Don't Let Friends…". Retrieved from Homeword_with_Jim_Burns@crosswalkmail.com

      6.            Robert A. Schuller, "Live Guilt Free". Retrieved from positiveminute@hourofpower.cc

      7.            Amy Carroll, "Drawing Near". Retrieved from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com

      8.            Dick Inness, "What a Good Church Can Do For You, Part III". Retrieved from www.actsweb.org

      9.            Dr. Charles Stanley, "The Promises of God, Part I: Our God of Promise". Retrieved from www.intouch.org

  10.            Rev. Ken Klaus, "NO Forgiveness". Retrieved from www.lhm.org

  11.            Rick Renner, "True Profession is Form the Heart". Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

  12.            Dr. Keith Wagner, "Our Faith in Action". Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

 

13.        Dr. Mickey Anders, "The Sin Eater". Retrieved from www.lection

Genesis 11:27-12:9, Hebrews 11:1-8 Living a Life of Faith

All of us want to be remembered after we die, but I'm sure most of us would not like to be remembered  like these people, who had these supposed real epitaphs on their tombstones:

 1.      Here lies Johnny Yeast. Pardon me for not rising.

2.      Here lies Butch. We planted him raw. He was quick on the trigger, but slow on the draw.

3.      The children of Israel wanted bread, and the Lord sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, and the Devil sent him Anna.

4.      She always said her feet were killing her, but nobody believed her.

5.      Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on the way down. It was.

6.      Here lies the body of our Anna. Done to death by a banana. It wasn't the fruit that laid her low, but the skin of the thing that made her go.

7.      Here lies one Wood, enclosed in wood. One Wood within another. The outer wood is very good: We cannot praise the other.

 Every single person we regard as "great" in the Bible was a man or woman of faith. That faith made a difference in the way they lived and responded to God. That's why we remember them.

First, we need to define exactly what faith is. According to the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, faith is the assurance that something we want is going to happen even though we can't see it. When God makes a promise, he keeps it-unlike people such as politicians. We have to trust God for more than what our natural abilities can accomplish. We have to trust God with our future because we can't see the future-only God can.

We can determine if we are in or out of faith by asking these questions:

1.      Am I doing what God told me to do?

2.      Am I fulfilling the assignment God gave me for my life?

3.      Am I living in obedience to His Word and to the revelation He has given to me?

4.      Am I sticking with the plan Jesus asked me to execute?

Hebrews 11 is about men and women who lived in faith. They each received a word from God for their lives or for their generation. They held on to their mandate from God even though it was difficult to do. As a result, they changed their generations and pleased God.

Faith is conviction from evidence. It is simply believing in God's goodness and believing that he rewards the people who seek after him. Faith makes the invisible real. It makes something out of nothing. Faith allows us to be everything that God wants us to be, but we will never be the blessing God wants us to be unless we fulfill God's purpose for our lives. Faith is a gift from God. We can accept it or reject it. If we accept it, we will see things through the eyes of faith, especially when we read and study God's Word.

We can choose to trust in ourselves and in our own efforts in order to earn God's pleasure, or we can choose to trust in Christ and let him live his life through us to enable us to live a life that is pleasing to God. Abraham obeyed God by faith. He did not question God's orders. It was very difficult for him to leave his homeland because of the patriarchical culture. He had to leave his extended family. He had to let go of his "security blanket". I'm sure he felt a sense of anxiety, but his faith in God helped him to overcome his fears. We would be wise to remember that only faith in God can save us from our worries.  

Abraham was rewarded for his faith by being made the father of the Jewish nation. God rewards faith. God blesses us and makes us a blessing, as the late Pastor Perry F. Rockwood would say every time he ended his radio broadcasts. Abraham set the gold standard for faithfulness, obedience and discipleship. Not everyone can reach that standard, but Abraham reminds us of what is possible.

When God speaks about blessing someone, it's a promise to intervene in that person's life in a powerful way. That blessing could be financial, family, emotional or spiritual in nature, but in order to receive that blessing, two conditions have to be met--- obedience and faith.

