A Living Sacrifice

Good afternoon to all of you. It's good to be here. Appreciate the ABC choir and getting a chance to go out with them. I teach them finance all week long, and I get a chance to shoot at them spiritually today. It's good to see so many of you. Vernon and DeLee Hardgrove. I was a little kid when I first met them. And then I see Roy and Michelle back there, and I taught them in Ambassador years ago.

And then I get the ABC kids now. I'm getting older. I just can't afford that. Aren't we all? It's good to be here, among God's people. Every time we go through different challenges, you always look around and you think, am I the only one? And you see a few more. And as we go through the various tests in life, we see some of us manage to go through it. And I think God is definitely testing us from every direction to see if we truly have Christ as our King and God as our Father and serve Him forever.

I'll just start my sermon today by quoting Romans 12.1. I'm going to read the one verse there. So you don't need to turn to it. You probably memorize it. It's on the Scripture cards. It's interesting that Paul starts Romans 12 with, We're supposed to be a living sacrifice. It's interesting because oftentimes our Christianity can be very intense.

I'd like to turn to Luke 22 and read, starting in verse 40, something we read some of this at the Passover recently. But as we prepare for Pentecost and we imagine ourselves, I can imagine what the disciples thought after Christ was killed and the turmoil they were going through and what they were yet to have to do. Believing, but yet not believing in some ways. At this time of year, we think about the death and sacrifice of our Christ, of our Messiah.

In Luke 22, verse 40, it says, He's about to go pray to prepare for what he has to go through the sacrifice, and he thinks of them before he goes up to pray. Verse 41, he continues, Verse 43, It's in a very intense moment for him, knowing what next 24 hours you're going to bring. In verse 45 again, it says, And he, in this intense moment, thought of them once again. What would happen after he was gone?

He was worried about his own disciples as he was about to die. Most of us would probably be thinking about ourselves if we knew we were facing incredible pain and torture to the point where he sweated blood. I've never sweated blood before. There was a time when I came close at one point. The year was 1980. It was a day not unlike many other days at that time. I was flying on the G2 with Mr. Armstrong. My wife had just begun flying at that time. And it was interesting because we were in a strange country, in a strange language, with different people that we didn't know.

It was a dry season. Normally it was a monsoon climate in this area we were at. And French was their main language along with several African native tongues. English wasn't their native tongue, although you kind of get by with broken English. We stayed in a hotel that was comfortable in some ways, although by Western standards it was still pretty backwards. We were in the Ivory Coast. This was once a French colony.

In fact, Abigail, the capital, which is where we stayed, was the third largest French-speaking city in the world. It's about three million people at the time. Now it has over five million people. It was a wonderful place to be. It was an important seaport, a center of culture. You could get almost anything through Abigail. And I knew that they had a special market there where you could bargain. And since I didn't make much money, I learned to barter. And I wanted to buy some different things that they had there.

They had some wonderful places. The most famous place is called the Plateau Market. It's in the economic district of Abigail. And I wanted to go there. And so I asked the concierge of the hotel. I asked about going to the Plateau Market and where it was. And he said to me, are you going alone? I said, no, I'm planning to take my wife.

He said, oh, be very careful. I said, why? He said, well, there's a big slave trade for women here. Now, a lesser man probably would have not gone with his wife. And Michelle was beautiful, and it did make me think about whether I should go. But I would hold on to her hand and keep her close by me. And I'm sure she wondered why I was so close, that whole visit that we made to the market.

Because she hadn't heard the concierge and didn't know that he had said this to me. So it was interesting. We went down to the market, and sure enough, it was very crowded, and there were lots of people there and different things. And it was fascinating to look at the carved ebony and ivory and all the different lapis lazuli and the stones and precious things.

And also, I had some different unusual paintings, some of which are hanging in my home. I have some butterfly wing paintings. When you look at it, it looks like a picture, but when you get closer, you can see it's made out of butterfly wings. And we bought a few of those to bring back with us. Michelle and I went through the market, and it was interesting seeing these people that weren't very educated, and there were a lot of idols and things carved. And what's interesting was a mixture of Christianity and witchcraft and Islam and various things.

