David Kautt

February: Month of Love

2012-02-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

February is often called the ‘Month of Love’. During this month, many sermons and lessons will be preached extolling the wonder of God’s love. Undoubtedly, at the heart of these messages will be passages of Scripture like John 3:16 and Romans 5:8. However, when did you last hear a sermon about God’s love presented from Hebrews 12:3ff? Speaking of God’s parental, disciplining love, Hebrews declares:
³For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ⁴You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged
when you are rebuked by Him; ⁶For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
⁷If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? ⁸But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. ¹¹Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
God’s parental or disciplining love presents a different side to this favorite topic of our, doesn’t it? According to Hebrews, when God disciplines and corrects us, He, in fact, proves that He loves us and confirms that we are indeed His children! Much more, when He chastens (i.e., disciplines) us, He does so to benefit us (kind of like my dad saying to me before he spanked me, ‘Son, I am spanking you because I love you and want what is best for you). In John 15:1ff, Jesus uses the illustration of a vinedresser (in that text, God, our Father), pruning the branches (in that text, genuine believers) in order to cause them to be more fruitful. Obviously, the point in both passages is the same: God (the ultimate loving Father) disciplines His children to produce an abundant harvest of righteousness in our lives.
May we not despise His chastening. May we not lose heart when He rebukes us. Rather, may our prayer be that of the psalmist, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it,” (Psalm 141:5). And may we always remember Solomon’s instruction: “Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning, (Proverbs 9:8 – 9). In Jesus’ love, David

Jesus' Hands: God's Love Touching Our Lives

2012-02-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, February 12, 2012

Ephesians 3:14-21, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

What a powerful prayer for the church that Paul composed, when he wrote this letter to the Ephesians! It is a prayer that I pray God would fulfill in your life and in my life, a prayer for full comprehension and appreciation of God’s great love in Christ for His Church, a love that is wider and longer and deeper and higher than we have yet to see! A love that ultimately is mediated by and measured in terms of the Cross.

The love of God, in stark contrast to and graciously offered and supplied in spite of and to overcome our sin, our guilt, our condemnation and even our fully-deserved, damning punishment in hell, is surely one of the favorite themes of every preacher, music to the ears and hearts of every true believer in Christ.

The love of God, how is that love, how was that love made concrete, made tangible, touchable, practical?

Our family received an interesting and eye-catching wedding announcement recently. The notification was from a couple we’ve known for several years, and it included not only the details regarding the wedding, you know, date, time, place, etc., but also a very unique picture of the engaged couple. The photograph of the future bride and groom, shows them making the sign of love, the symbol of love we’re seeing so much of this week, with their hands. Her right hand, his left hand, joined together like this to make the shape of a heart.

I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at it this way before or not, but the hands of Jesus, healing hands, helping hands, merciful hands, nail-pierced hands, what are they? What are the hands of Jesus? They are the means, the instruments through which God has made His love concrete, tangible, touchable and very, very practical! The breadth, the length, the depth and the height of God’s expansive love for His Bride, the Church - do you want this prayer of the apostle Paul to be accomplished, fulfilled, carried out in your life, in your family, in this church? To know this love that surpasses knowledge, to bring this prayerful petition to fruition in you and me, Jesus allowed His Father to use His hands. Take a look with me, will you, please?

The gospel of Mark, the gospel that many have called the gospel, the life of Christ, the portrait of Jesus’ life according to Peter, through his young friend, John Mark. This portion of Scripture provides us with seven powerful illustrations of the Love of God, through the HANDS of Jesus.

Take a look with me, please. Mark chapter one, the love of God displayed and demonstrated through the hands of Jesus, I don’t know if you have noticed this before or not, but God’s love runs on two parallel ‘tracks’, two ‘rails’ set one alongside the other, yet each one with unique and different aspects. The two ‘tracks’, the two ‘rails’ are these: John 3:16, everyone know and praises God for that verse, right? “For God so loved the world…” God’s love for sin-sick humanity, seen, shown, in the gift of His Son, that’s ‘rail’ number one. And, then, there’s ‘rail’ number two: Ephesians 5:25ff - that great passage detailing a husband’s selfless, sacrificial love for his wife. Do you remember the text? What is the basis for that strong and compelling exhortation to Christian husbands? Ephesians 5:32 – Paul says, “This is a great mystery”, a profound truth hard to completely grasp, “but,” he continues, “I am talking about Christ, the heavenly ‘Husband’, and the Church, His ‘Bride’.”

The love of God, in Christ, runs on two somewhat parallel ‘tracks’, His great love for the world AND His great, great, great love for the Church. Notice how that is played out here in Mark chapter one, through the hands of Jesus. Let’s read, beginning at verse 29.

Mark 1:29-31, 40-44, “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

How is the love of God made practical, tangible, touchable? In both accounts, you see it, don’t you? God’s love, stretched out in Jesus’ hands, they were cleansing hands. This leper, what did he need? What does the world need, filthy, as it is, impure, unholy as it is, before the holy, holy, holy God? It needs, those ‘lepers’ need, the hands of Jesus! What was it that moved those healing, helping hands? Some would say that it was Jesus’ heart. After all, the text does say that Jesus was “moved with compassion”. But, I would ask you to consider: “is that all that prompted Jesus to stretch out His hands?”

Many a person, many of us, are stirred emotionally, on the ‘feeling level’, by the needy condition of people we see and know. But, how many of us stretch out our hands to help? Notice carefully with me that Jesus’ hands, they came to be stretched out to this man, yes, because of compassion, a heart touched by this man’s need. But, that’s not all! You see it, don’t you, in the man’s pleading, “If you are willing,” “If you have the want-to” we might say, “You, Jesus, with Your hands, you can make me clean!”

What sets apart Jesus and His hands from so many of us and our hands, is that Jesus’ love for this man is more than, goes deeper, wider, longer, higher than mere emotion! No! Flowing out of that compassionate heart was a will, a willingness to stretch out His miracle-working hands and DO.

How is it that God makes His love, for the world, for lost ‘lepers’ like this man, tangible, practical? Jesus’ hands! But, then, as I said, there’s a second ‘rail’, a second ‘track’ upon which the love of God travels. And, that is His love for His Church, His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation, His own people. That’s what I think we see displayed in the other text we read from a moment ago. Early on in His ministry, Jesus has the opportunity to minister to His own, and on a very meaningful level, at the home of his dear friend and disciple Simon Peter. You see the situation, as it is described there in verses 29 and 30. A woman, who was especially dear to the Galilean fisherman, Peter’s wife’s mother, was in bed sick with a fever. I don’t know how many of you have ever been afflicted with a high fever before, but those things can make you feel terrible! And sometimes they can rage on for hours, maybe even days. What does someone, someone you love, suffering the tormenting effects of a raging fever need, when that temperature is spiking? Two Tylenol, and call me in the morning, right? That’s what the doctor will tell you. No! They need hands, the calming, quieting, healing hands of the Great Physician.

Jesus’ Church, His bride, sick, writing in agony, our gracious ‘Husband’ comes to us, touches us, and does for us what only He can do! Praise God! But, then what? Well, look again at the text with me, will you? The presentation of the life of Jesus supplied here by John Mark, with oversight from the apostle Peter, Mark’s gospel presents Jesus, who He is, in two different, but complementary ways. According to Mark, Jesus is first of all the Servant who Rules, who has authority over leprosy and spiking temperatures. Jesus is the Servant who Rules. But also, if you read on in the second half of this Book, Mark also presents Jesus as the Ruler – Israel’s King – who serves! Mark one, verse 31, what response, on the part of Peter’s mother-in-law, do Jesus’ helping, serving hands elicit from Simon Peter’s wife’s mother?

The apostle John puts it like this: “We love Him because He first loved us!” Mark simply relates that this woman, calmed, quieted, healed of her raging fever, by the hands of Jesus, got up quickly and began to use her hands, to serve Him! There’s a lesson in that, my friends! There is!

How is it that God makes His love for the world, and for the Church tangible, practical?

Mark 5 – one of the most moving accounts of the love of God at work, through the hands of Jesus, is found in Mark chapter five. It’s actually two accounts in one, the record of the woman with the issue of blood, and her desperate attempts to touch Jesus with her hands. And, mingled with it, the account of the raising of Jairus’ little daughter from the dead. We don’t have time to look at the whole account in detail, but notice these few aspects with me, if you would. Once again, like with the leprous man in chapter one, the situation is urgent. Verse 22 and 23, Jairus, this little girl’s father, falls at Jesus’ feet and pleads with Him, “My little girl lies at the point of death. Please come and lay You hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

Have you been in the bedroom, the hospital room of a little child, gasping for breath, struggling to hang on, surrounded by weeping parents, and loved ones? Men, this man Jairus, his love, his tenderness toward his little daughter packs a lesson for us also! He cherished her. Couldn’t bear the thought of losing her! But, to put it bluntly, his hands, HIS hands were tied! He needed, his little girl needed Someone whose hands weren’t!

Some time ago I read about a sign in a certain restaurant that made this simple statement: “This is a kid-free zone!” Imagine if Jesus would have put out the word to all the Jairuses around Him, “My ministry helps only those who are at least 5 ft. 3 in., only those who are old enough to get their driver’s license, mature enough to live on their own!” In a couple of other places we read that that was what the disciples wanted to promote and publicize about Jesus. That His ministry was a ‘kid-FREE ministry’, that He was too busy, perhaps too important, to bother with children! Oh, but what do Jesus’ hands tell us here? What do His words show us here?

We have a couple of songs that put it so meaningfully, don’t we? Jesus Loves the Little Children. Kid free? No, Jesus’ ministry was kid-friendly! Little ones to Him belong! Do you remember how this distressed father, Jairus, spoke about his daughter. Verse 23 – “My little girl.” Jairus cherished her, loved her, couldn’t bear the thought of losing her! But, what about Jesus? Two things, take a look. First of all, at Jesus’ words, not Jairus’ the father, but Jesus’ words, verse 41, “Talitha Cumi’ – that’s Aramaic for, “Little girl” “Little one, you belong to Me! And, then, Jesus stretches out His hands and YANKS up that girl abruptly out of that sick bed, right? Sometimes us rough and rude and impatient fathers do that, don’t we? But, not Jesus! Not Jesus! No! Because He is friendlier to children than even the best Chuck-E-Cheese in town. What does Jesus do? Verse 41 – Gently, tenderly, lovingly, He takes her, lifts her, and I suspect, He also holds her, this little girl’s Maker and Healer, with His hands.

How do you know, how can you tell that God loves you? Watch carefully, will you? The Hands, the healing, helping, calming, quieting, compassionate, tender, nail-scarred hands of Jesus, that’s how we know! That’s how we can tell!

Video - Jesus' Hands: God's Love Touching Our Lives

2012-02-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

David's sermon on Sunday, February 12, 2012.

Video - Marriage is Sacred

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

How Will Others View My Success?

2012-02-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 29, 2012

1 Samuel 18:1-16, “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said:

“Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.”

Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

I want to be more successful, more prosperous this year – in 2012 – than I was last year. 4 Sundays ago, can you believe it, we are nearly one month into the new year?! 4 weeks ago I made the rather bold statement that I just rehearsed a moment ago. I want this year, 2012, to be a more successful, prosperous year for me, for my family, and for the people of God than last year. That’s quite a statement isn’t it? That’s quite a challenge to all of us, isn’t it? And what does it entail? In what areas of our lives does God have the power and, I believe, the desire to prosper us, to make us more successful? Materially, monetarily – we’ve looked at that right up front, didn’t we?

