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Make it Count – Luke 6:12-19

Luke here identifies a period of time when the conflict and tension between Jesus and the religious elite of his day was growing. In verse 11 he notes that the religious leaders were grisly more angry, and “in those days,” describes that Jesus is doing these next things in that context. As the early signs of the end of Jesus’ earthly life are seen, Jesus begins laying the foundation to entrust his ultimate mission to twelve men.

His first response, seeing time is short, is not what most of us would instinctively do. He turns to the Father and prays. Many of us give too little priority to prayer, perhaps because we don’t really believe it impacts us or our world. But throughout Luke, we see Jesus in prayer, especially during times of hardship – here, ahead of his temptation in the wilderness, and before the crucifixion.

So, like Jesus, before we take on the pressures of the world, let’s talk to the Father. We should not be tackling the difficulties of our day before solidifying our relationship with God. Prayer keeps us anchored and tethered to the creator of the world. Prayer should be what we resort to when the pressure is on.

After he prays through the night, Jesus has clarity, and establishes the Twelve Apostles, mirroring the Twelve Tribes. He is establishing a New Israel, what would become the Church. (Paul would eventually be added to this number.)

Notably, none of these men were rabbis, scribes, Pharisees or priests. Instead, they were common men – the most wealthy or “white collar” of them all seems to be Matthew, who was a tax collector and outcast. Possibly they had even been rejected by traditional rabbis as disciples and so had fallen back to the family trades, like fishing. But these are the men Jesus chooses, after prayer, to lead his church.

After making this selection and appointing, Jesus demonstrates for them what His mission is all about. He goes down to a level place, amidst a great crowd, and preaches and heals. But Jesus strategy was to focus on a few people around him, investing in them so that they could invest in others. Within those twelve, the trio of Peter, James & John were even the inner circle, closer to Jesus and brought in deeper.

Jesus would supply these men with everything they needed for this mission – teaching, power, wisdom and much more.

The presence of Judas Iscariot on this list is an interesting conundrum. Did Jesus make a mistake here? No – he trusted the Father’s plan, of which Judas and even his betrayal was a part.

The last thing we can learn from both Jesus and that apostles is that we should turn ourselves toward the father even at death – as Jesus said, “into your hands I commit my spirit.” And of these 12, ten of them would go to a martyr’s death like Jesus would. Andrew was crucified, Peter was a well, upside down. Matthew was assassinated in Ethiopia. James was betrayed by a fellow Christian. Bartholomew was beheaded in India, where Thomas was killed by a spear.

The only disciple to die naturally was John, who lived to as much as 100, but also scarred by persecution and trial.

They all, barring Judas, made their lives count, and in the end turned to the Father. We ourselves won’t likely face martyrdom, but we will all face death, and on that day let’s do as Jesus and His apostles did.

Before you face the world, go to the Father. As you face the world, trust the Father. When you leave the world, turn to the Father.

– Sermon Notes, Andrew Arthur, Hallows Church, Edmonds, WA, March 27, 2022

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Friend of Sinners – Luke 5:27-32

It’s hard to overstate the stigma attached to Levi here as a tax collector of the occupying government. Not only were they seen as traitors for working for the Romans, but they also functioned like loan sharks or moon enforcers. Rabbis writing at the time categorized them along with thieves and murderers. Being with them could leave you ceremonially unclean – an outcast like a leper, but made an outcast by their own sin rather than disease.

But Jesus saw past that social status and even past the sin that drove that status, into the imago Dei that made Levi worthy of love.

It is possible that Levi had heard of Jesus before this, but when presented with the direct call of Christ, he responded by leaving behind his wealth and stability. Following Jesus does cost. Anything that hinders us from following Jesus, that must be left behind.

We see this new way of life play out in verse 29, as Matthew holds a feast for Jesus, but one that pulled in his fellow tax collectors and friends from the outskirts of society. He literally changed his table from the self-focused tax collector’s booth to the table of grace and hospitality.