And you see some people go by and kind of bow to all the gods. They want to cover all their bases so that they don't miss one, kind of like the unknown god of Paul when he talks about being in Athens. Our visit was uneventful in the sense that nobody tried to kidnap my wife, and so we got back to the hotel, and it was fun. And we enjoyed it. We were leaving the next day, and we packed our luggage, and my job had always been to take care of the luggage on the plane.

All the luggage. The passengers didn't necessarily like to be bothered with luggage, so I always carried 70 pieces with me, and nobody else had carried any. And I always prayed that they didn't have contraband in there because I'd be the one in jail. But it was interesting because my wife was now with me and helping out as stewardess and secretary.

And so we pulled the luggage down the next morning to leave, just as we'd normally done. And I was inside a van that was carrying the luggage, loading it up on a bus, and they were putting all the pieces in. I was loading them, and Michelle was outside watching. And then the bell captain signaled that that was the last piece, and the driver shut the door and started driving off. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except my wife was still at the curb and wasn't in the van.

And so I yelled, ìAreté! Areté!î which, French for ìstop.î I knew enough French to get the bus to stop. And as I did that, I looked back and saw my wife grabbed by that arm, put into a taxi, which turned toward us and then bit a U-turn and went the opposite direction.

That trip to the airport for me was pure misery because it was ìI wonder what had happened? Hadn't you been kidnapped?î And as they went the opposite direction, there's nothing I could do. I was helpless. And I was prepared at that point to spend the rest of my life searching for her across Africa or wherever it might be.

It was about an hour and a half ride that I had to go through this torment, thinking, ìWhat would happen?î It was intense. Would I ever find her? What would happen?

It's interesting. Christ's death was a horrendous sacrifice for all of us, excruciating event for Him. Yet, in reality, it was the pinnacle of a long, lifelong sacrifice.

It was interesting. He knew what he'd have to go through. It's nice to read Isaiah 53, again, another one that we read of Passover oftentimes. What did Jesus really give up? He knew these verses.

And He had been a sacrifice all His life in many ways.

Isaiah 53. Verse 2, ìHe shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and a root out of dry ground. He has no form or commonness, and when we will see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. No special beauty, nothing that would make Him stand out. î Which is interesting in a world today, having traveled and seen the gods of this world, especially in Europe, Athena and Zeus and all these muscular men and beautiful women. That's the way the world's gods are. Verse 3 is ìDespise and reject it of men, a man with sorrows, acquainted with grief, and we hid it as it were our faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. The religious leaders, of course, had jealousy and hated Him to the point of killing Him. And even those who loved Him deserved Him at the last minute.

Verse 4, ìSurely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem Him stricken, spitting of God and afflicted. None of this was His fault.î Of course, in the world today, if someone suffers, they usually say, ìWell, He probably deserved it, or bad things happened. They'd wipe it off in some way, but He didn't deserve any of it. He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes were healed. All these things that He was fulfilling by sacrificing Himself. And Jesus, the whole time He was on earth, knew this was Him. That this verse was talking about, He quoted Isaiah consistently. And all we like sheep have gone astray. Yes, we've all sinned. We've all gone astray at one point or another. Turned our own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He suffered our punishment. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. No complaints. Yet through our lives, we tend to want to complain. We want everyone to know what our pain is, the wrongs that are done to us. But He didn't. He didn't open His mouth. The Mercedes was taken from prison and from judgment. Who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of My people, He was stricken. Yeah. 33. A young man. Who wants to die young?

And He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich His death. He has done no violence. Neither was any deceit in His mouth. Not a single word or anything wrong. And indeed, that prophecy was fulfilled with the thief on each side in the rich man's tomb. In verse 10, it's interesting, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief. When you shall make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed. He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper. Why did it please Him? Verse 11. Because He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many. For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide with Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong. Because He has poured out His own soul to death, He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bared the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Christ was the epitome of Romans 12.1, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Yet He looked like a normal person. And we're supposed to be like Him, and do what He did. Have the faith that He had. Have His mind. And if so, we'll have some of the same problems in life that He had. We don't all know exactly what we'll go through. I certainly didn't know when I got baptized, or even before when I was in the Pur'el. For the most part, like Him, we're not beautiful to be desired and looked at. And even a few of you may be young and beautiful, but eventually you'll start sagging and aging, and it'll go away. That's what happens. We can call it mature and distinguished, but like my son says, Dad, you're just getting old. And we are. But then there's always people older than you, like the hard girls, and they always make you feel younger.