Then, there was what we called ministerial prosperity, success as servants of the King of kings and as stewards of what, in reality, belong ultimately to Him! And, then magisterial prosperity, we talked about this last time, success and blessing from God, like He gave Joseph, like He gave Solomon, so that they might wisely and uprightly rule and lead. I pray this for our government leaders. Even more important than that, I pray this for our family leaders, husbands and fathers and our church leaders, those essential societal building blocks that make our nation strong and free.

And, one more – I want to be, I hope and pray that you will be, and your spouses and children and families, will be more prosperous, more successful militarily. Military! The armor of God, do you remember what I’m talking about here? To be successful militarily, to prosper when one attempts to stand against the wiles of the devil, to quench all his fiery darts, can we do it on our own? One page after another in this Book records the answer to that question, doesn’t it? No! “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might! Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand and with-stand in the evil day…” That’s God’s formula for military success, isn’t it?

I want to be more successful, more prosperous militarily, magisterially, ministerially, and even materially, this year, than last. And, how is that going to happen? What must I know, what must I do to pursue those lofty goals? Two principles, two abiding spiritual principles that should guide our lives every day of this new year. Remember what they are? ‘God with us’ – in Genesis 39, we saw it repeatedly, didn’t we? The first key to Joseph’s amazing success was not his skill, not his incredible intellect, not that he was more shrewd or had more savvy than everyone else! No! The key was the Emmanuel principle, those four simple, but powerful words, “God was with him!”.

Joseph succeeded in all four of these areas of life, because God was with him. No other explanation is given! No other reason is the reason for his success! But, did Joseph let all of that success go to his head? There’s a temptation, a huge pot hole just a step or two down that road of prosperity, and what is it? PRIDE – that’s right. PRIDE.

The hand, the power of God to bless Joseph was mightily upon Joseph’s life, and he prospered, greatly. But, did he forget God in the process? No way! What an example Joseph is of humility, of humbly abiding by that second, crucial ingredient of success, of real prosperity: he honored God. Time and time again, when he could have taken the credit himself, “I did this,“ “I did that,” he turned the spotlight where it belonged! ‘I know this, I can do this, I have received this, because of God!’ Joseph, successful as he was, lived by the ‘Honor God’ principle. The magnify the Lord principle. And, because he did, God not only blessed him, but also He used him to be a blessing, an instrument of God’s blessing upon the lives of many, many others. That’s success, my friends, that’s success!

As I have been studying this subject for these message, I have been amazed, an dyes, humbled and convicted by what God’s Word has to say about success. Unlike the world’s definition of success: pursue it, achieve it, at any cost! Break the rules, by-pass the boundaries, it doesn’t matter, just come out on top. This Book says to me, that prosperity is stymied when I transgress God’s commands! Further, Proverbs 28:13 teaches me that to try to hide my sins and transgressions, will prevent me from prospering and that only sincere, humble confession of sin, and intentional turning away from sin, will open me up to the blessings bound up in God’s covenant love for me.

And, unlike the world’s ‘guidebook’ that makes us want to pursue prosperity on our own, in our own way, by our own strength and ingenuity, this Book, what does it say? We read it at the outset: Hebrews 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!” Real success, lasting success, you and I, ultimately, we’re not going find it on Wall Street, or Main Street, or even on your street or my street. But, we will find it, and enjoy it on ‘Seek Ye First Street!’

Success, prosperity - one of the questions that I have been faced with as I have pursued this study the last few weeks has been this one burning question: “how do others view the Joseph’s, those folks who prosper by the hand of Almighty God?’

1 Samuel 18 – We read a portion of that chapter a moment ago, didn’t we? I came across this passage again in my study of success and prosperity, and, of course, it captured my attention because I share the same name with the main character – David. That always causes you to sit up and take notice, doesn’t it? But, as I studied this text, I found some very interesting, and very, very helpful insights into the effects of one person’s success on another person or group of people. Take a look with me, will you?

1 Samuel 18 – David, as I said, is the main character, the ‘hero’ we might say, at this point in the record of 1^st Samuel, but next to him is another main character, the ‘villain’ in the story, King Saul. And, what do we see here? What are we to learn? Well, notice with me first off, that King Saul has had a measure of success himself, right? 1 Samuel 18, the cheers of the women who came out to meet their returning warriors was, “Saul has slain his thousands!” Saul, you have had a significant amount of success as a soldier and as a king leading your army into battle. And, how did Saul get that way? What was the key to his success on the battlefield? Verse 12 of our text implies it, and the previous several chapters describe it in greater detail, as it was with Joseph over in Genesis 39 and following, so it was for King Saul – the Emmanuel Principle. The mighty hand of God upon Saul’s life is what gave him that success as a soldier and as a king. And everything was just fine for a good while, right? Until what? Until God began to test Saul, to see what he was really made of. ‘Saul, I’m sending the Philistines against you. Saul, I’m sending a 9-foot tall giant named Goliath to face you, to see whether or not you will trust me to win, to see whether or not you will honor me when I give you the victory! ‘

By the way, did you know that, from God’s perspective, none of us is ever really a success, unless and until we pass the tests He puts on us!

How did Saul do? How did he handle the tests? Well, at first, because of the wise counsel of old Samuel, point him to God, reminding him not to get the Bighead, he did okay… But, then he starts to fudge a little you know, I don’t have to obey God completely on this one, forget the details, I hit the high spots, but I won’t sweat obeying God down to the letter. Bad idea. Bad idea, Your Majesty. 3 or 4 times Saul does this kind of thing and, inch-by-inch, he’s walking further and further away from the One who enabled him defeat those thousands. Until finally, Saul goes too far, and God removes His hand of blessing from Saul’s life, and places it upon a young man, a shepherd boy from Bethlehem named David.

The ‘Emmanuel, God-with-us’ principle. And, the ‘Honor God’ principle. Do you remember how we learned that hose two success ‘keys’ go together?

God says in 1 Samuel 17, Saul has walked away from me, so now I must test him with a 9-foot tall sized test. A Philistine giant named Goliath. I have withdrawn my hand of blessing from you, Saul, but I will give success and I will be honored, when I give the victory over that giant through, not a king, but a lad!

You remember the story, don’t you? Trusting in God, in Emmanuel, to be with him, and honoring God both before and after the victory, David gets the accolades that once went to King Saul. 1 Samuel 18:7, “Saul has slain his thousands, but David has slain his ten thousands!” Good news to the ears of King Saul? How do others view you when God places His hand on your life to bless you and prosper you? Some people, the King Sauls in your world, eye you with suspicion, moved by jealousy and envy, they well up with anger, maybe even hostility. Like the Jewish leaders toward Jesus, they’ll be afraid of you, and maybe even will try to pull the rug out from under you.

But, don’t let them intimidate you. Keep the Helmet of Salvation on, hold up that Shield of Faith, don’t unfasten the Belt of Truth! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! Honor Him, make Him large and very near before the eyes of those who want to cut you down to size. 1 Samuel 18:10 – that’s what David did, he sang his songs of praise to God, while dodging Saul’s spear point!

But, then, there are others who watch our lives, as God blesses us, as He prospers us, and how do they respond? Not everyone acts like Saul did toward David! In preparing the Israelites for a new leader, God prospered David and exalted him in the eyes of the people, over and above the esteem that King Saul had.

1 Samuel 18:12-16, “Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. Therefore, when Saul saw that he behaved very wisely, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.”

Some people will really love you and admire you when they see your success. Maybe they recognize and acknowledge where that success comes from, but still they will hold you in high esteem. What are you to do when that kind of thing happens? Well, don’t do what David was tempted to do, don’t do, what even ole Joseph was tempted to do, remember? When Joseph’s brother came down to Egypt and didn’t realize who he was.

God was with David, God had His hand of blessing on Joseph’s life, both of them, in their prosperity had opportunities to use that success as ‘upper-hand leverage’ to get even with the ones who had done them wrong, King Saul, Joseph’s brothers. But both of them, instead of using their positions of prominence and prosperity to hurt, what did they do? They used them to help! David spared Saul’s life – twice – David had the chance to put the spear point through Saul’s belly, but he didn’t! Instead, he honored God, he overcame evil with good!

When God grants success to your life, to my life, some people are going to hate us, and others are going to love us. But, listen – like with the apostles in Acts chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5, all of those people, the lovers and the haters, all of them need to see us doing what we do, prospering as God causes us to prosper by faith! They need to be able to see that we know, we realize that God is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him!

Acts chapter 2 through 5, I mentioned this section of Scripture a moment ago, let me read from a brief portion of it as we close. How do others view us when God places His hand of blessing upon our lives?

Acts 5:11-20, “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

When God blesses you, and I pray He will this year, when He causes you to prosper, some will hate you, envy you, try to pull the rug out from under you, and others will love you. But listen, everyone who observes your God-given success needs to be touched by you, ministered to by you, for Jesus’ sake!

Humble Success

2012-01-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 22, 2012

Genesis 41:14-41, “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Behold, in my dream I stood on the bank of the river. Suddenly seven cows came up out of the river, fine looking and fat; and they fed in the meadow. Then behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such ugliness as I have never seen in all the land of Egypt. And the gaunt and ugly cows ate up the first seven, the fat cows. When they had eaten them up, no one would have known that they had eaten them, for they were just as ugly as at the beginning. So I awoke. Also I saw in my dream, and suddenly seven heads came up on one stalk, full and good. Then behold, seven heads, withered, thin, and blighted by the east wind, sprang up after them. And the thin heads devoured the seven good heads. So I told this to the magicians, but there was no one who could explain it to me.” Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do: The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads are seven years; the dreams are one. And the seven thin and ugly cows which came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty heads blighted by the east wind are seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Indeed seven years of great plenty will come throughout all the land of Egypt; but after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine will deplete the land. So the plenty will not be known in the land because of the famine following, for it will be very severe. And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.” So the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.” And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.”

Who wouldn’t want to be a little more successful this year than last? Who wouldn’t desire to prosper, yes I said ‘prosper’, materially, financially, when all around recession and inflation are eating up people’s wealth? Who wouldn’t want more strength to win battles literal, and especially, spiritual, in nature? Who wouldn’t long to have greater power and success as one serves others and stewards what belongs to others? Who?

I figure we all want 2012 to be a more successful, more prosperous year for us than 2011 was, right? But do we know how? And do we care to understand why? Emmanuel, ‘God-with-us’, that name we hear, we sing, we remember, especially during the Christmas season, as we have seen in and through the life of this young man Joseph – ‘God-with-us’ – the Emmanuel principle as we are calling it, is the how, the means to success. And the why? Do you remember what the why, the purpose, the goal, God’s intended outcome, what He desires when He causes us to prosper?

What a powerful, and I would add, consistent example of the WHY this young man Joseph really is for us. God gave him success. God caused Joseph to prosper, mightily with him as God was, why? That the result would be glory to God! That Joseph, as a servant, as a soldier, and as steward, might honor God, make God, the One, True and Living God, large and very, very near before the eyes of Potiphar, the Prison Warden, and even Pharoah himself.