Importantly, Levi did not cut ties with his previous community – instead, he imitates the work of Christ and brings these other sinners into the presence of Christ. Consider also that fishermen would have been among those abused by these tax collectors, and so the table here also serves as a table of community and reconciliation, as well as a table of mission and grace.

This kind of act is not without consequence – we see here the grumbling and complaining of the Pharisees here. But ultimately, we must be willing for the world, even the religious world, to misunderstand us and judge us. Self-righteousness keeps people out of God’s kingdom in a way that “gross sins” do not. True Christianity is explicitly for the weak, just like Nietzsche accused it of – what he missed was just how weak all of us are.

These themes of feasting and fellowship are found all throughout the Bible, beginning in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve feasted and fellowshipped with God before choosing the wrong table. We see it in the story of the Exodus as the Passover meal becomes a central illustration of God’s mercy. We see this throughout Christ’s ministry in earth, and then beyond as the early church begins built around feasts and fellowship. And we see this coming to pass in the future as well, at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, a picture of the eternal joy and fellowship we are promised in the world to come.

Let us today consider how our tables can be used in the service of this feast and fellowship that Christ calls us to.

– Sermon Notes, Andrew Arthur, Hallows Church, Edmonds, WA, March 13, 2022

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Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit – Matthew 5:1-12

The expectation of the Jewish people was that the Messiah would come to overthrow the Roman government and establish A Jewish kingdom. Jesus came to establish a different kind of kingdom, and during the Beatitudes, he walked through the values of that new kingdom.

Jesus first action in this passage is a differentiator, as he sits down to teach, in contrast with the religious teachers in the synagogue who would stand to teach.

Then he goes on to teach, walking through multiple ways in which people are “blessed” or “happy” – the Greek is makarios, implying a deeper, broader story than material blessings or surface-level happiness. These statements show the potential of what is available to us through Christ.

The first is these may well be the most important, but in some ways the most confusing. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Fundamentally, it means to recognize our own inadequacy – that we are entirely helpless without Christ, and at our core have an absolute need for God.

But we will never depend on something we don’t think we need. Do we understand the depth of our need here? In Revelation, Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea, a church that considered itself rich, but in reality was, in the words of Christ, “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”

What is this poverty and blindness? What are the riches offered by Christ to the poor in spirit? First, without Jesus, we stand condemned by our sin. “The wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through him, we have the assurance of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.

Without Jesus, we can only cope with the tools of the world. Jeremiah wrote of false prophets who assured Jerusalem they would not be destroyed, “they offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wounds, they give assurances of peace when there is no peace.” But Jesus is the prince of peace, and offers more to sooth our pain and hurt than anything the world offers.

Because of Jesus, we have purpose, and a promise of life abundantly, life to the full.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Fullmer, New Life Church, Lynnwood, WA, March 6, 2022

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The Spiritual Practice of Abiding

Spiritual formation is the process of forming the inner world of our lives such that it becomes like the inner life of Christ Himself. Christ’s intention for the church is for it to serve as a remnant and lineage of people formed in this way, for us to be people whose inner lives shine outward with the love of Christ in a way that others see.

This formation, this discipleship is the reason we come together. We see Paul address this in Colossians 1, where he promises that “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

In Galatians 4, Paul compares this to the formation of the child in the womb. Ruth Haley Barton writes, “I cannot transform myself, or anyone else for that matter. What I can do is create the conditions in which spiritual transformation can take place, by developing and maintaining a rhythm of spiritual practices that keep me open and available to God.”

We often want to see this as multi-step linear process within a set timetable, but that is not really how it works. The starting point for our spiritual formation process is to become a disciple of Jesus. We can get a glimpse of this through the beginning of the discipleship of Simon, Andrew and other disciples in John 1, Matthew 4 and Matthew 9.

These are very different cases but very similar beginnings. Whether disciples of another rabbi, fishermen or tax collectors, Jesus simple instruction was clear: “follow me.” Leave what you are doing, and go where I go.

