Memorial Day

Cornelius stared at him in fear, “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.

Acts 10:4

Our introduction to Cornelius is brief, but strong. He is a centurion. He and his family were devout, God-fearing and generous. One day an angel came to him in a vision. God had heard his prayers and seen his generosity. Specifically, the angel told him that his prayers and gifts had risen up to God as a memorial. God remembered what Cornelius had done. As a result, the angel was there to prepare Cornelius for a visit from the disciple Peter. More importantly, God was preparing Cornelius for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon his family and friends. The significance of this outpouring has echoed through the centuries. Cornelius was a Gentile. Peter was a Jew. Clearly, the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit was not restricted by nation or race. This weekend was “memorial” weekend on our national calendar. On the church calendar it was “Pentecost” Sunday. My reflections on this particular passage in Acts 10 bring those thoughts together. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit that began on Pentecost with the Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem continued in the household of a Gentile whose prayers and deeds had become a memorial to God. It's a great reminder that we do not serve a God who is distant. Our God hears and sees and abides within us.

Who has believed?

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1)

Isaiah 53 contains one of the best known prophetic pictures of Jesus in the Old Testament. Isaiah paints a vivid picture of the Savior. He took up our pain. He bore our suffering. He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was on Him. But Isaiah 53 begins with a question. The description of Jesus is familiar to us and painfully accurate. But it's easy to overlook the prophetic force of the question. After all, it is THE question. Who will believe? Isaiah explains why the question is relevant in context. To all those who would look for the Messiah, be prepared. In hindsight we know that Jesus didn't look like they expected. Jesus didn't act like they expected. Jesus didn't come in the way they expected. His life didn't unfold the way they expected. Certainly, Jesus didn’t die like they expected. Isaiah anticipates the struggle to believe. Seven hundred years later Paul deals with the root issue again.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

The crucified Christ did not fit the expectations of the Jews nor did He fit the desires of the Greeks. What about me? Do I reserve my trust, my belief, based upon whether God fits the mold? What have I expected from God? In fact, have I been guilty of setting up a contingent trust? The prospect of being “disappointed” with God usually indicates that I expect God to be something other than God.  Still, the question hangs in the air. It has lingered for 2,700 years. Yet, I know it must be asked and answered. Who has believed?

Evidence

Just thinking about testimony. In general the word "testimony" brings to mind a legal context...especially a trial. I think that provides a compelling image for life. It is especially compelling when I consider the current crisis in our world. Here's how I would describe the crisis. Jesus said that we are "salt and light" in the world. Jesus was able to assess the conditions of the world with pinpoint accuracy. When he did, he saw that the world needs salt. The world needs light. In other words the world needs the influence of Christ. Jesus ascended to heaven and left us to shine. We are commissioned to share his love, his grace, and his forgiveness. I know this is an oversimplification of the message, but it's a good starting point. So here's the rub. Here's the crisis. Testimony doesn't count for much if it's not credible. According to recent research only 15% of Americans who have a relationship with a Christian say that the notice any difference in that Christian's life. Is the world just blind to the difference Jesus makes? I wish I could explain it away that easily. But, as a pastor, I know better. Picture this. They are shaking the shaker over their food and no salt is coming out. Frustrating? You can't shake out what's not in the shaker. Transformation comes from the inside out. Salt comes from the inside out. If Jesus doesn't saturate my life, how can I expect to be able to saturate the world around me with Jesus? If Jesus is not the most important influence on my character, how can I expect others to recognize the difference He makes?

How far does sound carry?

No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:13 TNIV)

The sound was heard far away. I love those words. It's a great reminder that sound carries farther than we think. Consequently, we should be aware of opportunities that God gives us to celebrate particular blessings and consider the impact of complaining. The echo of our praise or our complaint reaches ears in distant places. Our lives create a lot of noise. Sometimes the sound of our testimony is dissonant. Here’s what I mean by dissonant. We experience God's grace and we taste the promises of God. Yet we lose focus and complain about what might have been. The specific context of Ezra 3 is representative of that dissonance. Miraculously, God had provided for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Once the foundation was complete, some shouted for joy while others wept because the new temple was not going to be as grand as the old. Sometimes our complaints move beyond momentary weeping and become a way of life.  Chronic complaining leads to a bitter life. During those times our focus turns inward. We forget about the blessings of God we have experienced and we forget about our responsibility to make His goodness known. It’s no secret that, too often, our lives become tainted by selfishness. Ezra 3:13 helps redirect our focus toward our testimony. Whether we weep or shout for joy, the sound of our lives carries. 

Jealous God

Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Exodus 34:14

In Bible study this morning, we read Exodus 34:14. It’s one of those verses that tends to break apart in the middle. The first half captures most of our attention and then we pass through the second part rather quickly. After all, the first part has a familiar ring to it. We have read about the command to worship God and God alone several times. You may recall the words “you shall have no other gods before Me” from Exodus 20:3. But, what about the second half of this verse? It makes us a little uncomfortable. We gravitate toward manes of God that make us feel good. But here, God is described as “jealous”. God’s name is “Jealous”. Is that a description or a name of God that receives a lot of attention? How often do you think about the jealousy of God? I’m afraid that it is too easy to dismiss the description as an archaic Old Testament description of the God of Israel. To make matters worse, we tend to think of jealousy in our own terms. Isn’t jealousy something to be avoided? In a sermon he preached nearly one hundred fifty years ago, Charles Spurgeon alluded to this tendency. He stated, “the passion of jealousy in man is usually exercised in an evil manner, but it is not in itself necessarily sinful”. When we study Exodus, we discover that the jealousy of God is a prominent subject. God’s jealousy is intertwined within the context of gross idolatry. Over and over again, His people were warned against making a false god to replace the only true God. So, let’s ask ourselves again, should we be thinking about the jealousy of God today? Of course, our “idols” appear in different forms today, but is idolatry any less prevalent today than it was then? Is God’s name “Jealous” in 2012?