The Emmanuel, God-with-us, principle, once again, that’s the HOW to success! And, honoring God, that’s the why…

This morning, as we move from Genesis chapters 39 and 40, the passages that detail for us the Emmanuel and Honor God principles, at work in Joseph’s success as a slave and as a prisoner, to chapter 41, we find that Joseph’s station in life, his ‘social status’ we might say, changes dramatically. From the pit of rejection in Canaan, sold off by his own flesh and blood, to the auction block in Egypt, the privileged son, coat of many colors and all is now a slave, to the prison house, falsely accused by a woman whose husband he had faithfully served for over 10 years! Though God was with Joseph, and God’s name was being honored through Joseph, his social standing, instead of it going from low to higher, for a time, a pretty long time, it seemed rather to be getting worse, didn’t it? Then, what? Then, through a series of dreams, that God, the One, True and Living God whom Joseph served, sent to Pharoah of all people, God lifts Joseph from the pit to the pinnacle, and in one giant leap, right?

Have you ever know of someone who, literally, overnight, went from rags to riches? Have you ever been acquainted with someone who literally went from janitor – you know, pushing the broom, slinging the mop – to President of the company, in one big leap? That’s what happened with Joseph! In chapter 39, God caused Joseph to succeed as Potiphar’s chief slave. In fact, God caused Potiphar to prosper because of Joseph, but still Joseph was, you know, a slave, Potiphar’s property.

Then, God gave Joseph success as a soldier. No, not with guns and bombs and combat boots, but against the wily temptations of a seductress named Mrs. Potiphar. Yes, Joseph succeeded militarily. But where did he end up when he refused Mrs. Potiphar’s advances? In jail, in prison. And, then, there in that dungeon, God was with Joseph, and enabled him to succeed as a steward. Remember? The text tells us that all that was accomplished in the prison was Joseph’s doing. In other words, Joseph succeed as a minister.

But now, the time has finally come. Maybe he didn’t realize it immediately, but speaking of dreams, the dreams he had as a lad, back home with his daddy and his brothers, dreams about his future greatness and how that his parents and brothers would one day bow before him, finally, that day had come true. From the pit, to the pinnacle, overnight, in one big leap. And, who wouldn’t want to revel in it? Who wouldn’t want to strut your stuff for a little while? From menial laborer, to magistrate, with the snap of Pharaoh’s fingers! Wow! You get the picture.

But, think with me. Take a look with me, right here, will you? This 30 years old young man, who is suddenly a success, as far as the social ladder is concerned – ‘Ah, that God-with-us stuff! That was okay for when I was Potiphar’s ‘gopher’. But now, look, I’m wearing Pharaoh’s signet ring! Who needs God, here, at this level of prominence? That ‘honor God’ stuff, that was fine when I was on the bottom of the ladder, but look, now I’m at the top! I have arrived! Enough of that honor God stuff! Now, it’s time to honor ME!

I’m looking, are you? I’m searching, are you? Do you find Joseph saying anything like that, doing anything like that here, when he, just like that, moves from the prison house to the palace? It’s not there, is it? It’s not there! From the pit to the pinnacle, overnight, and at the tender age of 30 years old. By the way, who else do we know rose to great prominence at about age 30? Jesus, right? There are a lot of parallels between Joseph and Jesus. Have you noticed?

From menial laborer to magistrate, second in command over the super power of that day, the country of Egypt. Did anything change for Joseph on that day? Verse 14 – His clothing changed. Maybe that’s the Old Testament’s way of saying he ‘took a shower’. And, his hairstyle or grooming changed, verse 14 says he shaved. And, then, down in verses 42 through 45, after God gave Joseph insight into the meaning of Pharaoh’s drams, and what Pharaoh should do about them, Joseph’s wardrobe changed: signet rings, gold necklaces, fine linen garments. And his transportation changed, he got to ride in the second chauffeur-driven limo in the Presidential procession. And, ultimately, as we mentioned last Lord’s Day, his name was changed. Pharaoh gave him an Egyptian name that meant ‘God speaks and lives!’ All of those things changed for Joseph. From the prison house to the palace, what a leap!

But, notice – notice very carefully what DIDN’T change! Verse 16 – Why do Bible students look at this young man Joseph and exclaim, ‘He’s just like Jesus!’? Why do they point to him and say, ‘He’s one of the best and most stunning pictures of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament?? Because of his humility! Pharaoh, the king of this ancient super power, Egypt, you know he’s gotta be used to people wanting to strut their stuff around him, wanting to make themselves look good before him so that perhaps he’ll put his signet ring on them. ‘Young man, I hear that you know how to interpret dreams; is that right?’ What kind of reply, what kind of answer, do you think Pharaoh expected to a question like that? ‘You got that right, Mr. Pharaoh! Man, I’m the best! I can do it!’ Did the ‘God-with-us’, Emmanuel Principle go out the window when Joseph suddenly made it to the big time?

Denver Broncos quarter-back Tim Tebow made quite a stir recently, when he, almost single-handedly, rescued his team from elimination from the NFL Playoffs, throwing for 316 yards passing – 3 – Sixteen – anybody ever come across that number before? And, then, in the thrill of victory, with millions of people watching, Tim Tebow bowed his knee and thanked God for His help! By the way, I understand that young Mr. Tebow did the same thing, he honored and acknowledged God, and Jesus Christ his Savior, last week, when his team went down in defeat. Now, I don’t know what you think about Mr. Tebow, whether he’s the real deal, or not.

But, listen – I know, I can see, right here in the passage, and in the remaining nine chapters of Genesis, this young man Joseph IS the real deal! Instead of strutting his stuff in front of big shot Pharaoh, his simply, and I believe, very humbly said, ‘It is not in me. That dream-interpreting ability you’ve heard about O, king, it’s not in me! No! God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace!’ You know, I’ve yet to come across a book with a title that reads something like ‘Leap Frogging to the Top’, that has any mention of the idea of humility! Guess what my friends? It’s right here in this Book! Church Leaders, you want to succeed in that position? Parents, you want your children to grow up honoring you? Husbands, you want your wife to turn out to be the most precious gift God gave you? Lead them, love them, help them learn, not by strutting your stuff! ‘Look here, I’m the Boss!’ Not by Lording it over them, but by humbly serving them! By honoring God before their eyes and in their ears! That’s what Joseph did, better yet, that’s what our Savior did, for us!

To succeed as a magistrate, in a position of power, influence and authority, the world says, ‘Shove your weight around! Show off! Strut your stuff!’ This Book says, ‘Serve!’

But, then notice, one other thing this young man Joseph shows us about success as a magistrate, a ruler, a leader. Keep the big pictures in mind, and remember who’s painting that picture! These dreams, the one about the cows, fat and skinny, and about the ears of grain, full and blighted, these dreams of Pharaoh were not the result of having too much pizza late at night! They were God’s messages, the message of the King of kings, to that king, at that special moment in history – why? Have you read the rest of the story, Genesis, Exodus, all the way to Calvary, the empty tomb and the Book of Revelation? Those dreams, seen by that king and interpreted by that son of Jacob, were not only God’s message of hope and help for that moment and that era of abundant harvest and of severe famine, more importantly, as Joseph later acknowledged to his brothers, they were God’s sovereign means of saving lives by a great deliverance (see Genesis 45:1-11).

Can you see it, my friends? The meandering path of Joseph’s life, put in a pit in Canaan by brothers who wanted to kill him, drug out of the pit and sold to slave traders who took him down to Egypt, auctioned off to Potiphar, lied about by Mrs. Potiphar, sent to the dungeon, though innocent, forgotten by Pharaoh’s butler. Then raised, just like that, to second in Pharaoh’s administration. This wasn’t just a meandering set of steps – no! This was a part of that sovereignly directed stream of redemption that becomes a mighty, rushing river of salvation at the cross, at the tomb, and at the throne of grace!

Success, prosperity, whether as a menial laborer, or as a magistrate, this Book, this man’s Christ-like example, sets forth two abiding principles:

- God-with-us, the Emmanuel Principle

- Honor-God, make God large and very, very near in all you do and say!

Two questions: are you desirous of success and prosperity in 2012? Are you living in accordance with these principles?

Servant Success

2012-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 8, 2012

Genesis 39:1-23, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

Two weeks ago, we all began the New Year, 2012, at the same starting place, with the same hopes and aspirations for this year, with the same kinds of dreams and desires that somehow, some way, this year was going to be a better year for us, more successful, more prosperous. How are we doing so far? You know, we count down the days until Christmas, don’t we, those last few weeks before December 25^th? But few, if any, of us consider the fact, count the days, we’ve already used up in this New Year, and recognize that we only have 350 more days left in this year to pursue those goals with which we began the year.

Success, prosperity, this world’s definition of those words revolves around things like profit and product and progress. And, those things aren’t wrong or sinful, in and of themselves. But listen, I’m a Christian, that’s what I claim to be. And that’s what you call yourself, too, right? So, is this world’s definition of success, and perhaps, more significantly, is this world’s means for attaining to success, to be my definition and my means of attaining it? Bible-driven, not profit-driven. Holy Spirit-directed, not directed by and for an end-product or mere human progress. That’s who I am, or who I am supposed to be, if I am a Christian. So, how am I doing that so far in 2012, seeing I only have 350 days left to go?

The life of this man Joseph, what an incredible illustration of success, God-centered success, his life is. He was a success, he prospered, materially, or, we might say, monetarily, verse 3 tells us that “the Lord made all Joseph did to prosper in his hand.” And, verse 5 adds the interesting and amazing insight into how the blessing of God upon Joseph’s life brought blessing from God upon his master, Potiphar’s life and family.

Joseph prospered, he was successful, materially. He also succeeded militarily. We looked at this aspect of success, or prosperity, last time, didn’t we? No, Joseph wasn’t a soldier, at least, not in the guns and bombs and combat boots sense. But, what a war – fellows, ladies – what a war he waged with lust, with temptations that repeatedly came his way through Mrs. Potiphar’s invitation to the bedroom. And, what a victory he enjoyed when he exclaimed in her ears, “How can I do such a wicked thing as this, and sin again God?” Joseph was a success militarily, and he prospered monetarily or materially. And, in both ways, he not only received blessings from God, but he also was used by God to give blessings to Potiphar and Potiphar’s family! Beloved, that’s success! That’s what this Book means by the word prosperity.

But, then there’s a third way in which Joseph succeeded and shows us what real success is all about, and that is in a way that I’m calling, ministerially. I’ll let your minds munch on that long word for a moment or two, while I set up for you the background. Success, prosperity - I don’t know how many of you are college football fans, or professional football fans, or, maybe even High School football fans, but so far, in all the years that I have been watching, listening and reading about these games, I’ve yet to see a team awarded a trophy for ending up in last place! Success, in football, at least, is measured in victories! And, ultimately, in Championships and Super Bowl rings, right?

Or, think of it this way. If you have ever watched the Cowboys play, in their stadium, you know they have a special display of banners on a certain level of the stadium’s walls. It’s called the ‘Ring of Honor’ and Cowboy greats like Tom Landry and Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman have their names and numbers arrayed there for all to see. And, of course, those men’s names are included in that select group, because they were the best, because in football terms, they succeeded. But listen, so far, Jerry Jones may prove me wrong on this someday, so far, I have yet to see a banner raised for the Team Water-boys, for the gophers who make sure all those multi-million dollar stars have plenty of Gatorade® and Power-Ade®.