Abraham stepped out in faith to follow God, and he became identified with Christ. Everyone who follows Christ in faith also becomes identified with Christ. God's enemies become our enemies, and God's friends become our friends. When we trust God, we can truly walk with him in faith. If we have faith in God, we will do whatever he asks us to do. This can be hard to do. Most of us don't want to be told what to do. We want to be in charge of our own lives, instead of following the old advice to "let go and let God". In order for us to make it as Christians, we have to live life by faith in Christ in every area of our lives. God's dreams for us are worth giving up our lives for, but only if we believe in him in faith. God calls us to a faith that sets us free to be guided by him in our Christian walk of faith.

The readings we heard earlier deal with living a life of faith, which is one of the hardest things a Christian can do, even with God's help. Some of us are reluctant to have faith in God because we don't know all of the facts. We can't see the entire picture. God is like that. When we step out in faith, he doesn't tell us the entire plan he has for us. He reveals the plan one step at a time. We can be saved by faith without knowing all of the facts. We don't know everything there is to know about Christ and the Scriptures.

Billy Graham once said, "Most of us do not understand nuclear fission, but we accept it. I don't understand television, but I accept it. I don't understand radio, but every week my voice goes out around the world, and I accept it. Why is it so easy to accept all these man-made miracles and so difficult to accept the miracles of the Bible?"  

The road of faith is not easy. Real faith is more than receiving the things we want from God. Real faith is accepting from God the things he gives us. Real faith can change our lives. Faith allowed Noah to build the ark. Faith allowed Abraham to leave his homeland. Faith allows us to persevere when we face life's trials.

We struggle with our faith for many reasons. For example, human reasoning tells us that what God asks may seem unreasonable. We live by sight, but God does not always give us visible evidence of his work. Faith involves surrendering to our feelings. Faith means that we will receive negative advice or criticism from non-believers. Satan and feelings of guilt may cause us to neglect the Word of God. In fact, Satan often attacks our faith immediately after a triumph in faith.

If we are walking closely with the Lord and life deals us a blow that knocks us down, that does not mean we need to abandon our faith. In fact, these are the times when we need to turn to Him even more. It doesn't mean that we are doing something wrong or that God is unhappy with us. Instead, we should approach such times as a chance for God to do amazing things through our lives for his glory.  

Even the greatest preachers in history did not know everything there is to know about Christ and the Scriptures. Many of them also struggled with their faith. For example, Billy Graham had a crisis of faith early in his ministry. It happened just before his 1949 Los Angeles Crusade, which made him a household name. One of his friends accused him of being out of date with his faith and the language he used in his crusades. Even after considering Christ's attitude toward the Scriptures, Billy still had doubts. He wondered if he could trust the Bible.

He took a walk in the San Bernardino Mountains. He dropped to his knees, opened the Bible on a tree stump, and prayed the following prayer: "O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can't answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions (people) are raising".

Finally, the Holy Spirit freed Billy to say the following: "Father, I am going to accept this as Thy Word---by faith. I'm going to allow faith to go beyond my intellectual questions and doubts, and I will believe this to be Your inspired Word".

Our faith is only as great as our knowledge of the object of our faith. If we have little knowledge of God and His Word, we will have little faith. No faith is too small as long as it's faith. We can't please God unless we have faith. We can't take our faith for granted. We have to keep working on our faith every day. Faith is more than believing. It is acting on that belief. Faith allows ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

God has placed in us a hunger to know who we are and where we fit in the universe. No earthly thing can satisfy that hunger-not drugs, not alcohol, not even sex. Only faith in God can satisfy that spiritual hunger. St. Augustine once said, "O Lord, you have made us for yourself. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you". That is oh so true today.

