S.U.M. It Up! 3-30-22

 

THE CHALLENGE 3-27-22

"The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 3-27-22.

               

              1.  Do you have joy?

              2.  How is joy different than happiness?

              3.  Are you suffering?

              4.  Do you have joy in the midst of the suffering?

              5.  How does joy demonstrate faith in God? 

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

              

3-27-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

THE GOD OF HOPE: Hope and Joy 3-27-22

THE GOD OF HOPE: Hope and Joy 3-27-22

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The God of hope

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

                            Romans 15:13 NIV

 

Billy Sunday said, "To see some people today you would think that the essential of Christianity is to have a face so long you could eat oatmeal out of the end of a gas pipe."

 

William Barclay said that "A gloomy Christian is a contradiction in terms, and nothing in all religious history has done Christianity more harm than its connection with black clothes and long faces."

 

C.S. Lewis wrote, "It is not so much the joy of the Lord we are seeking as the Lord of joy Himself."

 

Matthew Henry put it like this:

The joy and peace of believers arise chiefly from their hopes. What is laid out upon them is but little, compared with what is laid up for them; therefore the more hope they have, the more joy and peace they have . . . Christians should desire and labor after an abundance of hope.

                            (Commentary on Romans 15:13)

 

“Joyful Christians” - do you know any?

 

I.  HOPE AND JOY

 

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

                            Romans 12:9-15 NIV

 

              A.  Hope

 

The Old Testament. There are several Hebrew verbs that may in certain contexts be translated "to hope" in English. One of them, qawa [h"w'q], may denote "hope" in the sense of "trust, " as when Jeremiah addresses God, "Our hope is in you" ( Jer 14:22 ). He also uses a noun formed from the root qwh [h"w'q] to teach that the Lord is the hope of Israel (14:8; 17:13; 50:7), which means that Israel's God is worthy of trust. Another noun from the same root, tiqwa [h"w.qiT], is often also translated "hope" meaning "trust." Similarly, the verb qawa [h"w'q] is parallel to batah [j;f'B], "to trust, " in Psalm 25:2-3.

 

              B.  Joy

 

Simply put, Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. 

 

              C.  The connection

 

The JOY OF HOPE—who shall measure it? Those who are strangers to it are certainly strangers to the SWEETEST MATTER in spiritual life. With the exception of present communion with Christ, the JOY of a believer in this present state must be mainly the JOY OF HOPE. “It does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He is (OUR HOPE).” (1 John 3:2 - note). 

 

We thank God that we shall be satisfied when we wake up (from the sleep of death) in the likeness of Jesus! This ANTICIPATION (HOPE) of Heaven makes (the hurt of) earth become endurable! And the sorrows of time lose their weight when we think of the “far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory (Our future HOPE).”  (2 Corinthians 4:17 - note)

 

To be with Christ in Glory is the JOY OF HOPE, the HOPE which makes not ashamed. Our HOPE is no dream—as sure as we are here today, we who are trusting in Christ will be in Heaven before long—for He prays that we may be with Him where He is and may behold His Glory! (John 17:24 - note)

                            Charles Spurgeon                        

 

II.  HOPE, JOY, AND THE ETERNAL

 

              A.  Temporary joy is only temporary

 

Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:

 

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

 

Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."

 

Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

 

Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."

 

Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

 

Where then is real joy found? -- the answer is simple, in Christ alone.

                            The Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993. http://www.eSermons.com

 

              B.  Hope brings eternal joy

 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

                            2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

 

III.  HOPE, JOY, AND SUFFERING

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

                            1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV

 

              A.  Suffering

 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

                            James 1:2-4 NIV

 

              B.  Joy and suffering

 

                            1.  Not masochism

                            2.  Not fatalism

                            3.  “It’s the destination, not the journey.”

             

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

                            Hebrews 12:1b-3 NIV

 

One of the most powerful prayers in the midst of suffering was uncovered from the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. Over 90,000 women and children perished in Ravensbruck, murdered by the Nazis. Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, was imprisoned there too. The prayer, found in the clothing of a dead child, says:

 

O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

 

CHALLENGE

 

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

 

              1.           Do you have joy?

              2.  How is joy different than happiness?

              3.  Are you suffering?

              4.  Do you have joy in the midst of the suffering?

              5.  How does joy demonstrate faith in God? 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life. 

S.U.M. It Up! 3-23-22

THE CHALLENGE 3-20-22

   "The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 3-20-22.