The Greek word for disciple is an apprentice, one that generally lived in the proximity of their master or rabbi, to follow them. They would learn from them and eventually imitate them. Jesus original disciples were directly in this mode.

But they had the incarnate Christ right there. How do we, today, in this place follow Jesus in this way? First, we do have the Word of God, the teachings of Christ, instructions to His church, and the Law and the Prophets that came before. We are to live in community, committing our lives to Christ by way of committing our lives to one another. We have the witness and learning of previous generations.

And most importantly we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The most important step we can take is intentionally moving towards an every increasing awareness and connection to the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit as a helper that would be with us forever. In John 14, he says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

In the next Chapter he speaks in a metaphor of what this looks like – to “abide,” to remain, to live, and specifically in the person of Christ. Jesus gives us access to the safest place we could possibly live in, a place we are created for. We are invited to live in the presence of the Holy Spirit at all times and for all time.

Brother Laurence writes that “the time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess GOD in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament. “

Within our lives, what commonplace activity can at prepare for this week that we can prepare for beforehand when we can practice the act of abiding? When can we acknowledge and be aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit? And is there a new rhythm that would develop a helpful habit of practicing the presence of God during your day?

-Sermon Notes, Brian Eastland, Mosaic Church North, Edmonds, WA, February 13, 2021

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Childhood Revisited – Matthew 19:13-30

Jesus has just been through a fairly intense experience, in conflict with the Pharisees and Saduccees who were trying to blunt his popularity and healing a child who was afflicted with a demon. His disciples were no doubt agitated and on edge – angsty, anxious and bad tempered. When parents come with their children to be blessed, they react badly and rebuke them harshly.

But Jesus keeps his composure, as he always does, and calls out that we all should come as children to him.

Then the rich young ruler comes, asking what good deed he needs to do in order to inherit eternal life. And this time, it’s Jesus who reacts harshly. “Why ask me about what is good?” But he gives him an answer, and Jesus pays lays out the basic commandments. The young man feels secure in his behavior there, so Jesus pushes further – give up everything material and give it to the poor. That’s too much for him and he walks away. We can imagine prayer lamenting the loss of all those resources, but Jesus knew what he was doing.

Jesus had points to make, throughout this story. The first of these is that Jesus receives the humble. When Jesus says we must become like little children, he does not mean innocent or good – we know that kids aren’t really either of those. Children, though, are clearly aware of their dependence on others, and we need to be reminded of our own. We need to remember that we are not omniscient or entirely capable. We are limited in our ability to show goodness and grace. We are ultimately dependent on God for food, sustenance, emotional health and well-being, our relationships and more. The sooner that we acknowledge that, rather than trying to act as if we’re were independent, the sooner we step into the life of faith.

Then, in contrast, we see Jesus interact with the rich young ruler, seeking the magic bullet to guarantee his ticket to heaven. Jesus points him back to the 10 commandments, but he wants the “secret menu.” When Jesus won’t give it to him, he starts to feel good about himself. But Jesus knows his heart, he knows that there is something there that stands in the way of truly following God. “Go become poor for the poor.” And the man walks away, his true value system unmasked.

This is not blanket instruction for all the wealthy – contrast this with Jesus’ interaction with Zaccheus (though note that this, too, resulted in generous giving) – and is ultimately not about wealth. Instead it’s about whatever in our lives and hearts we put before Christ. Just as with the children, we are called to humility.

Jesus follows up with a final point that he shares with his shell-shocked disciples. For those who follow him, he brings extraordinary blessing. The greatest reward, the privilege to walk with Him and see God, he doesn’t even touch on – instead, he meets them in their struggles. Anyone who sacrifices for him will see 100x returns. But it’s a long term investment, and we’re not always good at those.

The key to our journey is humility, rightly ordering our hearts, rightly remembering the promises of the God who will give us “more than we all our imagine.” We are so focused on making our best lives now that we neglect the focus on the life to come. But the key to following Jesus well is to put Him in the place of preeminence.