Success, ministerially, would you allow me to add a word to your ‘success dictionary’ that maybe, up to this time, you had not included? Here’s the word: ‘servant’. Servant. Verse 4 of our text, it’s one of those verses folks like you and me pass over quickly, you know, because we want to get to the ‘meat of the passage’. Verse 4 – Take a look, this verse is the first ‘bite’ of some really good, really needed, ‘T-bone steak’! Success, how does God define it? Verse 4 – The text simply says that Joseph “found favor in Potiphar’s sight and served him…”

I don’t have time to develop it this morning, but allow me to remind you that that one word, a new addition, perhaps, to many of our success ‘dictionaries’, was the first ‘entry’ in our Lord’s dictionary! Remember? Jesus said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve and to give My life as a ransom for many…” In another context, when even Jesus’ closest friends, His disciples, were elbowing for position and prominence, Jesus took up the towel, the pitcher and the basin, their Master stooped to show them the full extent of love (see John 13:1), washed their dirty, grimmy feet, and drove home the point one more time before He died, that He, their Lord, their Master, their Creator, the Great ‘I Am’, was among them as the One who serves. (See Luke 22:27)

The successful servant, does that sound like an oxymoron to you, a contradiction in terms? In God’s Dictionary, it isn’t! Husbands, Fathers, Elders, Deacons, Preachers, in God’s ‘Dictionary’, it isn’t! Open it up – house Wives, Mothers, Sunday School Teachers, open it up, this ‘Dictionary’, and next to the word ‘success’, first entry is the word ‘servant’…

But, let’s go just a bit further with this, shall we? What does it mean to be a ‘successful servant’? What does one look like? What are his or her qualities or characteristics? Let me give you a quick list, how about it? Do you want to be a ‘successful servant’? Successful in this, Word-of-God-defined way? Here’s what you must ask the Lord Jesus to do in your life, to make of your life, to accomplish through your life: this prayer, “Lord, increase my faithfulness; Lord, increase my willingness; Lord, increase my giftedness; Lord, increase my kindness; Lord, please make me a successful servant!”

A successful servant, that’s what Joseph was, in all of these ways, and certainly, along with many other important roles like Savior and Great High Priest, that’s what Jesus was and is! But are you, and am I?

The successful servant, the one to whom the master can hand over increasing levels of responsibility, he is that way, becomes that way, how? Why? Because he is faithful! Because he is trustworthy! The apostle Paul, in a great passage on the subject of servant-hood, and the related topic of stewardship, said it like this: “It is required,” not optional, not ‘don’t have to, if you don’t want to’, but “it is required,” you must, if you’re going to be a steward, someone entrusted with what belongs to someone else, if you’re going to be a steward, “it is required that you be faithful…” (See 1 Corinthians 4:2)

Jesus put it this way: He drew the line of demarcation between successful and unsuccessful servants this way, remember? The good servant, the servant the master commends, is what kind of servant? “Well done, good and faithful servant…” God, I want to be a successful servant. Would you, please, cause me to grow, to flourish, to increase in faithfulness! I don’t want to be entrusted with only one, measly, portion of what is Yours! No, please cause me to grow in faithfulness, that I might be entrusted with more and more of what is Yours! How about that for a prayer for the remaining 350 days of this year?

Then, there’s willingness. The word is not used specifically in this text of Joseph, but it’s there, believe me, between the lines, it’s there. Imagine the conversation between Potiphar and Joseph, the first day Joseph is on the job. ‘Young man, since you are min, my property, I expect you to do whatever I say, no questions asked. So, for starters, I want you to polish my armor, and mop the floors of my house. Any questions?’ ‘Yes, sir. When’s my coke break? And, sir, couldn’t you think of something a little easier, a little les, you know, ‘yucky’ than polishing and mopping?’ From what I read both through the lines and between the lines of this passage, I don’t think such a conversation occurred, do you? Joseph succeeded as a servant because of his willingness! Jesus, the Ultimate Servant, described His role, His goal, His aim as His Father’s envoy, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). “I must do the will of Him who sent Me and finish HIS work!” (John 4:34, 6:38) “Lord, increase my willingness. This year, I want to be a successful servant! God, please cause me to grow in willingness!”

Then, there’s giftedness and kindness. Again, Joseph sets an example before us, that finds ultimate expression in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There are several more things we could say about these qualities and characteristics of successful servants, but, let me bring it around to one more significant quality. We don’t have time to read the passage in its entirety, so, your assignment for this afternoon is to read and examine Genesis chapters 40 and 41 to see the details of what I’m going to summarize for you here. Genesis 40 – 41: It’s almost stunning to me to see it. In both Pharaoh’s dungeon, his royal prison, and in his palace, God – the One true and Living God – was trying to make Himself known, He was attempting o show pagan Egyptians that He was, is, alive and that He speaks powerfully. Pharaoh’s butler, Pharaoh’s baker, and then, Pharaoh himself, all three of them had dreams. God was speaking to each one of them in their sleep, trying to show them that He is, that He lives and that He speaks, to men.

However, there’s one big problem. The butler, the baker, Pharaoh; none of them understood what the dreams meant. And, in the palace, Pharaoh - who had wise men, and astrologers, and fortune tellers, coming out his ears - none of them could figure out the dreams either. But God, the One, True and Living God, who speaks, who wants to communicate, yes, even with pagans, had a servant. His name was Joseph. And what did Joseph do? He did what every successful servant of the Lord does. He said, ‘God, speak to them through me…’ He allowed the Living God, the God who DOES speak, to speak His Word through him! (See the meaning of the name Pharaoh gave Joseph in Genesis 41:45, “God lives and speaks”.)

How did Joseph do it? Six words, we’ve seen it before in Genesis 39, and the same is true in Genesis 40 and 41. Six words, and two principles, that are regularly at work in every successful servant of the Lord. What are those words? What are those principles? Mark them down one more time, will you? God-with-us: the ‘Emmanuel Principle’. And, Joseph-honored-God: the ‘Honor Principle’. What made Joseph the successful servant, faithful, willing, gifted, kind, that he was? God was with Him. The Spirit of the One, True and Living God was IN him. And, as he honored God, in the pit of slavery, in the prison and, yes, even in Pharaoh’s palace, God spoke through him to people who otherwise might never have known that there is a God in heaven who lives and who speaks.

How do you measure success, how do you define it? God’s word for it is this: serve. Servant.

Military Success in the New Year

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 8, 2012

The end of the year and the beginning of a New Year is one of those critical cross-roads in life, isn’t it? As we flip over the calendar, month-by-month, marking off each of the 365 days on it, we might not think that much about it. However, when the time comes to change calendars, and, perhaps to do like we do at our house, to transfer from the old calendar to the new calendar, all the birth dates and anniversary dates, each of the highlights and lowlights of the previous year, when that time comes, we often find ourselves stopping to evaluate, don’t we? Was I successful last year? And, if so, how successful was I? And in what areas of my life did I succeed? And, what about this New Year? Will it be a year full of prosperity and success for me, for my family, and for those I love?

Last week we discussed the fact that prosperity or success is something that most everyone years for, and many go to great strides to achieve. We also observed that different people’s definitions of success look and sound different. Profit – did I make a profit? Product – is this year’s product going to be better than last year’s? Progress – how far did we move from where we began during the last 12 months? A lot of people use words like profit, product and progress to define and measure success. But, what did we learn? What must we always keep in mind? We, who call ourselves the people of God, set apart by Him, set apart to Him, set apart for Him and for His purposes, we must remember that our God has given us a different definition of success than profit, product or progress. We must always keep in mind that success, prosperity, blessing, is always patterned according to His will for our lives, His goals, His Word. That’s why we are opening up this Book today. That’s why we open it every Lord’s Day, to see how our God defines success, to keep coming back to the simply but powerful truths He’s given us on the subject. Truths such as the ones laid up for us in this text.

Last week, we began our look at Joseph’s life, and at the fact that he was successful, very, very successful. And, we asked ourselves, ‘What would it take to be more materially prosperous in this new year?’ Our text tells us that the “Lord blessed [Potiphar] the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and [that] the blessing of the Lord was on all that Potiphar had [both] in the house and in the field.” Joseph’s success spilled over, reverberated, into the life of his master, Potiphar. God blessed Joseph, yes. But, God also used Joseph to BE a blessing! In a nutshell, that’s what success is all about from God’s perspective.

Material prosperity, monetary success. We’d all like to be a little more, maybe a lot more successful in those ways this year, wouldn’t we? But, how about this? Would you, do you also want to succeed, be more prosperous, militarily this year?

Military power and success. Most of us likely don’t have that category of prosperity even listed on our goals for 2012. But, if I may, I’d like to suggest it be written in near the top. Military success; what do you mean, ‘Military Success’?! Are we talking bombs and guns and combat boots? What do we mean when we say, ‘In 2012, we ought to be striving for military success, greater levels of military success?’

We read through the passage rather rapidly a moment ago, so perhaps you didn’t catch it. But, take a look again. The 39^th chapter of Genesis begins and ends with the same refrain: “the Lord was with Joseph” – remember? The Emmanuel Principle? The ‘God-with-us’ principle that is at the heart of real success from this Book’s vantage point. This chapter begins AND ends with the same refrain: “the Lord was with Joseph, and whatever he did, whatever Joseph put his hand to, the Lord made it to prosper.”

Joseph was a successful man as God poured His blessings on and funneled His blessings through His servant, this man, Joseph. We notice those parts of the passage, don’t we? We want those parts of the passage to be true in our lives, also, don’t we? But, here’s what we must not overlook: Joseph’s success was not without its battles! Joseph’s prosperity was not a result of God’s putting him in some kind of protective bubble where there would be no wars and skirmishes! Rather, at the heart of what we need to see and learn about success, as it is measured and defined by God, is what we discover in the middle verses of this passage, the section dealing with Joseph’s war, his battle with a woman, a wistful woman and agent of the Tempter, who wanted him to give into lust!

The section we’re talking about here, the portion of the passage that deals with military success, begins in the sixth verse with the words, “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” A blessing of God – physical beauty – a beauty that, I believe, in Joseph’s case, flowed from the inside out, that was more than skin deep, this gift of God upon his life could have been his Achilles’ heel. ‘Aw, come on Joseph… You’re young, you’re handsome, you’re single and unattached. And, remember, I am your master’s wife, I could get you fired!’

Can you imagine the enticement all of that must have been to Joseph? I mean, who would know? His parents wouldn’t know. They were in another country. He hadn’t seen or heard from them in years! His master wouldn’t know. Surely, she wouldn’t tell on him. Who would know?

It’s not written there in some many words, the phrase that is so prominent in the first and last halves of the chapter, “The Lord was with Joseph”, that phrase that encapsulates the Emmanuel principle, is not written there in black and white, but, listen. It’s there! Believe me, it’s there!

How can you tell? Two things, two indicators that the Lord was with Joseph as he walked through this landmine. Number one, his words, what Joseph said shows that the Lord was with him. And, secondly, his deeds, what Joseph did shows that the Lord was with him there on that battlefield. Take a look: I mentioned it to the Sunday School class last Lord’s Day, but I want all of you to see it today. This woman, Potiphar’s Wife, who is in many ways like the strange woman, the immoral woman, that Solomon warned his sons against in the Book of Proverbs, notice how she uses her words. Take a look at what she does. Verse 7 – Prompted by longing eyes of lust and an empty, wicked heart, this woman doesn’t waste time with small talk: she just blurts it out: “Come to bed with me, you, handsome devil, you!”