               

             1.  Do you have hope?

              2.  What is the foundation of your hope?

              3.  How do you demonstrate your hope?

              4.  Do others see hope in you?

              5.  Who do you know that needs hope? 

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

              

3-20-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

THE GOD OF HOPE: The God of Hope 3-20-22

THE GOD OF HOPE: The God of Hope 3-20-22

INTRODUCTION

 

Hopelessness

 

“Hope is for people who can’t see the Truth.”

                            Jeff Lindsey in Dexter is Dead (Dexter #8)

 

Years ago an S-4 submarine was rammed by a ship off the coast of Massachusetts. It sank immediately. The entire crew was trapped in a prison house of death. Every effort was made to rescue the crew, but it ultimately failed.

 

Near the end of the ordeal, a deep sea diver, who was doing everything in his power to find a way for the crew’s release, thought he heard tapping on the steel wall of the sunken sub. He placed his helmet up against the side of the vessel and he realised it was the Morse Code. He attached himself to the side and spelled out in his mind the message being tapped from within.

 

It was repeating the same question. The question was, from within, "Is...there...any...hope?"

 

Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength. 

                            G.K. Chesterton, Signs of the Times, April 1993, p. 6.

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

                            Romans 15:13 NIV

 

I.  OUR HOPE IS IN GOD

 

Malcolm Muggeridge was a very famous and highly respected British journalist who for many years was an ardent atheist. His opinions and thoughts were coveted by American publishers and he occasionally wrote the editorial page for Time magazine. Toward the end of his illustrious career as the Dean of British broadcasters, he became a Christian.

 

Several years ago he was a guest at a breakfast in Washington, D.C. where he shared his life story. When he had finished his testimony, he made a number of comments about world affairs, all of which were very pessimistic. One of those present asked, "Dr. Muggeridge, you have been very pessimistic. Don't you have any reason for optimism?" He replied, "I could not be more optimistic than I am, because my hope is in Jesus Christ alone."

 

He allowed that remark to settle in for a few seconds, and then he added," Just think if the apostolic church had pinned its hopes on the Roman Empire!"

                            (Halverson/ The Living Body)

 

Immanuel Kant, said that there are three questions that everyone asks:

 

"What can I know?"

"What shall I do?"

"For what shall I hope?"

 

Ravi Zacharias said, "Hope is that indispensable element that makes the present so important. Significantly, the absence of future hope has an amazing capacity to reach into the present and eat away at the structure of life, as termites would a giant foundation."

 

Dr. Emil Brunner said, "What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life." Take oxygen away and death occurs through suffocation, take hope away and humanity is constricted through lack of breath; despair and hopelessness set it."

 

                            A.  The one hope

 

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

                            Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV

 

                            B.  Hope comes from Him

 

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

                            Psalms 62:5-6 NIV

 

“That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.”

                            1 Timothy 4:10 NIV

 

II.  OUR HOPE IS BASED IN LOVE

 

"Love is the seed of all hope. It is the enticement to trust, to risk, to try, to go on."

 

                            A.  The love that brings hope

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

                            John 3:16 NIV

 

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;”

                            Lamentations 3:19-25 NIV

 

“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

                            Psalms 147:10-11 NIV

 

                            B.  The results of that love

 

                                          1.  A life of hope

 

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

                            Titus 2:11-14 NIV

 

                                          2.  A hope beyond life

 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””

                            Revelation 21:1-4 NIV

 

III.  OUR HOPE IS IN GOD’S CHARACTER

 

A little over a month before he died, the famous atheist Jean-Paul Sartre, when trying to resist strong feelings of despair, would often say to himself, "I know I shall die in hope." Then in profound sadness, he would add, "But hope needs a foundation."

 

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

                            Hebrews 6:17-20 NIV

 

                            A.  A promise

 

The 1989 Armenian earthquake needed only 4 minutes to flatten the nation and kill 30,000 people. Moments after the deadly tremor ceased, a father raced to an elementary school to save his son. When he arrived, he saw that the building had been levelled. He looked at the massive stones and Rubble, he remembered a promise he had made to his child: “No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.” Driven by his own promise, he found the area closest to his son’s room and began to pull back the rocks. Other parents arrived and began sobbing for their children. “It’s too late,” they told the man. “You know they are dead. You can’t help.” Even a police officer encouraged them to give up.