When we insist on living by sight and determining the results of our actions before we act, we short-circuit faith and cut God and His power out of our lives. When living by sight overcomes faith, our spiritual lives begin to dry up, we live at a lesser level of satisfaction, and our participation in influencing the world for God decreases. Romans 1:17 states that faith is a foundational principle for living the Christian life. When we choose to trust God enough to walk by faith rather than by sight, we exercise our faith and its capacity grows. Our spiritual lives are strengthened and we can live life to its fullest.

Bibliography

1.      Graham, Billy: Just As I AM: The Autobiography of Billy Graham (Toronto, ON: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.; 1997)

2.      Exegesis for Genesis 12:1-4. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

3.      Pastor Joe McKeever, "The Hardest Part of the Christian Life". Retrieved from www.jowmckeever.com

4.      Dr. Ray Pritchard, "It's the Faith, Brother". Retrieved from www.keepbelieving.com

5.      Dr. Harold Sala, "What You Believe Makes a Difference". Retrieved from newsleter2@guidelines.org

6.      Os Hillman, "Experiencing God in Your Business". Retrieved from Today_God_Is_Frirst@crosswalkmail.com

7.      Rick Warren, "Listen to God, Not Your Doubts". Retrieved from conect@newsletter.purposedriven.com

8.      Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD, "The Longest and Hardest Journey". Retrieved from www.jhourneywithjesus.net

9.      Alan Smith, "The Reason We Remember Great People". Retrieved from thought-for-the-day@hub.xc.org

10.  Mary Southerland, "Gideon Meets Indiana Jones". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

11.  Joel Osteen, "Now Faith Is". Retrieved from no-reply@joelosteen.com

12.  Bayless Conley, "The Place of Blessing". Retrieved from answersweekly@answersbc.org

13.  Neil Anderson, Believing Truth is a Choice". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

14.  Joel Osteen, "Believing is Seeing". Retrieved from no-reply@joelosteen.com

15.  Dr. Charles Stanley, "God Bless You". Retrieved from In-Touch-with-Charles-Stanley@crosswalkmail.com

16.  Jim Liebelt, "The Impala Syndrome". Retrieved from Homeword@crosswalkmail.com

17.  Jim Burns, "Great Acts of Faith". ". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

18.  Michael Youssef, PhD, "Our Transformation". Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org

19.  Evans, L.H. Jr. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher's Commentary Series: Vol. 33, Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)

Isaiah 50:4-9, Philippians 2:5-11 How to Live Like Christ

It is February 15, 1921. In the operating room of the Kane Summit Hospital, Dr. Evan O'Neil Kane  is performing an appendectomy, but this is no ordinary appendectomy. First, it marked the first use of local anaesthesia in major surgery. Dr. Kane believed local anaesthetic was much safer than general anaesthetic, and while many colleagues and patients agreed with him, no one was willing to be the first person to have an appendectomy under local anaesthesia. Because he wasn't able to find a volunteer for the procedure, he operated on himself!

Dr. Kane put his own well-being at risk to gain his patients' trust and show his care for them. Jesus did the same thing. He humbled himself by taking on human form and subjecting himself to a cruel, human death. 

The readings from Isaiah and Philippians talk about how we are live like Christ, including suffering for our faith. The reading from Luke's Gospel talks about how Christ suffered for us so we can have a renewed relationship in faith with Jesus. Isaiah talks about the servant who submits to the father's will. Paul tells us in Philippians to be like Christ. Christ was the suffering servant Isaiah referred to-the servant who submits himself to the father's will and a cruel, painful death to save us.

Suffering tests our faith and our relationship with God. When we suffer, we often ask ourselves why God is allowing us to suffer. In cases of accident or sickness, we don't have any choice in the matter. The suffering servant is suffering because he or she is God's servant. Somehow the suffering servant has heard that his or her suffering is for the cause of right and therefore he or she believes that God will not abandon the one trying to be faithful.