Sounds like a proposition from a street walker in the red light district, doesn’t it, fellows? And, who wouldn’t be flattered by it, right? That, by the way, is an appeal not only to the fleshly lust, but to pride! “Come to bed with me…” That’s what Mrs. Potiphar says with her words. “Come to bed with me…” “Come to bed with me…” “Come to bed with me…” It’s what I call the ‘broken record’ approach. Take a look at verse 10 and you’ll get the picture. “Come to bed with me…” That’s what this audacious flirt says with her mouth. Those were her words. But notice the words Joseph uses in reply. Unlike the foolish Israelites, who several hundred years later said to Moses, “We will go up to the place which the Lord has promised,” (Numbers 14:40). We will go up and fight this battle and win. We will… And, sadly, Israel lost, was soundly defeated at the hands of the Amalekites and Canaanites – why? Because “the Lord was not with them…” (Numbers 14:42-43).

Notice, the words of Joseph as he stood toe-to-toe with this temptation and this enemy. There were no boastful forecasts of what he was going to do, on his own! No! Look! Instead, with is words, Joseph draws a line in the sand. He marks off the moral boundaries which governed his life. He says,

“But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8-9)

When the heat was on and the hormones could have been also, Joseph glorified God. With his words, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin – SIN – against God?” With his words, Joseph honored God. But, words, you know, are a dime a dozen. ‘Talk is cheap’ is how my mother puts it. In other words, character, the kind of moral character and strength it takes to win battles, to succeed militarily, must be more – way more – than hot air! It must be backed up, followed up, by what? Actions!

Take a look at verse 10, would you, please? A lot of people, when they are pummeled with a continuing barrage of verbal assaults like Mrs. Potiphar used - that day-after-day, morning-after-morning, noon-and-night, ‘broken record’ approach – a lot of people give way and cave in when attacked like that. How come? Because they run out of air! Because they get tired of the talk, the arguments, the verbal volleys back-and-forth. And so, they lose the war!

But, we’re wanting to know how to win the war, aren’t we? We’re in need of guidance, THIS lamp for our feet, and light for our path (the Bible), to succeed militarily, aren’t we? And, what is that guidance?

The Emmanuel principle, Joseph lived by the ‘God-is-with-me’ principle. How do we know that? We know that by what he said. Verse 8 and 9, on the battlefield of lust and pride, he glorified God with his words! “How can I do such a wicked thing, and sin against God?!” But, that’s not all! Joseph also demonstrated what it means to live by the Emmanuel ‘God-is-with-me’ principle, by what he did! Verses 11 through 15 – to put it bluntly, he ran! When the temptress tried to grab him, he remembered, “I must honor God now! I am a vessel of honor, sanctified and fit for His use – here – today. So, I must run!” And ran he did!

Military success, to win battles of the mind, body and spirit. To honor God and allow the Emmanuel, God-with-me principle, to guide what you do with your mind, your body, and with your spirit, that’s what it means to succeed! That is what our God is calling us to, when He says, “Set your hearts, your minds, your affections, on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God…” (Colossians 3:1-3) That’s what He intends to be worked out in our lives, when He says, “Flee sexual immorality…” “You are not your own! You’re not! No! You have been bought with a price! Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s!” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Success in the New Year

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, January 1, 2012

Genesis 39:1-23, “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.” So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

How many of you believe that, all in all, your life was successful during 2011? How many of you would like to be more successful this year, in the New Year, 2012?

Success, what we mean by success, and, how to go about measuring it and when we are successful, varies from person to person, doesn’t it? Some would say that success has to do, like they say in the business world, with the ‘bottom line’. Did we make a profit? Did that profit level exceed previous years’ profit levels?

Others would suggest that success is not so much a matter of profits, but product. Is this year’s model or version of whatever we are manufacturing or producing better – improved – than last year’s?

Still others, perhaps those in areas like education and social influence measure their success – or failure – with yet a different ‘bottom line’. No, not profit, and not product, but progress. And they ask themselves, at crucial junctures, questions like this, “How far have we come in society, how far have our students come, since this time last year?”

Profit, product, progress. As you can see, success, what it means, and, how to recognize if and when you have attained to it, vary, differ, from person to the next. However, this Book, who’s Book is this? This Book, how much about success does the One whose Book this is KNOW about success? Though people’s definition and means of recognition of success DIFFER from person to person, listen. This Book, and the all-wise, unchanging Person behind this Book, has one CONSTANT definition of success, one unvarying way of determining success, and that is with three simple words: “God – with – us!” If it can be said, truly said, not just based on our fluctuating emotions or some passing whim, but based on what this Book says, that God is, was will be, with us, then – and only then – can it be said that we are a success, that what we have attempted to do or be was successful.

Genesis 39 – A Powerful glimpse into the life of Joseph, a man who went – literally – from the pit to the pinnacle, what does the Scripture say of him? Count them, repeatedly, the text says of Joseph, that “the Lord was with him…” (Genesis 39:2, 3, 21, 23) And, because the Lord was with him, what else does the passage relate to us about Joseph? Verse 2, verse 3, verse 5, verse 21, verse 23 – The Scripture tells us that because the Lord was with Joseph, yes, even in places and circumstances like slavery and prison, because of those three simply words: God with him, Joseph was successful, Joseph prospered. And, look at it, “the blessing of the Lord was on all” that pertained to his master Potiphar, and upon all who were connected to Joseph in jail.

Success, I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a little more, maybe a lot more successful, this year, than last year? I would. I do.

Every year, about this time, I get a year-end report from my bank. And, in simply terms, that report over views for me, where my family was, financially, at the beginning of 2011, and, where we are now, twelve months later. And, every year, maybe like you, I look at those figures and at the ‘bottom line’, and ask myself, “Are we any better off than we were twelve months ago?” I mean, in economic times like we’re in today, who wouldn’t want to see at least a little more in the bank at year end than a year ago? But, how? And, have you ever asked this question of your life and finances? Why? Why do I want to be more successful financially? What would be the goal, the purpose, the hoped-for outcome, of such success? A newer car? A bigger home? The latest in gadgets? How about more to give to the Lord’s work? How about more to share with the poor? How about more to send to missionaries? How about more to use in assisting orphans and widows?

You may not see it quite yet, but listen, those three words: God-with-us, alter, they affect, in amazing, can’t-calculate-it-or-display-it-on-a-spread-sheet, kind of ways, both the How? and the Why? of our pursuit of material and financial prosperity. Let me show you how: Psalm 24, and then, Psalm 50, material prosperity, financial success, in this economy and in this New Year. Is that for which you’re hoping?

Where do you being in that quest? Go to MONEY magazine, right? Go to the Wall Street Journal, right? Go to your broker, or your banker, or your investment adviser, right? Psalm 24 – How many of those people, those supposed ‘experts’ will bring this perspective to the discussion?

Psalm 24:1-10, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.
For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

Psalm 24, material wealth and possession, what we call “ours”, our ‘stuff’, our ‘net worth’. Whose is it, really? And, why? Psalm 24, verses one and two, it is the Lords! Judy S----, G.C.’s wife shared with me a tremendous word of testimony the other night at the funeral home. A word that is based, ultimately, on what David the psalmist teaches us here: she said, “As far as my dear husband is concerned, the Lord gave him to me, and now the Lord has taken him from me. Blessed be the name of the Lord!” What a testimony! What a perspective! An accurate, Biblical perspective that all of us should desire to have in this area of money! My “stuff” is not really mine! It’s the Lord’s, why? Because He made it, and, because He made me. And as Creator, my Creator, He owns me and owns what pertains to me! That’s the first principle related to material prosperity and success that goes with the words, “God-with-us!”

Then, look further with me here, would you, please? Psalm 24:5 – Notice the reference to receiving “the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of salvation…” Question: Who is the ‘he’? Who is the person, or, perhaps, we should ask, ‘what kind of person is in line to be blessed by God materially and financially? Psalm 24:3-4 – Have you spent some time examining your year-end bank statements? What did you see? Are the words, ‘God-with-me’ written anywhere on those reports? If not, then what?

Then it’s time to look in the mirror! (The BIBLE) It’s time to look in the mirror! Psalm 24:3-6, read them with me one more time, will you?

Psalm 24:3-6, “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face. Selah”

Material prosperity, financially successful, who wouldn’t want to be more that way this year, than last? God-with-us, have you looked in the mirror? Looked at your hands, and your heart, your soul and your speech? How do they line up with God’s measurement of success?

Genesis 39 – The life of this great man of faith, Joseph. Repeatedly, the Scripture describes him as successful, and, as being the reason, the human reason, the flesh and blood instrument of God to bring success to the likes of Potiphar and the prison warden. How did that happen? God-with-us. Joseph lifted up his life, and said, “King of Glory, won’t you come in, please? Please, enter my life, O Lord of Hosts, every part of it, including the “stuff” I call mine, and do so, with Your strength, and with Your power!” What are we talking about here? God-with-us. Three simple words.

Material prosperity, financial success in the New Year, the How’s? And the Why’s? What are we talking about here? How is it, why is it, that Joseph was so successful?

Psalm 50 – Take a look at that passage with me, will you, please? Psalm 50 – pick up the reading of the text with me, in verse 7:

Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are continually before Me. I will not take a bull from your house, nor goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:7 -15

Material success and prosperity, notice that, once again, the unchanging starting point on this issue is not profit, or product or progress, but what? God owns it all! That 4-wheeler, you got here on the ‘back’ of… Whose is it? Verse 10 – That 4-footed beast you’ll eat from in a little while, Who supplied it? Verses 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Material prosperity, financial success – how? In this economy? How? Joseph shows us how. The psalmist Asaph tells us know, God-with-us, the God-centered, not profit-centered, not product-centered, not even progress-centered, but the God-centered life!

Notice how Asaph details that for us in verses 12, 13 and 14:

If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

It all belongs to God, my ‘stuff’ isn’t mine! It’s His! So, what? So, “offer to God thanksgiving”, step one. So, “pay your vows to the Most High,” step two. So, “call upon ME in the day of trouble,” - we don’t have time to unpack all of what each one of those steps mean, but study them out. You want to be more materially prosperous in 2012, there’s your assignment, study them out.

God-with-us, offer to God thanksgiving [step one], pay your vows to the Most High [step two], and step three to attain to financial success, “call upon the LORD in the day of trouble…” That’s the How? The means, the method. But what’s the goal? What’s the purpose behind a God-centered-life? Verse 15 – Here’s the answer to these Why? questions:

“Offer to God thanksgiving; pay your vows to the Most High, call upon the Lord in the day of trouble”, if we will do these things, IF, then what? Then, God will deliver us, and we, as He grants success in His way, according to His means, and in His perfect timing, then, we will glorify Him! We will do, we MUST do, what Joseph repeatedly did, as he moved from the pit – rejected and hated by his brothers – to Potiphar’s house as a slave, to prison – unjustly accused and condemned – and finally, to the pinnacle of authority in Egypt. God-with-us – As God graciously grants us success, in His way and in His time, then we must do what Joseph repeatedly did, we must honor God! We must turn the spotlight on Him!