We in the church know how to talk about loving Jesus but aren’t always good at determining if it’s really true. Jesus call for us today is, as ever, confession and repentance, and a daily commitment to making Him preeminent.

-Sermon Notes, Jeff Sickles, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, January 2, 2022

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Sanctification – Ezekiel 37:23-28

This passage may seem familiar – it’s a reiteration of themes first brought up earlier in the book, but with further developments.

He begins with the assertion that the people of Israel will no longer be defiled by idols – not only representations of pagan deities, but anything that our hearts are likely to put ahead of God, even good things. God promises to, in the fullness of time, remove these temptations from the people of Israel. Likewise, they will be rescued from the backsliding that was the hallmark of their relationship with God since Sinai.

Ezekiel is telling us that the sanctification of God goes beyond the elimination of sin but rather retools things all the way into our minds and hearts.

God makes a covenant promise to bring about this sanctification, as well as to unify the people of Israel and to drive the land to increase its abundance.

But we have hints here that this means more than material blessings – a promise of an everlasting covenant, God’s sanctuary among His people forever. On this side of Christ we see how this covenant is fulfilled in His life, death and resurrection, as well as His body, the Church. We are given all these promises and filled up with all manner of good things. Not all of that itself is fully realized, but one day it will be.

The discussion of the sanctuary among His people is a new addition the Ezekiel’s discussion here, a call back to Moses and the creation of the tabernacle, as well as to the temple of Solomon. These buildings were pictures of God’s presence with His people, but also discrete connection points for His presence and the center of His worship. With the coming of the Holy Spirit, each believer becomes that connection point and that center of worship. And that worship goes far beyond singing, but to all that we do that express the worth of God. His sanctuary is in the midst of us and in the midst of our day to day reality, and He is deserving of all that reality bending towards Him.

This sanctuary picture is the polar opposite of the idolatry from earlier in the passage. Those things we put ahead of God are the things we are called to lay down at the feet of Jesus. A heart of worship, yielding everything in our lives to Him – that is our response to these promises and to their fulfillment in Christ.

But even that response is the work of God, because as Ezekiel states here, He is “the Lord who sanctifies Israel.” Peter puts it this way – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Sickles, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, December 26, 2021

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The Divine Gift – Ezekiel 34:23-31

Every year, there is an annual conference of a summit of Nobel peace prize laureates. They discuss things that can be done to create a more peaceful world. It’s fascinating that this is not reported on more. They give out an award every year to an entertainer who has made an effort towards peace. It’s strange we don’t hear more about this, but the better news is that we know someone even more qualified to speak on the topic of peace.

Ezekiel here calls ahead to the peace brought by the Prince of Peace, the Christ. Ezekiel lays out three key principles regarding this peace.

First, God will appoint a shepherd. The image of shepherd was poignant and powerful to the people of Israel, with its roots in herding going back centuries. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David – all worked as shepherds. Beyond that, God Himself is spoken of as the shepherd of Israel all across the law and prophets, most notably perhaps in psalm 23. The import of the imagery here is difficult for us to grasp in our environment and culture. It may help to consider the more recent image of a cowboy – romanticized, rough and rugged out in the wild, but rough-edged and not always pleasant to be around.

But Ezekiel lays out here that God will appoint a shepherd, a king in the mold of David – the perfect leader who will care for his people. Peter later calls Jesus the “chief shepherd”.

Who we follow is important. We can follow others, follow ourselves, or follow Christ. Who do we go to first, who is our instinct to rely upon?

But God does not stop at supplying a leader – he also supplies abundance and security. No fear of wild animals, abundant crops, plenty of provision and rescue from their enemies. Abundance of security, of prosperity, of freedom. Stephen Covey coined the concepts of the Scarcity Mindset versus the Abundance Mindset – seeing life as a series of investments rather than costs. That is extra-true for us who follow the God of the universe, who owns the cattle on a thousand hills. We have been given life – abundantly! It does not get smaller when we live some of it. When we do grace and righteousness and kindness they do not get smaller, but rather gets bigger.