Until the last group goes, you always feel young. Then all of a sudden you become somebody to make somebody else feel younger, which is a good thing in itself. Turn to 1 Peter 2 if you would. As we near the end, some Christians, perhaps some of us alive now, are going to face some of the things, be falsely accused, perhaps even die. And that's what the apostles faced. Will we be any different? Our reward is similar. And there's, we're going to be in the kingdom of God. 1 Peter 2 and verse 19, For this is a grace, if we're conscious toward God, anyone endures grief, suffering wrongfully. That's interesting, a type of grace. We only have one life to be a living sacrifice, to be like Jesus, pleasing to God. Verse 20, For what glory is it if you patiently endure while sinning and being buffeted? Yeah, if you're doing something wrong, you expect it. Always happens. But if you suffer while doing good, and patiently endure, this is a grace from God. Do we suffer falsely, with humility, like Christ did, not being angry, not seeking revenge, not causing division, not marshalling our troops, to make things right for our cause, when it's not really our position to do that? Do we get others emotionally involved with what we consider our wrongs and harm them spiritually? I've seen all those things happen. Verse 21, For were you not called to this, suffering and accusation? Do you not expect that since Christ had it? For Christ also suffered on our behalf, leaving us an example that you should follow in His steps. Who did no sin, nor was Galf found in His mouth? Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return? When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously?

Letting God judge each of us. I have to fix me. You have to fix you. We do make judgments on how our behavior is and who we'll be with. But God is the one who judges.

Again, verse 24, He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sin we might live to righteousness.

To put sin out, you have to put righteousness in to take its place. By whose stripes are healed? We may even be put to death, as earlier Christians were. That is a sacrifice being put to death, but not a living sacrifice. It's a terminal one. But that gets us to God, if we've been a living sacrifice during our lifetime.

And we will be despised, perhaps, at times by our belief in God and what we do. And we cannot supply what Christ did by our death. Obviously, we cannot die for other sins. But we are here to serve others, not to be served. And we know we're to lay our burdens on Christ. He tells us to do that. But sometimes He allows us to help carry other people's burdens, help others feel better. I know my job when I worked for Mr. Armstrong was to make his job easier, to make him feel better. The articles I wrote actually started writing it for him. He got discouraged sometimes. When I'd write the articles, he'd say, wow, we did a lot, didn't we? The times he did, he did enough. Yet, at 92 years old, we did nine countries in 24 days. It was amazing for him to not think we did enough when we did so much. But all of us feel that way at times. We're not doing enough.

But we can help other people by giving our time, giving money, our service, certainly our prayers, which is the most important thing we give to each other. And we have examples of those facing trials today. You know, Daniel Shadrach, Bishak, Abednego, Josiah, all the people of old, young and old, are still around. They're still here. We don't necessarily think of it that way. But I always hear the stories of people when I go travel that have gone through various things. I think of the young lady in the Philippines, I believe she was 16, who kept the feast. She was in a private school, and they didn't want her to keep the feast. And they actually, when she took the days off, brought her out in front of the whole school. Not sure what kind of auditorium, but some of this, and caned her in front of the whole student body for her beliefs. Interesting enough, the student body didn't see it necessarily as a just thing, and she actually gained more status, and people started asking about her beliefs because of that incident. There are others. The Women's Weekend, I was told about a young lady, a daughter of one of our members, who was a star on their volleyball team. They went to state. They played in the things, and they made it to the finals. And at 16 minutes after the hour, she walked off the volleyball court on Friday night because it was sundown.

Her team was ahead. They ended up losing. It's an example. It's difficult. She took a lot of flak for it. It often happens. My own daughter took a lot of flak in her therapy program. It was a group of 20-some that went through a program together in physical therapy. And the teacher, when she gave her her classwork, first semester was funny because in the final exam, for the first semester, it was so difficult that the teacher put a whole bunch of extra credit questions on there so they could get extra points to make sure they passed. And the extra credit questions were, fill in the blanks to Christmas carols, which my daughter didn't know any of them, because we'd never listened to them. And I was really upset, like a father should be, and wrote a nasty letter, which my daughter would not let me send. When she wrote a real nice note to the teacher saying she didn't think it was right to do that. And the teacher wrote back with their very common songs, and I'm sure everybody knows them, and I was going to write a bunch of Jewish common songs and let her fill in the blanks to see if she knew them. But again, my daughter wouldn't let me do that either.

