Sermon 1-31-2010

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The Battle for Your Heart
Genesis 2:15-17
Romans 5:18-21
Pastor Todd Buurstra

The battle for your heart. When you think of a battle for your heart you may imagine this. As a child, you’re standing before the cookie jar, when no one is around and the angel says, Mom told you not to take a cookie, but the devil says, Ah, she’s watching her show. She’ll never know. What do you think, she counts the cookies in the jar?! (Well, my mother did.) She won’t trust you if you disobey. Ah, go ahead! Don’t they smell good? It becomes a tug of war in your heart. When we’re older it may not be the cookie jar, it may be whether I report the cash income you give me from a wedding or funeral. Or whether you buy new shoes or donate to Haiti. When is your heart a spiritual battleground? Always, right? The issues just change. To understand this spiritual warfare let’s ask all the normal questions: Why? What? Where? How?

Why is there a battle within? Because God gives us the freedom to reject him. This is amazing when you think about it. If I were the creator of the universe I might try to force you to worship me. Like me, you might do what every dictator does: force the people to yell, Heil Hitler! Force them to call you the Great Leader. Make their TV shows about how the Great Leader is so wonderful to give us food to eat (even though they may be starving), clothes to wear (even though their uniforms might be a little worn), jobs to do (even though the pay might be pennies). But God didn’t do that. God is so free of a need for our love, so secure in the love of the Trinity, that out of God’s freedom from need God could give us freedom to choose.

I mean think of the Garden of Eden. I’ve read and thought about this story literally 100s, if not 1000s, of times and missed an obvious point. Maybe it was my legalistic Dutch Reformed upbringing, but I often thought of God as a judge making sure I lived by the rules. And more than that, that there were a lot of rules: ten commandments, 613 rules. But if you look at the text there was only one rule. They could freely eat of every tree save just one.

And why would God be so free to give us such radical freedom? Read Eldredge’s reason with me, … Love cannot be forced, it must come freely. Remember that lover, parent, child.

Well, then what is the battle within? Here’s where the angel and demon analogy breaks down. A battle between an angel and demon feels almost too equal. The real battle is between a greater and a lesser, even a lover and a hater. God is greater than Satan because only God is infinitely powerful and good. Satan, though more powerful than you, is a finite, fallen

angel. With just a nod of your head God wins the tug of war, hands down. And why would you give Jesus that nod? Because God loves you while Satan hates you. Only one has your back.

God is filled with the jealousy of a wounded lover.

It’s less between a semi-equal angel and demon on your shoulder and more like the battle my friend, Earl, faced. Earl was popular and cool in high school, in the middle of the battle of his life. Many nights Earl would come home drunk. A good night, he thought, was when he didn’t remember what he did. But his mom was always up waiting. As he knelt before the porcelain throne she’d say, Earl, Earl, what are you doing to yourself? Let Jesus help you with your addiction. You see, Earl’s battle was between his mother who loved him and wanted the best for him, and his self-destructive friends. Eventually Earl realized that if he had an ounce of self-respect, it was no contest. He listened to mom, gave his life to Jesus, and got healthy.

Where is the battle within? It’s in every area of life: body, soul and relationships.

It’s in your body. One of you told me recently of the preacher who was trying to get a point across with worms. He put worms in three jars. In one jar he put in a burning cigarette. In the other jar he poured a little alcohol, not to drown, over the worm. And in the third jar he left it clean. Then he took the worm out from the cigarette smoke, dead. Exphyixation. He took the worm out from the alcohol, dead. Inebriation. But the worm in the clean air was as wiggily as ever. So he asked the congregation, What does that tell ya? An old lady from the back piped up, I guess if ya smoke and drink, you won’t get worms! Hm, how was the battle for her body going?

It’s in your soul. Paul contrasts the two sides, the Adam and Christ, in Romans, Some people read this and say, Ah, there’s nothing anyone needs to do because it says here we’re all saved. That would be nice. I wish that the rest of the Bible guaranteed me that my agnostic mother-in-law, for example, was saved. But taken in context with the rest of God’s word I have a choice, and God respects my choice too much to force me into heaven. This guarantees all believers’ salvation, and the rest? We simply don’t know because God won’t bend their will.

It’s in your relationships. I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve tried to force a loved one to love me by begging, manipulating, or ordering. I’ll never forget the story our former elder and counselor, Judy Barry, told about her daughter’s wild, college days. As Judy cried about having to let go and let her daughter make some life-altering, stupid decisions, it’s as if God said, Judy, I know what it’s like to give up a child. I did it on the cross. That’s a hard way to learn that you can’t force love, you can only give it freely, but given freely is the only way it ever returns freely

So lastly, how do we win the battle within? Most simply, make good choices by letting Jesus take the wheel. By turning over our life to Christ, we win the big battle over where we’ll spend eternity. And, we can gradually win all of the littler life battles that happen in body, soul and relationships. It’s funny isn’t it? The only way to win the battle for your heart is to surrender. May you surrender for either the first time, or for the first time today, as we pray.