If we don’t see that, it may be because we spend more time considering what we don’t have rather than what we do have. We should live in the abundance of grace and forgiveness and goodness we are given.

Finally, God restores His presence. “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them.” This is the source of all of the other blessings. What does this presence look like? It looks like Immanuel, God come as the person of Jesus Christ to reconcile His people to Himself. He has made peace so we might be at peace with God.

The people of Israel understood that there was a cost to reconciliation, because they performed sacrifices that clearly painted the picture of the great sacrifice was to come. That cost was the death of the Son, but the result was the presence of God directly with us.

We should pause regularly to appreciate the presence of God. God is with us! God brings the wholeness of shalom – not merely the absence of conflict, but the fullness and goodness and well being we were originally made for.

We can be at this kind of peace because we live every day in the presence of God.

This Christmas, how do we refresh that presence and receive that peace?

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Sickles, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, December 19, 2021

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Sin at Christmas – Ezekiel 16:59-63

A Lifeway survey in 2016 indicated that 67% of Americans believe that they are sinners, but 75% believe that little sins don’t condemn us. Among evangelicals, those numbers were 75% and 53%. Better, but far from ideal. Why are we talking about sins when discussing Christmas? Because to understand the immensity of Christmas we must understand the immensity of salvation, which means we must understand the immensity of what we are being saved from.

Ezekiel here is discussing that very thing here. God has judged the people of Israel for their sins and sent them into captivity. When we begin to make sin insignificant, we open the door to disaster. We can see that in American culture, where we are always seeking others to blame for the choices that we make.

“Whatever became of sin?” The psychiatrist, Karl Menninger – no friend to the church – asked this forty-two years in his book of the same name as he watched the shift of personal responsibility away from the individual. He wrote:

The word ‘sin,’ which seems to have disappeared, was a proud word. It was once a strong word, an ominous and serious word. It described a central point in every civilized human being’s life plan and life style. But the word went away. It has almost disappeared—the word, along with the notion. Why? Doesn’t anyone sin anymore? Doesn’t anyone believe in sin?

Menninger warned that should the concept of sin disappear, so too would the concept of a moral society. We see some of that in the passage here, but we also have the concept here of a covenant.

God was in covenant with the people of Israel – as He is with us today through the work of Christ. He enters into this because of His great love for us. Not because of our own capacity or lovable nature, but because of His person and love.

Ezekiel calls forward to this atonement here, in verse 63 —God Himself will reach into the world and bring His children into the Eternal covenant by covering over their sin.

But if we minimize that sin, we minimize the atonement and we minimize the wonder of God’s grace in that atonement. If we understand the weight of our sin, we understand the incredible grace that we have been given.

Jonathan Edwards is most known for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. But most of his sermons were about grace – why did that Sermon loom so large? Because that clear statement of the horrors of sin and judgement provide the context for the mighty, overwhelming grace that Edwards was so passionate about.

In Dynamics of Spiritual Life, historian Richard Lovelace presents a history of spiritual renewals in light of biblical models. His conclusion is that the unifying thread of revivals across time is a clear understanding of the depth of sin.

Christmas is not small and sentimental, Christmas is robust and strong because Christmas is the inbreaking of God’s love into the darkness of our sin. The wonder of Christmas is the wonder at our salvation from that darkness.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Sickles, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, December 5, 2021

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Hope When the World is Shattered – Ezekiel 17:22-24

597 BC was a bad year. That was the year the temple of God in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and the kingship overthrown. As individualistic Americans it may be difficult to understand the immensity of what this would mean to the Jewish people. Their communal identity was entirely enmeshed with those two institutions, themselves more closely linked than we can truly grasp. Losing both of them in one day would have left the people utterly broken. What hope is there when your world is shattered?