But it was interesting because the other students saw it, and they noticed it, and her second year, in first semester, they gave a project, and it was going to come due, and it was going to fall on a holiday again. My daughter went to the teacher and said, I won't be here to do that. I can't do it that day. The teacher said, well, take a zero. That's it. And so she was willing to, but the other students in the group saw it and heard it. They went to the teacher and they said, if she gets a zero, we get a zero. We're not coming either. So the teacher changed it because the whole class supported her. Which is surprising. You know, we can do things like that. Set examples. It may look like a sacrifice, but what does that sacrifice do? Even when Christ's death, the Roman soldier, this must have been the Son of God because he saw all the things happen. The sky turns dark, the earthquakes and things happen. Our sacrifices, our witnesses, and being a living sacrifice may be difficult, but it helps a lot of people. We will be tested. We'll face our own trials in our relationship with God. And sometimes we may learn from our failures. At times when we didn't do something we should have done. At times when we should have helped. God has to know that our character is set for eternity.

That's what he has to know. Eternity. That you'll always trust God no matter what. Whether he explains what he's doing or doesn't explain what he's doing.

It's interesting. One of the evangelists of years ago was casting out a demon. And asking a question before he cast it out, he said, Why did you rebel against God's perfect government?

And the demon speaking through the man said, Because God wasn't fair.

What was it that wasn't fair? What was it to Satan that he didn't think it was fair? If we look at his failing, I think we can understand some of that. I'm going to turn to Ezekiel 28 and then Isaiah 14, two of the chapters that talk about, his fall.

Ezekiel 28, 12 talks about lifting up a lament of the king of Tyre. People may think that's the literal king of Tyre, but the following verses show that it's not.

So says the Lord Jehovah, You seal up the measure full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. My little person, human, seals up full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. And in verse 13 of Ezekiel 28, You have been an Eden, the garden of God. Certainly no king of Tyre was an Eden, only Adam and Eve, for they were cast out. Every precious stone was recovering. The ruby, the topaz, the diamond, the barrel, the onyx, the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, the emerald, and the gold.

He was beautiful. The workmanship of your tambourines and your flutes was prepared in you in the day that you were created. He had the look. He had the voice. He had it all, in that sense. You were the anointed carob that covers. I had put you into the holy height of God where you were, and you have walked up and down the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you.

Perfect, till iniquity was found in him. What was it that he didn't think was fair? It caused him to sin. By the multitude of your goods, they filled your midst with violence. Was it about things, position, places? You have sinned, so I have cast you down from the height of God. Isaiah 14, parallel story to this, we turn to Isaiah 14. Satan seemed to have it all, materially, but it wasn't enough. Isaiah 14, 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations? For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the Most High, or better rendering, I will be. The Most High. I can be in charge. With Satan, it was about I. When I look at Christ and His talk, His working with people and His prayers, it was mostly about us, not Him. How many times did He say to God the Father, protect them, keep them, give them Your love for each other? Turn to John 13. I'm going to skip and read a few verses that are often read at Passover. Is your attitude toward Christianity about you or about others? Abigail, for me, it was not an unwilling sacrifice for me to chase after my wife. We are the bride of Christ, and He was doing this for His church, for His Father and for the plan of salvation. It was about others. God picked you, He wanted you. I had picked Michelle. In Abigail, I wanted her back.

John 13, verse 34, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. I have loved you, you should love one another. Your relationship with each other. And by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love, one for another. We really show that love, serving each other. Turn to John 14, verse 13, Whatsoever you ask in my name, I will do. Who? For you. For them. For us. So that my Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I'll do it. For you.

If you love me, keep my commandments. Keeping God's commandments is your proof of your love to Him.

And then He promises the Comforter to them. The Holy Spirit is going to come.