Christ humbled himself and emptied himself of his deity to obey his father's will. He emptied himself of his glory. He emptied himself of independent authority. He released the voluntary exercise of his divine attributes. He gave up eternal riches. He gave up his intimate relationship with God the Father

Obeying God's will for his life also meant that Christ had to submit to the voluntary humiliation of the cruellest form of torture known at that time-crucifixion. Crucifixion was not simply a convenient way to execute criminals. It was the ultimate indignity, a public statement by the Romans that the crucified person was beyond contempt. The unbearable pain was magnified by the degradation and humiliation. No other form of death could match crucifixion as an absolute destruction of the person. It was the ultimate contrast to Christ's divine majesty and therefore it was the ultimate expression of his obedience to God.

By lowering himself, he was exalted by God. We must also submit ourselves to God's will. Paul used Christ's example to teach us how to live the Christian life. Because Christ was an obedient servant, he serves as a good example for us to follow. When we become servants, we give up the right to be in charge of who and what we serve. When we do, we will be free, but we will also be vulnerable.

Christ calls us to service for three main reasons. First, he wants to rid us of our human pride and selfishness so we can focus our lives on him. Second, by serving others in humility we show our love for Christ. Third, God tests and purifies our hearts through service.

Christ is the ultimate example of selfless humility. He submitted himself to God's will like a servant submits to the will of his or her master. Jesus calls on us to deny ourselves and follow him through sacrificial service to others.  Jesus believed in the Law, taught the Law and lived the Law on the cross. In other words, he didn't just "talk the talk". He also "walked the walk". Just like Jesus submitted himself to God's will, we are called to submit ourselves to God's will by worshipping him in true faith and by serving others just like Jesus served others.

The way we act reflects our faith. If we claim to be Christians, people around us will equate our actions with Jesus. In other words we are to act like Jesus would act. We are to follow the Golden Rule. When we lead lives of humble servanthood, when we follow God's plan and direction, and when we bow down before him we become the disciples that he wants us to be. Only then can we be exalted by God. Only then can we build God's kingdom here on earth. 

In order to be like Jesus, we have to spend time with Jesus. The more time we spend him by reading and studying his word and talking with him through regular, earnest prayer, the more we begin to think like him. We also become more like Jesus by studying what has been written by other Christian leaders. For example, when I prepare homilies I always consult commentaries and other articles written by pastors such as Dr. Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, Rick Warren, Billy Graham, Charles H. Spurgeon and others. Finally, we can be like Jesus by studying the Bible with other Christians. In my own life, I attend Trinity's Monday night Bible study, and I get a copy of the notes from the Wednesday morning Bible study thanks to Sandra,  our hard-working church secretary.  

As I mentioned earlier, when we become servants of God, we will be free, but we will also be vulnerable. We can't please God if we don't have faith. That involves taking risks. Peter took a risk when Jesus told him to get out of the boat and walk to him on the water. He took a risk, and was able to do amazing things. There is an old adage "No risk, no reward". If we are willing to take risks, God can do amazing things for us, to us and with us.

When we have a sense of Christ's love, we will be humbled. That doesn't mean that we are weak. Jesus showed us that humility in fact requires great strength and courage, both of which come from an unshakeable faith in God. When we are determined to follow Christ's example, Satan becomes more determined to stop us. He will use every trick he knows to divert us from godly pursuits. We must be careful not to let interruptions keep us from our time with God.

Even when we follow Christ, we can become discouraged when life deals us challenges. When this happens, it can be easy for us to forget all the good things God has done for us. The only way to correct this attitude of defeat is to do something else Jesus did regularly-pray.  

By humbling himself, Jesus was exalted by God. Those who humble themselves before God will be exalted by God. One day we will also exalt him by bowing down before him, but right now we can exalt him by serving others in humility like he did. We suffer and serve with Christ so that we may share Christ's glory. Those who face the greatest struggles in life hold on to God with all their heart and have the greatest confidence in sharing Christ's glory.

Nothing is beneath us since Jesus humbled himself and served others. Christ taught us this valuable lesson, so we would be well-advised to listen to him. We need to have humble hearts. Christ valued humility and service, and this should be our model for daily living.