That is the context into which Ezekiel is speaking here, telling the parable of cedar trees – the kings is Judah – and eagles – the kingdoms of Egypt and Babylon. The kings switch their allegiances and are destroyed, a picture of the fickleness of the people themselves, changing their allegiance from the God of their fathers to the idols of the world.

But then Ezekiel speaks to something greater here in verse 22, reminding the people that they are not alone. It’s something greater that calls forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling of the God of Abraham who is with us in all that we do and everywhere we go. We are never alone.

But God is not only present, but He is active. He is the active force in these verses, hammered home at the end – “I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.” All this, in the midst of the destruction of everything that made up the identity of His people, He promises to act, to fulfill the promise that he made to David.

Note that this is God acting and no one else. Often we feel or behave like any change or success is on our shoulders. But even when He is gracious enough to pull us into the work He is doing, the work and responsibility and success is still God’s. He may work quietly and slowly at times, but He is always working and when He brings it to fulfillment, it is amazing. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

This passage also promises more about the nature of the Christ who would come – “Birds of every kind will nest in it.” More birds than only those of Abrahamic descent, but all kinds, from every land. The kingdom to come will be a global kingdom, fast beyond the boundaries of David and Solomon, fulfilling the promise made to Abraham to bless all nations through his line.

Imagine yourself as a bird in the shade of Jesus Christ. We have been made free through Him, made children of God through Him. Looking back, we have the same hope that Ezekiel had when looking ahead.

How do we practice this hope actively? By seeking joy in the midst of suffering. By persisting in prayer. By seeking the peace of God and resting in him. By patiently enduring trials. Through humility on victory. Hope it’s not merely an attitude or emotion, but it is a discipline, and it is a promise.

As Jeremiah wrote around the time of Ezekiel, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for wholeness and not harm, plans to give you a hope and future.'” That hope came in the form of Jesus Christ and is offered to us if we come and shelter ourselves beneath his branches.

– Sermon Notes, Jeff Sickles, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, November 28, 2021

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Meet the Church – Philippians 2:1-11

It is easy for us to take the opportunity provided by church for granted. It is easy to treat our church as a social function, when in reality we are called to a radically relational community in which we are called to make our attitude that of Christ Jesus.

It may seem strange to have an attitude commanded – we see commands as being about outside actions. In reality, God tells us that what he cares most about is in fact the inward parts, the attitude, the thoughts.

Paul wrote this to a group of people he knew well, whose faces he could picture in his mind. He opens with rhetorical questions, each of which he knew his readers could answer strongly in the affirmative.

He then, again appealing to their personal relationship, tells them how to bring him joy – by being unified in their community and ministry.

Paul warns then against rivalry and competition. Those do not build up the body of Christ any more than they can build up a marriage. We are to focus on the needs of others, not ourselves alone. The Christian life is not a solitary mission. We cannot do discipleship alone. We cannot love without involvement with another. Discipleship is built into all our relationships, especially within our families but also in our church body.

It will cost you time, and that’s something we have a hard time giving up. But we are called to be involved in the spiritual needs of others – in fact, it is simply assumed throughout the New Testament.

Paul gives us the model we are to use, though – that of Christ. Despite being equal to the Father, despite being far greater than all of humanity, Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and to the degradations of humanity and a criminal’s death. This is the model we are given for our relationships with others in the church.

We can’t arrive at these concepts truth reason and philosophy, but rather depend upon the revelation of God through Paul, and the life of Christ on earth. This Christological statement walks us through the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, glorification and return of Jesus Christ. These concepts can’t be derived from general revelation, but rather they are the work of the Holy Spirit through the words of Paul as he sought to disciple the church at Philippi.Consider what the Holy Spirit can do through you as you share your own life with the body of Christ!

Look to Christ as the model for fruitful discipleship in the church. Look to the inspired scriptures to continually refresh our theology and our directive to represent Him in our relationships with others.

– Sermon Notes, Steve Morgan, Snohomish Evangelical Free Church, Snohomish, WA, November 14, 2021