Verse 19, Yet a little while the world does not see me anymore, but you see me because I live, you will live also. You wanted them to live, to be with Him. Verse 21, He who has my commandments and keeps them. He it is who loves me, and he who loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love Him and reveal myself to Him. Because we love Him, God reveals Himself to us. You know, my son, my daughter, my son especially, guys don't tend to walk around saying, I love you very much. But it's interesting because my son, for the most part, did things well. He didn't go around stealing things. He didn't get into drugs. He didn't, you know, get anybody pregnant or do anything like that. He followed the things that we taught. It's interesting because he did those things. I know he loves me. That's why I taught him. Now, if he'd have gone and done drugs and said, Oh, Dad, I love you. Gotta smash windows. Oh, Dad, I love you. Gotta have been a moral. Oh, Dad, I love you. It's just words. It wouldn't mean anything. If our obedience to God really proves our love, the obedience to the commandments, James writes, Show me your faith without your works. I'll show you my faith by my works. I would say, Show me your love without obedience. I'll show you my love by obedience. All of you in here that are parents understand that. It's what you do that shows that love. You're proof. And we have those commandments. Verse 23, Jesus answered and said to him, A man loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He who doesn't love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the fathers who sent me. Christ gave us God's words. Verse 27, Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you. Yet we look at sometimes it doesn't seem so peaceful, because the peace is internal, because we know the future, because being a living sacrifice and pleasing to God is internal.

It's wonderful. And over and over, John 15, 12, this is my commandment, that you love one another as I've loved you. It boils down to what is our relationship with each other, with God, with Christ, with each other. The sermon was about things, material, power, very different. It's interesting. We look at Peter, Peter who denied Christ three times, and all the other disciples ran away when they tried to solve it their own way, when they took Christ. But it's interesting, in John 21, a few pages over, verse 14, it shows how it's three times that Christ had come to see them, and revealed Himself to them, being risen. Verse 15, John 21, Then when they broke fast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jodah, do you love me more than these? He said, yes, Lord, do you know that I love you? He said, feed my lambs. He said a second time, Simon, son of Jodah, do you love me? He said, yes, Lord, do you know I love you? He said, feed my sheep. He said a third time, Simon, son of Jodah, do you love me? And Peter was grieved because he said it a third time. And I'm sure he thought of the three times he denied Him before. Do you love me? He said, Lord, do you know all things? You know I love you? And he said, feed my sheep. Feeding is more than just preaching at people. Christ preached, but He also healed. He comforted. He fed. He had compassion and love. When you truly love, you're willing to serve. Just as I was willing to go across Africa for my wife. Even die for someone. When I look at the 60 years of my history in this world, and my history in the church, from all that I can remember, I've seen a lot of men who were here to feed the sheep, to nourish and unify. And sadly, I've seen many of them leave and divide and split and harm the sheep.

And every time I've ever seen a split, I've always heard it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

But look at that statement itself. Is that statement selfish or selfless? It isn't fair.

Is it give or is it get?

Does it show a willingness to suffer wrong? Does it show a trusting of God to work things out in a relationship with Him? Let Him solve it? Was it fair to crucify Jesus Christ?

Was it fair for James to be beheaded? Things that don't seem fair. Our mind has to be willing to do whatever it takes, and to understand what God's purpose is. Turn to Genesis 22, if you would. Was it fair to ask Abraham to offer Isaac?

After waiting decades for a child. Genesis 22, verse 1. Came to pass after these things, God did prove Abraham. If He proved Abraham, He'll prove you and He'll prove me. Because He wants to find whether iniquity will be found in us, or whether He'll trust God.

Verse 2. Take your son, your only son whom you love, even Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering of the His father said, Here I am, son. He said, Behold the fire in the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? He had seen his father offer offerings before, and there was always an animal involved. Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for the burnt offering, my son, until they went together. They came to the place which God told him, verse 9, Abraham built the altar there, laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Interesting. It doesn't say Isaac fought him. Isaac was probably pretty strong, and Abraham was pretty old. Isaac seemed to be willing to be sacrificed. He seemed to trust his father, as his father trusted God his father.

In our baptism, what did our commitment mean? Was it hollow? He said, We're willing to do whatever. Abraham stretched forth his hand, took the knife to slay him, and of course, the angel stopped him. He said, Don't do it. Why? Verse 12, For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son. It was a lifetime of Abraham's obedience leading to this. God could have said, Now I know when he first called him, and he left his family or the Chaldees and moved. He could have said it when he was with his wife and when the armies took a lot, and he went after and captured them, and he met with Melchizedek. He could have said it after he had a son waiting for him. Often we see fruits on a short-term basis instead of a lifetime, and God wants to know for a lifetime, How are you going to react? How will it be? Verse 15, The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said, By myself I have sworn, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, in blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, as the sand upon the seashore. Your seed shall facilitate the gates of its enemies, and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. Certainly, Christ, his seed, is the greatest blessing we've ever had.