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Sermon 1-24-2010

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5, John 1:1-5
Sermon: “Pollyanna, Eeyore, or What?” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

Once upon a time, before all time… there was a fellowship, a heroic intimacy, something called the Trinity. A very intriguing start to a theology of the biblical story! From about 500 AD till about 1970 we started theology with the Fall—Sin. In the Discovery Class we plot the Christian life in three movements: Sin, Salvation, and Service. From about 1970 till now we tend to start the biblical story one step back with God’s good creation, before we get into sin, salvation and service. But Eldredge goes back one step more, like the church fathers/ mothers, pre 500, to start the story once upon a time, before all time with a heroic intimacy, the Trinity. Why is the starting so important? Where you start the story determines how you approach life!

Indeed the gospel of John intimates this trinitarian intimacy with Jesus the Word being one with God the Creator, whom Genesis already taught is one with the Spirit. As Meister Eckhart masterfully put it, we are born out of the laughter of the Trinity. As the perfect couple ends the wedding and starts their family with a passionate kiss, so God loved Jesus and the Spirit, before the world came to be. As the wise old couple can read the other’s thoughts from smiles/frowns, so Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God were a complete oneness before we were.

And this is important for how we approach family life because Counselor Eldredge writes children would much rather know that their parents loved each other than that they loved them. It reminds me of that wall hanging I saw in Chris’ house: The most loving thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. I guess Chris, an elder in my Sussex County church, had longed for that from her husband, Deacon Bill. And their family bore witness to its truth. Born in the Appalachians of NJ, Bill got Chris pregnant at 16. (At retirement they’ll celebrate their 50th!) Their first set of kids, Billy and Becky, were born in their pot-smoking, spouse-swapping era. Billy and Becky have always struggled with their own addictions, multiple marriages, etc. Finally, at 40 they’ve rock-climbed their way to stability. Rachel and Sarah were born in Mom and Dad’s 40s, having left the reefer to become Republicans, meanwhile gaining a loving, Christ-centered relationship. Sarah has her Ph.D. in Physical Therapy, has only been married once, actually had her child after marriage, a success! Rachel is about to get married next year, after thriving in college. What a difference! A direct result from knowing that you’re born out of the laughter of the Trinity is to raise your kids out of deep love.

Yet the Bible students among us know that the Jehovah Witnesses are right! There is no mention of the word trinity in the Bible. But its fingerprints are everywhere. Not only are the three equally God, in theological accounting, they only add up to one. But you’re barking up the wrong tree if you try to wrap your finite mind around this infinite mystery. Better to just believe in your soul that eternal love has existed forever, and will exist forever, and let it waft over you into your thinking so it permeates your approach to life. Eternal love.

But if you focus only on eternal love we might have to call you Pollyanna. For a Pollyanna perspective on life is overly optimistic. You know, the sun will come out tomorrow… Pollyanna’s believe that love is all there is. People will melt into love if you smile enough. The Holocaust was basically an accident; there is no tempter devil. There is only love.

Enter Evil in Act II of the Bible story—the traditional starting point of theology giving a very different life perspective. Why is there a parallel creation story to Genesis in John? Because evil disrupted eternal love with sin. So that John’s story is really a recreation story. Jesus is about to enter to save the world. Eldredge tells the story of Lucifer, the captain of heaven’s armies that led the revolt against the Trinity, not out of love, but out of lust for power. Because of Lucifer and his minions evil entered so people hide explosives in their underwear to blow up planes on Christmas. Inexplicable tragedies like the Port au Prince earthquakes happen.

(Actually Bible students, one more thing, though Eldredge has the basic story of fallen angels right, there is no mention of an evil angel named Lucifer in the Bible. If you study the Isaiah 14:12 passage, the name Lucifer should be translated son of dawn, and refers to the King of Babylon. Why do I say this? Because leaving evil nameless, adds to its mystery, and adding to evil’s mystery keeps us on our toes. As Eldredge pens, Life is very confusing if you do not take into account that there is a Villain.) But don’t view life solely from this starting point.

What happens if you start your Bible theology from sin? Then your name is Eeyore. Good Morning, Eeyore. Good morning, if it is a good morning, which I truly doubt. The 7.0 earthquake in Haiti: How could a loving God put so much on a luckless people? No reason to roll up your sleeves. There’s nothing you can do. It’s impossible. The other shoe will fall.