 

But the father refused. For 8 hours, then 16, then 32, 36 hours he dug. His hands were raw, and his energy gone but he refused to quit. Finally, after 38 wrenching hours, he pulled back a boulder and heard his son’s voice. He called his boys name, “Arman! Arman!” And a voice answered him, “Dad, it’s me!” Then the boy added these priceless words, “I told the other kids not to worry I told them if you were alive, you’d save me, and when you save me, they’d be saved, to. Because you promised, ‘No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.’”

 

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

                            Hebrews 10:23 NIV

 

                            B.  He cannot lie.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A group of students visited a psychiatric institution to observe a variety of mental illnesses. One of the individuals was a tragic case. He was referred to as “No hope Carter.”

 

He was a victim of a venereal disease and was going through its final stages when the brain is affected. Before he began losing his mind, his doctors told him that there was no known cure for him. He begged for a ray of hope but was told the disease would run its course and then end in his death.

 

Gradually his brain deteriorated and he became more and more despondent. Two weeks before his death he paced in his small room. He was in mental agony and his eyes stared blankly. Over and over he muttered two words, “No hope! No hope!”

 

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

                            1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV

 

There is a story about how the caverns north of Yellowstone National Park were discovered. As the story goes, one of the original explorers was walking along the top of that mountain and fell through a hole, and he dropped down several hundred feet into this cavern and was stuck in almost total darkness for over a week, no food, no water. He cried out every day, "Help me!" hoping that somebody would hear his voice and figure out that he was down there.

 

Sure enough a guy came along and heard this faint sound and looked around and found the hole. They dug him out and that’s how they found this giant cavern. They asked him, "How did you hold on to hope day after day after day in the dark without giving up?" He said, "There was one little pinhole ray of light that was coming through and I just kept focused on that ray of light."

 

Many around us in this nation today are like that man down in the cave. They are in darkness...

 

CHALLENGE

 

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers. 

 

              1.           Do you have hope?

              2.  What is the foundation of your hope?

              3.  How do you demonstrate your hope?

              4.  Do others see hope in you?

              5.  Who do you know that needs hope? 

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life. 

S.U.M. It Up! 3-16-22

    

THE CHALLENGE 3-13-22

  "The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years.  “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act.  Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting).  The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

Here is The Challenge for 3-13-22.

              1.  How are you “paying it forward” in your life?
              2.  What is your Christian legacy?
              3.  How can you actively “pay it forward” in spiritual terms?
              4.  Who can you disciple or follow as a disciple?
              5.  When will you ask them?

Journals and pens are available at Kenwood for anyone who wants them.  If you are unable to pick them up at the church, I can mail them to you.  Just contact me via email (toddlackie@kenwoodchurch.org) or phone call (248 417-9218).

3-13-22 Kenwood Church Live Stream

MENTOR LIKE JESUS: Pay It Forward 3-13-22

MENTOR LIKE JESUS: Pay It Forward 3-13-22

 

INTRODUCTION

Pay It Forward, is a movie about a seventh grader’s ingenious plan to make a difference in the world. On the first day of school, Trevor McKinney (played by Haley Joel Osment) and his classmates are challenged by their social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (played by Kevin Spacey), to change the world. Written on the blackboard, the challenge reads: "Think of an idea to change our world—and put it into action." While most children disinterestedly slouch in their desks, Trevor is mesmerized by the possibility of changing the world.

 

As Trevor rides his dirt bike back to the modest home in which he and his struggling, alcoholic mom live, he detours to a place where the homeless gather. An unkempt, unshaven man devouring a chocolate cookie catches Trevor’s eye. Motivated by his teacher’s challenge, Trevor invites the man to come and sleep in his garage. Trevor’s mother (played by Helen Hunt) is unaware of this arrangement until she awakens one evening to find the homeless man working on her broken-down pickup. Holding the man at gunpoint, she asks him to explain himself. He starts the truck to show her that he has successfully repaired it and tells her about Trevor’s kindness. He says, "Somebody comes along like your son and gives me a leg up, I’ll take it. I can’t mess up again, or I’ll be dead. I’m just paying it forward." Quizzically, Trevor’s mom asks, "What’s paying it forward?"