But at the same time, are we not the firstfruits of God? Are we not a blessing as well?

Isn't there a physical parallel to Abraham? Turn to Zechariah 8.

Will not the nations of the earth be blessed because of our obedience as firstfruits? Certainly not in any way like Christ's blessing, but nonetheless a blessing.

Zechariah 8, verse 16. What must we do? These are the things you shall do. Verse 16, Zechariah 8. Speak you every man the truth with his neighbor.

Do we always hear the truth? Or do we hear a lot of gossip and rumors and lies and things? I've witnessed a lot of that. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.

Verse 17. Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor.

Begins in the heart, becomes action. And love no false oath.

For all these things I hate, says the Lord.

Verse 23, dropping down, it says, Thus says the Lord a host, and those days the shall come to pass. The ten men shall take hold out of the languages of the nations. Even take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Certainly God is with us. Eventually people will want to talk to you, to ask what you went through, to ask what God's ways are. You can be a blessing to them as well. Christ knew what he had to do for humanity. He knew his whole life what he would have to do. His disciples didn't. To them, that Passover was a normal time. They had done it three times, three years before, two years before, one year before.

And it was normal. What did they think when they took Jesus away? They said they wouldn't desert him, and certainly Peter tried not to because he took the sword and cut off the ear of the soldier. And Christ told him, Peter, he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Put the ear up, put it on the man, healed him, put it right back. I often wonder if that person became a convert later. I think that would get your attention. Someone cut your ear off and just somebody else put it back on. You'd think, hmm, there's something special here. Especially the one that says, he that has an ear, let him hear. That would even mean more.

But the disciples, they wanted to do it their way. When they couldn't do it their way, they ran. How many people today want to do things their way?

When they don't, they run off and do something else, sadly.

They fought, but they were stopped, and they felt helpless and ran away. Christ died for the ungodly, Romans 5.

It's interesting. Verse 6, Romans 5, For when they get without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. He died for us because we sinned. Verse 7, For scarcely for a righteous man one will die, Yet, peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commends his love toward us. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. Now, hopefully that is becoming more like former sinners, who are getting better, closer to God, daily.

Turn to John 4, if you would. I'd like to look at how Christ approached one relationship. Because we have relationships, and we meet people, relationships with each other, relationships with the world.

John 4 is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Now, here's a Samaritan woman.

She had some problems.

It's interesting because Christ started his conversation with this woman with, Give me a drink of water.

Now, I've never started a conversion session with, Give me a drink of water.

But it's interesting because the Samaritan is kind of looking around and wondering, Wait a minute. You're a Jew. You're talking to me. I'm a Samaritan. Why are you talking to me? You're not supposed to be talking to me.

The Jews don't do that.

But Christ, this always broke protocol because it wasn't sin. It was relationships with people. We're all people.

And he said to her, Where's your husband?

And she says, I don't have a husband. He says, You're right. You don't have a husband. You've had five husbands, and the one you're living with now is not your husband. Oh, wow! You know, if someone kept you and told you your sins, you'd think you'd never met him before. You'd probably think it was something special.

Why did he ask where's her husband? She was at the well in the middle of the day. You know, normally in the old world, the wives would go down and get water from the well to bring back, but they would go together in the morning because it wasn't always safe where the wells were. There might be some trouble there. And so, probably a husband would go along if you were going the middle of the day, but she was by herself. Could it be that she was an outcast in the community as well? I mean, how would you look on someone who had five husbands and is living with a guy now? I mean, that obviously wouldn't talk to her. And you wouldn't want to go down the well with her.

She was probably an outcast in her own group, despised by the community.

And yet, Christ, when He talked to her, He didn't rant and rail on her, and You pagan sinner, You.

He asked for a drink of water. He told her about her story, and He said, If you drank what I have to give you, you could live forever.

Verse 25 will drop down a little in the story after He told her these things.

The woman said to him, I know the Messiah is coming, which is called Christ. When He has come, He will tell us all things. And Jesus said to her, I that speak to you am He. I am Christ.

Pretty clear.

Verse 27, His disciples come along, and marveled that He talked with the woman. Why would you talk to this woman? This Samaritan? This person?