God-with-us – 3 words, 3 simple words that have everything to do with material and financial prosperity and success in the New Year. The God-centered, not the profit-centered, not the product-centered, not even the progress-centered life, but the God-centered life, that’s real success! That’s real prosperity!

Solomon, wisest man who ever lived, perhaps the richest man ever also, summed it up like this: “Honor the Lord with your possessions [your stuff], and with the first-fruits of all your increase… Then, your barns [your pantries] will be filled with plenty, and your presses will overflow with new wine…” (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

A Season of Peace

2011-12-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, December 11, 2011

Luke 2:1-20, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       “ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

There’s a commodity that is in short supply today; and yet is in great demand. It’s a possession, a priceless treasure that people the world over are seeking and yet are hardly finding. With all their dollars and credit lines, and the hard work that it takes to earn them, they are pursuing it to no avail. Many would even give all that they own to claim it and to enjoy it in their lives, but – sad to say – they are looking for it in all the wrong places. Wal-mart doesn’t carry it. Best Buy never has it in stock. The quaint, Mom and Pop stores around the square in Downtown McKinney don’t have it in their inventory, nor can you obtain it through Amazon, Ebay or any other web-based store. What am I talking about? A priceless gem? A rare antique? A one-of-a-kind handmade craft?

No. I’m talking about peace. Peace. The very season that, as we learned last time, is meant to be a season of joy, the very season that, as I hope to lead you in discovering next time, is intended by God to be a season of hope – real, lasting hope – the very season that is all of these things because, as we will come to find out on Christmas morning, is THE season of love, this season, Christmas season, is, for way too many people anything but a season of peace.

A season of joy - we looked at that wonderful truth about the Christmas season last time, didn’t we? And do you remember what we learned? We found out that joy, real joy, wonderful joy, is ours, it is! How? Why? Because of this one bit of good, good news. “For unto you – unto you – is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Christmas is a season of joy because of those good tidings of great joy.

But, where are we to go to find peace? What is the reason why someone like me would call the Christmas season a season of peace? The angel of the Lord, shining with the dazzling brilliance of God’s glory, brought the joyful report to the shepherds that night outside Bethlehem: a Savior has been born, Christ the Lord. It is a season of joy! But take note, in verses 13 & 14 that it was the numberless host of heaven’s angelic messengers that praised God with these words: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Peace… Where are people like you and me to find it? Peace. This precious commodity, this priceless, tirelessly sought after possession, where are we to go to obtain it?

I witnessed a sad and heart-breaking scene just a few weeks ago, when a friend of mine came stumbling out the door of his home, head in his hands, weeping almost uncontrollably. I knew the reason for his tears, the turmoil and turbulence in his life due to many factors out of sync with God’s plan for his life. But what he said, what my friend said, has stuck with me ever since. “I just want some peace, David, I just want to have peace!”

Interestingly, this man and his girlfriend live in a rundown, rent house with a 40 foot high, 30 foot wide bill board, one of those big ones like you see out along the highway, there is the huge billboard, planted right there, on one end of my friend’s front yard! And how I wish I could put this simply message up there on that billboard: Peace? Where is it to be found? “And this shall be a sign unto you: yes shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger!”

A Baby? In a manger? Who would ever have thought to look there for peace? Speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Zacharias, the joy-filled father of John the Baptist, has this to say about that Baby. Take a look. Right across the page, in Luke 1:78-79, he prophesies that the “Dayspring from on high”, that’s a reference to that Baby, Zacharias says that the “Dayspring from on high has visited us…” God, by means of, because of His tender mercies poured out upon peace-seekers like my friend, in His Son, Jesus Christ, in this Baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed so lovingly in that manger bed, through His Son, our Savior, Christ the Lord, has made a way for those who ‘sit in darkness and in the shadow of death” to be enlightened, and - and – in and through that Baby He has made it possible for our feet, my friend’s feet, all people’s feet, to be guided “into the way of peace!”

Christmas, it is a season of peace, at least, that’s what God’s intention is for it. But, why is it that so many, who are so desperately searching for this rich blessing, not finding it, not experiencing and enjoying it?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find that many of life’s most complex problems, issues like “where can I go to get, how will I ever enjoy true peace?” I have come to realize, and maybe you have also, that many of life’s most complicated problems have a solution that is, in fact, quite simple. I’d like to suggest to you that such is the case when it comes to our quest for peace.

Two things, two glorious facts that you simply must know, about Jesus, about that precious Baby, if you want to enjoy real peace. Number one, Ephesians 2:14 – Jesus Christ IS our peace – He is – because of what He has done for sinners, for people like you and me and my friend, who, without Him, are sitting, living, enduring, a place, so filled with darkness, so terribly overshadowed by death. Jesus Christ IS our peace, because of what He has done for sinners! Praise God!

And, then, fact number two that I’d like for us to explore this morning is this: Jesus Christ is our peace, He is! Because of what He gives to saints…

The manger, we love it, don’t we? As we come to grips with the awesome reality of God becoming man, this unusual baby bed, this rustic cradle, we love it, because of what it stands for, what it declares to us about this Baby. The Word HAS become flesh and dwelt among us, the Only Begotten Son of the Father, full, as He is, of grace and truth, in this marvelous way we have been given the privilege to behold His glory! Wow! Yes, we love the manger, that crude cradle. But listen, don’t forget. This would be no season of peace, if, following the cradle, there had been no cross! He is our peace, Ephesians 2:14 – Jesus Christ is our peace! How do we know that? Because of what He has done for sinners, for the powerless, the ungodly, for His enemies! For people just like you and me! The prophet Isaiah, who in the ninth chapter of his prophecy, spoke of a “Child to be born, a Son to be given”, One upon whose shoulders the government would be placed. Do you remember how Isaiah depicted Him, what he called Him?

Isaiah 9:6, “And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Jesus Christ is our peace… Our Prince of Peace… And here’s how we know that. Isaiah 53 – The Child to be born would be “wounded, literally pierced through for our transgressions, the Son to be given, He would be bruised – literally – crushed, for our iniquities. And, then – catch this – Isaiah 53:5, He is our peace, how do we know that? Because of what He has done for sinners! Look at what Isaiah says about Him there in chapter 53, verse 5. “He was wounded – pierced through – for our transgressions, He was bruised – crushed – for our iniquities.” And then it tells us that the “chastisement of our peace” the ripping, tearing, cutting blows intended to supply us with peace were upon Him – why? So that by those stripes, as a result of all that pain and suffering and agony – for us – we might be healed! He is our peace, this Baby, yes, because He came to be born in a manger. But much more, because He bled and died, in our place, for us, on a cross!

Christmas, it really is a season of peace, because of what Jesus has done for sinners! We don’t have time to look at the rest of this powerful 53^rd chapter of Isaiah, but here’s your assignment: read and study the rest of it, in light of Ephesians chapter 2 and 1 Peter chapter 2. Christmas, it is a season of peace because of what Jesus Christ has done for sinners!

But, then, there’s fact number two, remember it? Jesus Christ, He is our peace – He is! If you are a Christian… How do I know that? Because of what He gives to His saints! Quickly move with me to John chapters 14 & 16. Peace, peace with God, what Jesus Christ has done at Calvary, for sinners, for the powerless, for the ungodly, yes, for us who in our sinful rebellion against God are no less than God’s enemies! That peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, has an incredible by-product, the one that my friend so yearns for – what is it? It is the gift that Jesus Christ, our peace, gives to His saints: peace within! Peace in our hearts! John 14:27 and John 16:33 - The scene is the upper room, Jesus’ final hours with His closest men, before He must go to Gethsemane and Calvary. It is a troubling scene for Him, because He knew what was ahead. It was perhaps even more distressing for the disciples because they didn’t know fully nor understand completely, what was about to take place. Ever been there? A place of ominous uncertainty? A place of impending doom and dread? Flip on the news, look at our society and you’ll feel it, won’t you? I mean, even with the lights and the tinsel, the music and the ornaments, the tree and the packages under it, for most of us, it’s there. This sense of foreboding anxiety, and fear.

My Loved Ones, what season is this? “For unto you a Child is born, unto you a Son is given, and the government, the final ruling authority over all these things, will be upon His shoulders, upon the shoulders of the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. What season is it? “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth – in McKinney and Sherman and Wylie and Princeton, and The Colony – on earth peace, good will toward men…”

My Loved Ones, this is the season of peace… And how do we know that? Because Jesus Christ, who is every Christian’s peace, has given a marvelous gift to His saints, and what is that gift? John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Christmas, what season is it? God has written it not on a billboard, but in manger, and on a cross! Jesus Christ, our peace-MAKER, our Intercessor, our Mediator, our Sacrificial Peace Offering, God’s Marvelous Gift to us, Jesus Christ, our Peace-Giver, our Comforter, in these times of turmoil and uncertainty, our Ever-Present Help in trouble. Christmas IS the season of peace. Why? You know why, because Jesus Christ has come.

A Season of Joy

2011-12-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, December 4, 2011

Luke 2:1-20, “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

1 Peter 1:8-9, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

One of the very first songs to be sung and played on the radio and in department stores this time of year, is the song entitled: Deck the Halls. Many of you know the words by heart, and could even sing it now, having learned it and known it, from your childhood. You remember, it goes something like this: “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la…” and so on. It’s a cheery song, with a catchy tune, although, I’ve yet to find a dictionary with a definition for the words, fa la la la la, la la la la… It also uses a phrase that caught my attention, that I want you to consider at the outset of our time in the Word of God this morning. It’s the phrase, “Tis the season to be jolly.” I looked it up, to make certain I understood what it means and found it interesting that this concept of a season to be jolly carries with it the ideas of cheerful festivity, and to be in good spirits. It can imply that someone is having fun, enjoying some form of pleasurable excitement and may even indicate that he or she is slightly drunk - or, as we might say, ‘Tipsy’.

Now, perhaps I’m making too much of this, seeing that this a secular song, although, I would remind you that it didn’t take too much prompting on my part for you to sing it in your minds, right? In other words, our thinking about this time of the year has been shaped, at least partly, by a song that tells us that this is the time to enjoy in some form of pleasurable excitement, to be in good spirits, perhaps we have imbibed some form of alcohol. But allow me to ask you, “for the Christ, is this time of year the time to be cheerful with a kind of transient or temporary festivity, a ‘jolly season’; or is it to be some other kind of season?

May I suggest to you that this season, this time of year we call the ‘Christmas season’, is not merely a ‘season to be jolly’, anybody can be tipsy anytime they want to be, anybody can pursue pleasure and excitement, anytime they want to do so. No. I’d like to suggest to you, that this season, the Christmas season is more, much, much more than a ‘season to be jolly’. Rather, it is – for the Christian, the person who, through the ‘grid’ of this Book understands what this season is, for the Bible-guided Christian, this season is not a jolly season, but a joyful season, a season of joy.

Peter, the apostolic writer of the words we find in the letter we call, “First Peter’, Peter filled with the Spirit, not with alcoholic ‘spirits’, describes the marvels and mysteries of what it means to be born again, what it truly means to be a Christian. In 1 Peter 1:8, he refers to Christians, those who have received the gift of salvation and the new birth, the Christmas gift Jesus Christ came to bring, as rejoicing “with joy unspeakable and full of glory”. Interestingly, he speaks of this joy, take a look at the text there in First Peter chapter one. Peter speaks of this inexpressible and glorious joy, not in the context of some form of jolly excitement and passing pleasure. But look. He speaks of it in the context of pain, in a setting that has to do with hardship, difficulty and testing.