 

The next day Trevor explains to his class his amazing plan of paying it forward. Mr. Simonet and Trevor’s classmates are enthralled by Trevor’s idea. To explain his plan, he draws a circle and explains, "That’s me." Underneath it, he draws three other circles, saying, "That’s three other people. I’m going to help them, but it has to be something really big—something they can’t do for themselves. So I do it for them, and they do it for three people. That’s nine people." And nine lives turn into 27.

 

As the movie proceeds, "paying it forward" changes the lives of the rich, the poor, the homeless, and a prisoner.

 

The Bible emphatically teaches that we (in a very real sense) pay life forward through sowing and reaping.

 

The Bible fully supports the idea that God blesses those who bless others.

 

2 "I will make you into a great nation 

and I will bless you; 

I will make your name great, 

and you will be a blessing. 

3 I will bless those who bless you, 

and whoever curses you I will curse; 

and all peoples on earth 

will be blessed through you." 

                            Genesis 12:2-3 NIV

 

Jesus taught that life is reciprocal in that we receive what we have given to others.

 

27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

 

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most  High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

 

37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." 

                            Luke 6:27-38 NIV

 

These verses definitely teach us that we in a very real sense pay life forward. Jesus says, "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?" Salvation is not meritorious. It is an act of grace without merit, but we must realize that our works do have merit. Here, there seems to be the idea that you will be given credit for what you do. But the surety of payday is stated even more clearly when Jesus says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." This promise is not limited to finances; it embraces our relationships with others also.

 

I.  THE CONCEPT

 

              A.  Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Webb dated April 22, 1784

 

                            "I do not pretend to give such a Sum; I only lend it to you. When you ( . . . ) meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity.  I hope it may thus go thro' many hands, before it meets the Knave that will stop its Progress.  This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money."

             

              B.  Robert A. Heinlein popularized the phrase in his book, Between Planets, in 1951

 

                                          "The banker reached into the folds of his gown, pulled out a single credit note.  "But eat first--a full belly steadies the judgment.  Do me the honor of accepting this as our welcome to the newcomer."

                                          His pride said no; his stomach said YES!  Don took it and said, "Uh, thanks!  That's awfully kind of you.  I'll pay it back, first chance."

                                          "Instead, pay it forward to some other brother who needs it."

                           

              C.  The movie

 

II.  MENTORING AS PAYMENT FORWARD

             

The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with (discipleship) evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel. 

                                          Preaching, November-December 1985

 

              A.  Can't repay gifts

              B.  Sharing what you have.

           C.  Intentionality 

              D.  "You have not made a disciple until your disciple makes a disciple."

 

Regi Campbell and Radical Mentoring 

 

III.  WHAT IT TAKES

             

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

                            1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV

 

              A.  What do I need to mentor like Jesus?

                            1.  Maturity

                            2.  Faith

                            3.  Good-hearted

                            4.  Confident

                            5.  Dependent on God

                            6.  Wisdom

              B.  When will I be ready?

                            1.  Strong faith

                            2.  Connected and committed to other believers

                            3.  Good heart

                            4.  Confident

                            5.  Dependent on God

                            6.  Wise

                           7.  Perseverant 

              C.  Where do I start?

                            1.  Think backward

                            2.  Choose a life stage to influence

                            3.  Search for mentees

              D.  What if I’m not ready yet?

                            1.  Find someone to mentor you.

                            2.  Ask for a commitment to you.

                            3.  Become ready.

 

CONCLUSION

 

The late Sam Shoemaker, an Episcopalian bishop, summed up the situation this way: "In the Great Commission the Lord has called us to be--like Peter--fishers of men. We've turned the commission around so that we have become merely keepers of the aquarium. Occasionally I take some fish out of your fishbowl and put them into mine, and you do the same with my bowl. But we're all tending the same fish." 

              Em Griffin, The Mindchangers, Tyndale House, 1976, p. 151

 

Replication

 

Paying it forward - Mentoring as paying it forward

 

CHALLENGE

 

Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling.  When we write, we have to think, then formulate words, then put it to paper.  This process helps us integrate our whole self.  We will also focus upon action.

 

              1.  How are you “paying it forward” in your life?

              2.  What is your Christian legacy?

              3.  How can you actively “pay it forward” in spiritual terms?

              4.  Who can you disciple or follow as a disciple?

              5.  When will you ask them?   

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.