They hadn't learned true Christianity yet. But no man said, Why seek you? Or, Why are you talking with her? They do that. Better not to say anything.

When the woman laughed at her waterpot, went to the city, and said to the man, Come and see the man which told me everything I did. Isn't this the Christ? Anybody who could tell you everything you've done?

She was, she believed it.

She was impressed.

Do we react badly to the despised of this world, to the ugly, to the unacceptable?

Turn to 1 Corinthians 1.

Christ died for the weak, for the despised. For the different, the unkempt, the distasteful. He spent time with the lame, and the deaf, the blind, the sinners, the lepers.

Why? Because God's calling wasn't given because of earthly positions, and power, and beauty.

Verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren. Not many wise men after the flesh. Not many mighty. Not many noble or called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. Yeah. Some of us. Chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. Yeah. The base things of the world, the things which are despised, God has chosen. The things which are not to bring to naught, the things that are.

Why? Verse 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence.

When things aren't fair, it's about self-glory.

Getting what you think is right for yours. But is that for you to decide or for God?

Verse 30. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom. Do we have wisdom? Where did it come from? Then righteousness. Where does it come from? Sanctification. Redemption. God does it. Even when we have success, it's him. Yes, we have to do it as if we're doing it ourselves. Realizing he's the one.

Thus is written, he that glories let him glory in the Lord. Glory in God.

James 2 repeats a similar statement. Shows a problem they had in the church then, which can come in at any time. And I'm sure has throughout human history. James 2, verse 5. He hearken my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of the world, rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Verse 6, though, but you have despised the poor.

Some of them weren't doing what they were supposed to. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme the name by which you are called? If you do those things, if you fulfill the royal law according to Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Then you will do well. But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

We can assault the heirs of God's kingdom by neglecting or overlooking those who need help, people among us. Are we indeed a living sacrifice helping as Christ did?

Are we a family because of God's Spirit?

Sure, it may be difficult to converse with some in some places. There may be language barriers, cultural barriers, and we may not be used to it. And oftentimes, we're tainted with human judgment.

Sometimes you want to be with the in-crowd instead of with the regular people or the people that are your regular that need help.

If you do that, you're not seeing as Christ did.

1 Corinthians 12.

We should be treating everyone fairly. All if we mature spiritually. If we keep our eyes on relationships, true relationships of love, like Christ and God have.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about the less honorable parts.

And again, there are beautiful parts, beautiful people. Verse 22, Nay, much more the members of the body, which seem more feeble, are necessary. And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow abundant honor. And our uncomplicated parts have more abundant comunness.

Yeah.

For our comly parts have no need. But God has put the body together, having given more abundant honor to those which was locked.

Yeah, when you think of the body, I'm often glad that God gave us an opening to put food in and another one to let it out. Otherwise, we'd be in big trouble.

Anybody who's been constipated for a while knows that. You just got to push those things out.

And that becomes the most important thing there is, right? It's always the way it is.

God put the body together. All of us are necessary. Everyone has something to offer in the body. Why? Verse 25? That there should be no division in the body.

When we don't treat each other equally, when we show favoritism, we have division.

Dividing the body.

And we don't have the care for one another it says we should have.

When one member suffers, all the members suffer, and when one rejoices, they'll rejoice. Doesn't happen.

Unless you have the love of God.

Verse 27? We are the body of Christ. Members in particular. Each of us.

Now we're told to esteem all people.

It's about relationships.

Flipping us to verse 1.

If there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels of mercies, fulfill you my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and one mind.

Difficult to do. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.

Strive comes because people think things aren't fair. Not willing to humble themselves. But in loneliness of mind, let each esteem the other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man the things of others. Be as concerned for their well-being as they are for your own.

Of course, verse 5, let this mind be in you, which is in Christ Jesus, who comforted the masses, who fed the masses, who helped them, who had concern, who had some referred to the human touch, but it's more the godly touch.

We need to plan our lives around relationships. God's invited all of us that He is called to a special supper. Turn to Luke 14.

The ones who see themselves being treated unfairly, those that are selfish, don't make it to the supper.

If you tell this in verse 12 and 13, don't just call your friends because they can repay you. Call the weak and the others because they can't pay you back.

And your recompense, verse 14, comes at the resurrection of the just. That's when it's a quote-unquote true payback time, how you've lived and sacrificed.