1 Peter 1:6-9, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

A season of joy, not a season to be jolly… What does it mean? What are we talking about when we say that “Christmas is a season of joy”?

Well, first thing to note and to know, is what the angle of the Lord, the heavenly messenger said to the shepherds back there in Luke chapter two. A heaven-sent messengers, shining with the radiant glory of God, when he appears in the middle of the night to shepherds quietly keeping watch over their flocks, or if he was to appear to church members at 11:45 on a Sunday morning, a heaven-sent messenger is and would have been a startling and awesome sight, an appearance that would have caused great fear for those men. And we can understand that, can’t we? But look at what the angel of the Lord says to these men: “Fear not… don’t be afraid.” Why? “Because I bring you good tidings - good news of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you – this day – in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The simple reason, the obvious reason – oh, my Loved Ones, the life-changing reason – this season is NOT simply a season to be jolly, but a season to be truly joyful, is because of the good news, because of the good tidings of GREAT joy. Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!

Do you see it, my friends? Our joy, our rejoicing, as Christians it is not rooted in another drink. It is not hinging on whether or not we get to take part in another pleasurable experience, and another and another and another! No! It is rooted in the Good News, in the gospel message of salvation and in the fact that Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah is Lord!

A season of joy, one of the indicators that makes me think that this is what we should call this season is the presence, yes, of music, of singing! Not the empty, ‘Fa la la la la, la la la la’ of ‘Deck the Halls’, but the substance of Mary’s Song, the magnificat, and of Zacharias’s song, and of Simeon’s song, the benedictus. Look at each of these three songs with me for a moment or two, would you, please?

Luke 1:46-55, Mary’s song. Do you remember the context, the circumstance behind this song? Mary has just received the astonishing news that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son. She would be, this young Jewish virgin, would be His holy vessel, His instrument through which the Son of God, the Son of the Highest, would enter into this world as a man. And, traveling to the home of her cousin Elizabeth, she hears Elizabeth’s Holy Spirit-inspired greeting: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! You, the mother of my Lord, has come to me!...” All of these things in the background cause Mary to well up with these joy-filled words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” The reason for Mary’s joy, is the Good News… “The Lord has regarded the lowly estate of His maidservant. The Lord has done mighty things for her. The Lord has shown strength with His arm. The Lord has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. The Lord has filled the hungry with good things, but sent the rich away empty. The Lord has helped His servant Israel, and remembered His mercy, His covenant faithfulness to His people!” The Lord… The Lord… The Lord… He is the reason for Mary’s joy!

Then, there’s Zacharias’s song, Luke 1:67-79. Who is Zacharias? Do you remember? He is the husband of Elizabeth, He is the surprised father, who though he never would be a father, of the forerunner of the Messiah, Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. Look at the joyful way in which he begins his song: “Blessed be [praises be] to the Lord God of Israel,” sounds like the Psalms, doesn’t it? “For He has visited and redeemed His people!” Good news. “He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David!” Good news… Just like He spoke through His holy prophets, the message is clear, and the news is very, very good indeed! “We shall be saved, He’s going to save us from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us!” Good news, He is, the Lord is, through this horn of salvation He is raising up for us, granting us deliverance from our enemies, and making a way for us to serve Him without fear, in the holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

It’s there, isn’t it? For Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, it was there. Not giddy gladness at good pleasures and excitements, but, deep, humble, grateful joy in the Lord, before the Giver of this Good News gift!

Or, take Simeon’s song, for an example. Luke 2:22-35 provides us not only with the words of Simeon’s song, but with the context. After a period of purification, required by the law of God following her pregnancy, and the delivery of the Christ Child, Mary and her husband, take little Jesus with them to Jerusalem, to the temple, to present Him to the Lord - what an awesome scene that must have been, for the Son of God, Mary’s children, Joseph’s keepsake, but God’s Only Begotten and Beloved Son, to be presented back to His Father in heaven! And, then, for Simeon, this otherwise unknown Biblical character, this man Luke describes as “just and devout” was “waiting for the consolation of Israel”, led by the Holy Spirit, he steps up to this couple, holding their precious bundle, and then, he gets to take Jesus into his arms! A season of joy, a season of life-changing, long-lasting joy, that’s what this was, and always would be for Simeon! There with the Holy Son of God in his arms, this man who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had the opportunity to see the Lord’s Messiah, there he was, Simeon, holding the Christ of God in his own hands! And, what does he do? What would you have done if you had been Simeon?

Luke 2:28 – He blesses God, He praises God and says, “Lord, now You can let me depart in peace, for my eyes – my eyes – have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”

Do you see why I call this season a season of joy, not a season merely to be jolly? The Son of God has come. The consolation of Israel has come. The light of revelation to the Gentiles has come. And, that, my friends, is Good News, very, very, good news!

So, what are we to do about it? “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy…” With your lips bless God, praise the Lord God of Israel, who has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for you. With your arms, your arms, like Simeon, take up that precious Child and exclaim, “Now! Now! My eyes have seen it! The salvation, the Savior You have prepared before the face of all peoples, the light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people Israel”. Take Him up in your arms, as your Savior, and allow Him to take you up, too – as His!

Last of all, this season of joy, here’s what you are to do. Luke 2:17 – like the shepherds, with your lives make widely known the saying which was told you concerning this precious Child!

The Attitude of Gratitude

2011-11-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, November 27, 2011

1 Thessalonians 5:14-24, “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

To have the mindset of Jesus Christ is to have an attitude of gratitude. And to express the mindset of Jesus Christ is to give thanks in every situation.

What do you think about those two statements? Are they true? Are they false? Are they correct? Are they incorrect? Let me repeat them for you one more time, and you listen, and evaluate them with me, will you, please? Statement number one: to have the mind or mindset of Jesus Christ is to have an attitude of gratitude, or, we might say, a thankful heart. And, then, statement number two: to express the mindset of Jesus Christ, to display this attitude of gratitude, is to give thanks, is to allow the joyful appreciation that is in one’s heart to overflow in thankful praise. What do you think about those statements?

Caught somewhere between the exhilaration of summertime, with its vacations and sunshine and the day-by-day count-down to Christmas day – only 28 days of shopping left – sandwiched between soccer practice and band contests, car-pooling and punching a time clock, is a single, solitary day, set aside for most all of us to assemble with family and friends, to eat some turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie and to remember – yes, I said, “remember” – to give thanks for the blessings you have received. With all the hype and hoopla related to ‘Black Friday’, midnight madness, 10p.m. pandemonium, we need a reminder, don’t we, that this past week, the emphasis is meant to be, not on shopping, but on saying “thank you” to the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

To have the mindset of Jesus Christ is to have an attitude of gratitude. And to express the mindset of Jesus Christ is to give thanks in every situation. For the Christ, as we say, these things out to be “No Brainers”, completely obvious, right? But how many of us didn’t realize or remember that these verses are in the Bible?

An attitude of gratitude. Expressing that heartfelt gratitude by way of thanksgiving, using one’s lips to say, “Thank you, God… Thank you!” These things are at the heart and center of what it means to be a Christian. But, how is it that so many Christians don’t know that or don’t show that?

Clustered in a series of what I call ‘Biblical Universals’, ‘Biblical universal statements’ including: verse 14, “Be patient toward all men,” verse 15, “Don’t repay evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all,” verse 16, “Rejoice always,” verse 17, “pray without ceasing,” verse 21, “test all things,” and verse 22, “Abstain from every form of evil.”

Nestled so neatly, and almost inconspicuously, in that grouping of ‘Biblical Universals”, are these words: read them, hear them again, with me, will you, please? “In everything,” there’s that universal language again, right? Paul says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, for you.”

What do you think about those words? I don’t know about you, but at first glance – honestly – this preacher’s response is: “What? Paul? You’ve gotta be kidding! In everything give thanks?!” Is this guy nuts or what?

Pardon me if I sound a bit irreverent in saying that, but, honestly, haven’t you thought the same thing? “Paul, what do you mean, ‘In everything give thanks? For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus?”

Well, first of all, notice with me that Paul does not say, “For everything give thanks…” You know, “God, I thank You for cancer… God, I thank You for suicide… God, I thank You for drunk drivers who kill innocent little children… God, I thank You for abortion…” Guided by the Spirit of God, the apostle Paul’s exhortation to us is not, “Give thanks for all things…” Why? Because, from God’s perspective, not simply from our limited, human perspective, but from God’s all-knowing, eternal vantage point, some things – really, a lot of things – are bad, tragic, wrong, yes, even wicked and sinful and disgusting.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul’s divinely-inspired teaching for us here is not “give thanks for all things…”, but what? “Give thanks in all things!” But, what’s the difference?

Let me give you a simple, short answer to that question: Romans 8:28. The difference, the distinction between giving thanks for cancer and suicide and mass murder and poverty and starvation, and giving thanks in things like these is huge. And it revolves around the truth contained in these words: Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things,” there’s another one of those ‘Biblical universals’, “And we know that all things, God is at work, making all things [ultimately] work [out] for good, for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

In other words, what Paul says to us here in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, this ‘Biblical Universal’ about the Christian mindset and its expression in joyful praise, what is it? It is a statement, a declaration, an exhortation, that is in keeping with or an outgrowth of the fact that God is sovereign! That He is bigger than, and, ultimately in control over, the ‘biggies’ in our lives, things like cancer, and unemployment, and suicide and divorce, and doubt and worry and disappointment and fear!

Do you believe in the Sovereignty of God? Do you? I mean, who’s going to hold the universe together if He doesn’t? President Obama? Congress? The Federal Reserve? I mean, who’s going to make the sun go down tonight and cause it to rise again tomorrow morning? The weather man? Tony Romo? Last night’s winner of Dancing with the Stars?

When the apostle Paul writes what he wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 about the Christ-like mindset, an attitude of gratitude and the expression, the overflow of that attitude in thanksgiving, he is not talking non-sense! No! His words could not be more clear, could they? He is talking sovereignty! The over-arching ability and authority of God, and – and – His always, ultimately [universal statement], good plan at work, being carried out for, in behalf of, to the benefit of those who are His children!

“In everything give thanks…” That’s the first line of this powerful November 27^th, June 12^th, February 6^th, April 20^th exhortation, isn’t it? By the way, I threw in those dates that are not today’s dates, why? To remind us that this teaching is a 24/7, 365 teaching! It is good, helpful, needful, for every day of the year, and every minute of every day! “In everything give thanks,” that’s the first line of this ‘Biblical Universal’. But, what about line two? It says, “for this is the will of God…” “For this is God’s will…”

Is the will of God something you struggle with, something you have trouble figuring out? “God, should I do this, or that?” God, should I choose this, or that?” Take a look. Could it be any clearer? No need to cast lots here. No need to put out a fleece here. The will of God is clear. What God wants, by the way, that’s what the phrase, “the will of God” really means. “What God wants” is clear. Very clear. He wants His children to trust in His sovereignty! And, like His Only Begotten, to surrender to His good and perfect plan, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” And, then, with that Christ-like mindset, to praise Him! To thank Him for what He’s going to do, how He will display His power, His wisdom, His mercy, His faithfulness in, and yes, through the good, the bad and even the ugly! “In everything give thanks…” “For this is God’s will…”

Section number three, two words, we might wish, right, that they were two different words. But what words are those two words? “For you”, or “Concerning you”.