Those of you who are sports fans have seen how some players celebrate great plays. They dance around in the end zone of a football field or get slapped on the back by their fellow hockey players. Others simply toss the puck or the football back to the referee and return to the bench or the sidelines without any fuss. Some Christians are like that. They hope that the few big plays they make in their walk of faith will earn them a spot on Jesus' team.

When it comes to serving in the church, people rarely ask for positions where they will go unnoticed. If they want to serve in the church, they usually ask for positions of leadership. Now there is nothing wrong with serving in a leadership capacity if that's what God calls you to do, but God calls us to have a servant's heart. He wants us to glorify him and not ourselves. God places us where he wants us to serve, and we must give our all in everything he asks us to do. God wants our obedience and our best effort.  

Our congregation here at Trinity Anglican Church is full of examples of people who serve in humility and to the best of their ability in the areas where God has placed them to be. Our Sunday School teachers have been given the job of teaching our young people how to walk in faith. Our organist and choir serve faithfully by leading us in our singing. Shirley and Marion serve the sick and shut-ins by visiting them and taking food to them. Pam serves God faithfully by being our Primate's World Relief and Development Fund representative-a position she has held for many years. In fact, when she was recently made an Honorary Director of the National PWRDF, she gave the credit not to her own efforts, but to the people of this parish. Our Altar Guild members such as Barbara are the unsung heroes who make sure that our hangings, silverware and altar are in tip-top shape for weekly worship services.

Even ordinary people can be humble servants for God in their daily lives, and there is no greater example than mothers and fathers. The best example I can think is my own mother. Many times she sacrificed her own ambitions and goals to serve the needs of her own children and grandchildren. Now that she is elderly and enjoying her golden years, her children and grandchildren are returning the favour. I have been spending a lot of time lately helping her as she recovers from her recent knee replacement surgery, and for me it is a labour of love and humility.

Eventually, every knee will bow before Jesus and confess him as their Lord and Saviour, as Paul mentions in Philippians 2:10-11. At that time, people who have already humbled themselves before him as a part of their daily lives will not hesitate to bow down before him and give him praise. It will be like they have always been there, and there will be no penalty for excessive celebration.

Bibliography

      1.            ESV Study Bible

      2.            Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher's Commentary Series, Vol. 31:Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Collosians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1982)

      3.            Dr. Charles Stanley, "What is the Meaning of the Cross?" Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com

      4.            MacArthur, J.F. Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publisher; 2006)

      5.            Dr. Charles Stanley, "Christians in the Workplace". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

      6.            Gary Sims, "On Bended Knee". Retrieved from www.MyInJesus.com

      7.            T.M. Moore, "Paths to Mature Thinking". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

      8.            Bayless Conley, "Making a Priority of Faith". Retrieved from answersweekly@answersbc.org

      9.            Joni Eareckson Tada, "Distraction". Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

  10.            T.M. Moore, "Nurtured and Refined". Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

  11.            Joni Eareckson Tada, "Therefore...". Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

  12.            Anne Graham Lotz, "The Way Up is Down". Retrieved from www.angelministries.org

  13.            Jude Siciliano, O.P., "First Impressions, 24th Sunday (B)". Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

  14.            Tim Hall, "Heavenly Connection". Retrieved from forthright@fastmail.fm

  15.            Tracie Miles, "What Has God Done for ME Lately?". Retrieved from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com

  16.            Dr. Charles Stanley, "The Call to Serve". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

  17.            Rebecca Barlow Jordan, "Humility". Retrieved from Christianity.com@croswalkmail.com

  18.            Dr. Charles Stanley, "Fully Submitted". Retrieved from In_Touch_With_Charles_Stanley@crosswalkmail.com

  19.            Joe Gibbs, "Take a Knee". Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

  20.            Joni Eareckson Tada, "The Interests of Others". Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

  21.            James MacDonald, "How did Jesus 'Empty' himself?" Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com

  22.            Dr. David Jeremiah, "Becoming Like Christ". Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org