Verse 16, He says to them, a certain man made a great supper and bade many, sent his servants at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come, for all things are now ready, and they are all with one consent, made excuses. First said, I bought some ground. I need to go see it, make sure it's productive. The other one said, I bought some five yoke of auction. I need to prove them, make sure they can plow.

Another one said, I married a wife. I can't come.

They all made excuses. When the call comes, we can't make excuses. When it's time to serve others, we can't make excuses. We find an opportunity. We have to be like Christ and take it.

Are you going to have an excuse? There are no legitimate ones.

So the servant came, verse 21, and showed the Lord these things, and the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go quickly in the streets and the lanes, and bring in the poor, the maim, the halt, the blind.

The servant said, It's done, yet there's more room. And he said, Go to the highways and hedges, and compel them to come, that my house will be filled. For I say to you, none of those which were bitten shall taste to my supper.

Yeah, God calls the weak of the world.

We wouldn't be the first choice we were picking humanly.

But we're invited. You and I?

We have to treat all we can expect. We can't get distracted by the world's measurements. If you do, you'll forget God. If you're not always offering to help, the weak, the lame, the needy, the lonely.

We have to do that. We're invited from many backgrounds.

When I think of my mom, who came from Daybrook, West Virginia, tiny little town, less than 100 people, up in the hollers of West Virginia, and my stepfather, who raised me, came from drain, Oregon. Tiny little place.

And I think of Mr. Lucre, who was possum trot, Tennessee.

People from places like Peebles, Ohio, or Bugtussle, Kentucky, or Todhop, Indiana. Some odd names, perhaps some odd people.

But people that got invited.

And a few city slickers, maybe from Columbus. Who knows?

It's interesting. You know, you die for your country, you get a purple heart. You become a living sacrifice for God, you gain eternity.

Forever. No end to it.

That's why Paul wrote, I reckon the present things of this day are not even comparable.

In Romans 8, verse 18, they're not comparable for the glory that's going to come in each of us. There will be suffering, and there is suffering. But do we see suffering as an honor? A chance to prove we trust God.

That we'll do what Christ did for us.

In Abishan, I felt helpless.

And as I neared the Gulfstream jet after that hour ride, I didn't see the taxi, I didn't see my wife.

And I was sweating.

And I had prepared to not get on board. She wasn't there.

So I ran up the steps before even taking a piece of luggage or anything. And sure enough, she was on board, preparing the plane, smiling, not aware of the distress I had faced.

The taxi had taken her to the airport by a different route. But I'll never forget that helpless feeling that I could do nothing.

And what I was willing to do if necessary. God was not helpless to spare His Son from what He went through because He knew what was needed for salvation.

And He went through with it. Obviously, my wife wasn't kidnapped for the slave trade, and I didn't have to trade from Succas Africa chasing her.

And I thank God for that.

But I do have to chase my Savior wherever He goes, wherever He directs, whatever He asks me to do. You and I belong to Him.

My job was to carry the luggage.

And I got separated from my wife, doing my job. But Christ carries all of our baggage. If we let Him, we may feel separated from Him at times, but He's still there to help us. If we trust Him, if we love Him, if we keep His commandments, if we keep coming out of Egypt, like the last feast, coming out of sin and putting righteousness in.

God doesn't ask you or me to sacrifice our Son physically as He did Abraham with Isaac.

I can't wait to see Christ when He comes to see His smiling face, to be on board His airplane, so to speak, as a metaphor, under His direction in the Kingdom.

But I have to prove myself at every turn to prove from 360 degrees around that I'm not going to change and distrust Him or feel like I was mistreated or feel like it was unfair. Because everything He did to me and He does to you is fair because it makes you into what He wants you to be.

May not be what you think you're going to be. I've never had a job that I thought I would have when I was growing up. Never asked for a job in the church. Well, I've always been pretty much told, do this and did it.

It's interesting the life God gives us. I love all my brothers and sisters around the world. When I come to visit a church, it's like coming home no matter where it is in any place. Because the Spirit of God does bind us. So as we continue now going toward Pentecost, the next beast and beyond, toward God's kingdom, I would ask you to do the same thing that Paul did when he said, brethren, by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

And yes, we may be bruised and battered little, but if it pleases God, it's a blessing. Let's truly love one another by becoming a living sacrifice.