Are you a child of God? Truly? Are you a Christian? Really? Then these words, these two words are written to you. An attitude of gratitude, one of the most significant characteristics of the Christ-like mindset, is to be your attitude. Giving thanks, using your lips to offer up a sacrifice of praise that blesses the name of our Father in heaven, that is to be your consistent and constant activity! “give thanks in everything for this is the will of God for you…” That’s three-fourths of the verse, right? What is the last fourth? “In Christ Jesus”.

Beloved, do you realize the magnitude of those three words? “In Christ Jesus”? Those three words are enormous, in their meaning and importance. How do I know that? Well, consider, first of this powerful set of contrasts: in the darkness, in the light, in sin, in the Savior, dead, alive, lost, found, perishing, possessing everlasting life, deceived, disobedience, enslaved and separated from the life of God, enlightened, obedient, freed and brought into communion with God. I know that’s a long list of pairs, contrasting pairs everyone of which, by the way, is found right here, in the Scriptures. It’s a long list of contrasting pairs, I know. But think about the list, the contrasting pairs. The first one I gave, the first of each pair, who does it describe? Someone who is “in Christ Jesus”? In the darkness, in sin, dead, lost, perishing, and so on? Do those words describe someone who is “in Christ Jesus”? The Bible’s answer to that question is clear, isn’t it?

None of those words or phrases, ‘Biblical universals’, none of those words or phrases describe someone who is “in Christ Jesus”! No! But, listen, the words “in the light” do, don’t they? The words, “in the Savior” do, don’t they? The words, “alive, found, and possessing everlasting life” do, don’t they? And, so, for the person for whom those words are true and accurate, for the person who IS “in Christ Jesus”, why shouldn’t he be “thankful”? Why shouldn’t she give to God the praise? He’s “in Christ Jesus”! She’s in the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life! He has every reason - universal statement again – she has every reason to pursue and to possess the joyful Christian mindset and its expression in daily giving of thanks!

But, here’s the question of the hour: “In Christ Jesus”, “in the Light”, “in the Savior”, do those words describe you? Are they true of you?

One more ‘Biblical universal’: 2 Peter 3:9, “[God] is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Another verse about the will of God. But is it saying that all will ultimately be saved? Later on in the same chapter Peter makes it clear that God allows for the will of men to be exerted against His will and for rebellious man’s will, in cooperation with Satan’s will, results in some, in many, perhaps in most people being “led away with the error of the wicked.” (2 Peter 3:17)

God doesn’t want you to be lost, dead, perishing, in sin. His desire for you is that you be saved. But you, you must “hear His voice. You must not harden your heart.” (Hebrews 3:7-8) You must open the door to Him.

The joyful Christ mindset, would that it would be true of you, starting today. Hear His voice, open your heart, to Him…

Thanksgiving & The Names of Our God

2011-11-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, November 13, 2011

Psalm 31:6-8, “I have hated those who regard useless idols; but I trust in the LORD.
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.

Psalm 32:10-11, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 33:1-5, “Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the LORD with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

As you may have noticed in the worship bulletin this morning, the Lord-willing my family and I will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia this week to attend this year’s National Missionary Convention. We look forward to this time of fellowship with my brother, and other missionaries like him, who are seeking to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to advance the kingdom of God in places far and wide. We covet your prayers for our trip and for our own opportunities of ministry and worship. We praise God for your generous help with the trip as well.

However, since we will be absent next Lord’s Day, on the Blessing Count Sunday, the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, I wanted to take the opportunity this morning to rehearse and recite a few of my own blessings and hopefully, in doing so, to sort of help prime your pumps, as you prepare to count your blessings also.

First of all, let me say, as I’m sure many of you will say, how grateful to God I am for my wife and children and for the rest of the members of my family. Indeed God has been very good to me, very gracious in giving them to me. And, like you, I thank God for those every days blessings, those daily essentials, that He so consistently and generously provides, health and strength, food and clothing and shelter, freedom and safety. Furthermore, I praise Him for His Bride the Church, and the privilege of being a part of it, and for the awesome, and often, overwhelming task He’s given to my family and me, to minister to His people, to you and others like you.

But, you know that all these things for which we are thankful, they didn’t come to us out of thin air. They had to come from somewhere, from some-One. And, so ultimately, my Loved Ones, when we count our blessings, when we celebrate a season we call ‘Thanksgiving’, whether we want to or not, whether we realize it or not, we are to acknowledge the Source of those gifts, the Giver of those blessings! And, in doing so, what are we doing? What ought we to be doing? We are celebrating Him! We ought to be glad in Him! But, just who is this Giver of every good and perfect gift? In the handful of verses from the Psalms I read a moment ago, did you notice? The divinely-inspired poets, David, and another unknown author, contrast the Source of all these good gifts we enjoy – the Lord – with what they refer to as “useless idols” (Psalm 31:6). Furthermore, the psalmists, in describing their own experiences of and encounters with the Good Give, the Perfect Giver, they contrast their responses to Him, with the responses of those who reject or neglect their Blessings Source.

Notice what the text says: Psalm 31:6, “I have hated those who regard useless idols, but I trust in the Lord… I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for you have considered my trouble. You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place.” Or, take Psalm 32:10-11 as an example, David, the psalmist, in expressing his own thanksgiving for how God had forgiven his sins, covered his iniquities, determined not to impute his guilt at his transgressions, David arrives at this stunning and very sobering and humbling conclusion: look at what he writes there in Psalm 32:10-11, “Many SORROWS shall be to the wicked [to those who don’t repent of their sins, to those who refuse to acknowledge their guilt before their holy and righteous Creator], many will be THEIR sorrows, but… Take a look, he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him!” It’s no wonder, is it, that David’s final verse in this psalm is this triumphant exclamation and exhortation, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, you righteous, and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!”

Yes, I want to take this time today, a week ahead of time, since I’ll be missing out next Lord’s Day, I want to take time to count my blessings with you, and perhaps, to stir you to do the same, even today.

At the top of the first page of this sermon, I made a list of fifteen of the names of God, that I regularly come back to in counting my blessings on a daily, and weekly basis. Do you mind if I share them with you and briefly explain why I make mention of them?

Here goes: Shepherd, I know that the term ‘sheep’ may not be the normal, regular way in which you think of yourself, but listen, if you are a Christian, truly born again by the grace of God, you are one of His ‘sheep’, and He is your Good Shepherd. Several passages of Scripture come to mind, when I think of this name for my God, for example Psalm 23, find it there, if you would, in your Bibles. David, the psalmist, who was himself a shepherd, knew very well what he was talking about, when he wrote these words, “The Lord is my shepherd…” I like that, don’t you? “The Lord”, not some useless idol, not some wood, stone, or metal object, fashioned by the hands of mere men, but “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” He, the Lord, my Shepherd, supplies everything I need. “He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake…” We don’t have time to examine the rest of David’s words here, but you the point, don’t you?

Count your blessings, my fellow ‘sheep’, give thanks to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:25). Praise, worship, rejoice in the Good Shepherd, who has laid down His life, for you, His dearly loved sheep!

Then, there’s the name ‘Peace’. We are first introduced to this name of God, “Jehovah Shalom”, “The Lord is Peace”, way back in the book of Judges, in the Old Testament, in the days of a somewhat reluctant servant of the Lord by the name of Gideon. Judges chapter 6 is the chapter, and verse 24 is the specific verse location. At a time of great crisis and extreme danger and distress, both nationally and personally, for this man Gideon, the Lord speaks to His servant these calming words of assurance: “Peace be with you… Do not fear, you shall not die…” (Judges 6:23). Peace, what does that word mean to you? What thoughts, ideas, images, does it conjure up in your mind? How about things like tranquility, instead of turmoil? How about harmony, in place of hostility? How about rest, instead of war? Many years later, the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of Someone whose names would be “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father” and, perhaps best of all, this Coming One would be known as the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah9:6-7). But, exactly how is it that this Coming One, whose name, by the way, is the Lord Jesus Christ, how is it that He is and will be our peace? Please find Ephesians 2:11-22 – This chapter that beings by describing the hopeless and helpless spiritual condition of every man, woman and young person outside of Jesus Christ, “Dead in trespasses and sins”, following the leading of the spirit of the prince of darkness, by nature objects of God’s righteous wrath; what is it that the Coming One, Jesus, does for us, is for us, so as to become our Peace?

Ephesians 2:11-22, “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

This morning, and really, if I stop and think about it, every morning of every day, I am thankful for Jehovah Shalom, my peace!

Thirdly, I thank God for the fact that He is my righteousness. This past week, in preparation for our family trip later this week, my sons and I spent considerable time preparing our old chariot for the trip. And, Ladies’, if you’re a neat-nick, if you’re Suzy housekeeper, with everything in your home spic and span, clean and shiny, listen, ladies’ don’t invite us over after a few hours of crawling around under a greasy old car! Yuck! Put those clothes and hand rags in the trash, right? Do you know something? Before an eternally, and infinitely Holy God, when it comes to my own righteousness, my own in-and-of-myself-moral-goodness, yuck! That’s a good word for it! Yuck! Isaiah the prophet put it like this: “All our righteousness are a filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6)

But, listen, what is Jehovah, my God, to me? What has He done for me? What has He given to me in His Son Jesus Christ? One of the most succinct answers to that series of questions is found in the first letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 – In a context that has everything to do with the power of God, and the wisdom of God, displayed for all to see, right there, at the Cross of Jesus Christ. In a context where Paul reminds us that even God’s so called ‘foolishness’ is wiser than the best of man’s wisdom, and that god’s so-called ‘weakness’ is far more powerful than all of man’s might! Listen to what the apostle Paul writes about our righteousness, Jehovah Tsidkenu.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

I can’t glory in God’s presence, I can’t – I dare not – boast before my Maker, my God, and neither should you. Why? Because: “Of Him we are in Christ Jesus…” Because: “[He has] become for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”. Why? So that “no flesh should glory in His presence, yes. But also, so that those who do glory, we who do give thanks, might do so in the right direction, to Him, in Him!

Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is my peace. Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord is my righteousness. Jehovah Roi, the Lord is my shepherd. There’s one more from this group of fifteen that I’ll mention quickly before we close. Jehovah Shama, the Lord who is there. Ezekiel 48:35 is the passage, if you’d like to look it up. The same God who makes me lie down in green pastures, and leads me besides still waters, my Shepherd, where is He, when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death? Have you been there before? Is that where you are now? There’s no place darker, more dangerous and discouraging than that place. Your shepherd, my shepherd, where is He when we walk through that valley?

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” Jehovah Shama, the Always-There-For-Me God, in that valley, deep and dark and dreary, full of danger and depression, that’s where He is! Jehovah Shama, He is the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is our very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is the God whose words, “I will never leave you or forsake you…” mean something.

Jehovah Shama, Jehovah Roi, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shalom. This Thanksgiving season, and every day of our lives, if you know the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the King of kings, ultimately, you find yourself praising Him, thanking Him. Do so with me, will you?