So, how is a Christian to approach life, like Pollyanna, or Eeyore? Like neither. If you start the Christian story with eternal love, and are realistic to acknowledge the entrance of evil, then you realize that eternal love is deeper than evil, so your name is Hope. So Hope, what do you say about Haiti? It’s a tragedy, but we have the opportunity to build it back better—just like we did with the Indonesian tsunami where former Presidents helped us raise $8 B! Two weeks from today we will take a Mission offering for Haiti on Super Bowl Sunday. This donation is unique because it will be a cup of cold water in Christ’s name. Why is that important? Because when you watch the news reports of Haiti’s resiliency what do you see? Voodoo doctors? No, Christians singing, praying, worshiping. Connecting to eternal love in the face of evil because the Christian’s name is…Hope. You can give hope through our Super Bowl Sunday offering.

Service 01-17-2010

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Service: 01/17/2010
Scripture: Matthew 13:31-35
Sermon: “EPIC: The Story God is Telling–Prologue” by Pastor Todd Buurstra

“I wonder what sort of tale we’ve fallen into,” said Frodo to Sam in the Lord of the Rings. Author John Eldredge begins the Prologue to Epic (that we are studying in class, small groups and sermons during our New Spiritual Passion for a New You in the New Year emphasis) with these words.

Counselor Eldredge’s thesis is that we have all fallen into quite a tale, a whopper even, and we won’t be able to make sense of life until we understand the story that God is telling in our lives and in the Bible. Pick up a book/CD in the Fellowship Hall today to help you.

What kind of story have we fallen into? We have all fallen into a story because “life… comes to us the way a story does, scene by scene.” You ask me, How was Japan? I tell you, Well, it would have been fine if we had remembered to review our passports…A story! But thank God, an old one. (Actually Japan was wonderful! I think the best moments were seeing the surprise on the kids’ faces every time they were handed money. The Japanese custom is to give a monetary gift in the new year. A story.)

But this life God has given us is a story, not just because story helps us connect events in an experience, but because story is how we figure things out. Daniel Taylor writes, “Our stories tell us who we are, why we are here, and what we are to do.”
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Service 12-20-2009

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Sermon by Pastor Todd Buurstra

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Service 12-13-2009

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Scripture: Zephaniah 3:17, Philippians 4:4,8-13, John 3:7,13-17
Sermon: “Christmas List”
Pastor Todd Buurstra

I don’t need to tell you that these are tough times. Maybe the toughest times in my half-century. So I find myself feeling down once in a while. Let’s just review the list:

• Unemployment at 10%–just met one of you @ Starbucks to hear about threatened job cuts;
• Two wars: one in which we’re making progress and the other is a quagmire;
• Nuclear Proliferation—the Iranian Republican Guard may gain control over Iran’s bombs
• Dire predictions over the future of the climate in Copenhagen;

And we haven’t even talked about healthcare and national deficits. But, more to the point of when I feel down, and maybe when you do, personal stuff: the challenge of marriage, the insecurities of a job (for me its more my own sense of inadequacy), a kid, an expense…

Anyone need a Prozac yet?! Listing the tough issues in this season puts me in mind of writing a Christmas list-which may correspond to this feces list. But in the midst of another tough time, when Paul was sitting in prison for preaching Jesus, the Spirit inspires him to write Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Always, I guess that means even in tough times, like when rats infest your cell. Why rejoice in tough times?

Sitting in that dark cell, with his closest friends, the rats, Paul got some news, but not very good news. His favorite church, in Philippi, was having conflict. He would expect a troubled church like Corinth to fight, but Philippi? Can’t we all just get along? I imagine that infighting made Paul nervous. Doesn’t nagging conflict do that to you? It’s at least an irritant, like sand in your shoes. I hate slicing through tension. Paul writes…

Then there’s the prophet Zephaniah. Say that name with me. Zephaniah… By 625 BC Judah had lived under the long shadow of Assyria for 50 years. Zephaniah, a prince, had a father and grandfather on Judah’s throne that were just Assyrian puppets. What to do with this fear? How do you deal with your fear of bullies? Z writes…
And lastly there’s John the Baptist. Preaching in hellfire and brimstone style he cries, You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from God’s wrath?! What? What shall we do? they anxiously reply. So wild John confronts their money problems… (vv. 10-14) Don’t you sometimes feel tempted to slip into a morally gray area for more money?

In all these tough problems God’s advice is…but why rejoice in tough times?

John the Baptist tells us of God’s positive purpose for judgment that can be behind tough times. John describes it as a winnowing fork which was used, as you see in the picture, to separate wheat from chaff; i.e., the good stuff to eat from the waste to throw away. The chaff, being mostly fluff, floated away, while the wheat being more substantial fell in a pile. That’s how God uses tough times in our lives. God’s winnowing fork in America’s financial crisis is tossing away the chaff of frivolous spending and settling the substance of savings. God’s winnowing fork this Christmas may mean $50 presents rather than $500 presents to be able to get out of debt. So rejoice in the positive purpose.

Zephaniah gives us the second reason to rejoice in tough times: the positive presence God. Our church planter friends, Carlos and Carmen, were discouraged last meeting that they may have to shut the doors on the Reading church’s daughter church in Lebanon, PA over a conflict. After an hour of agonizing over a tough situation there, we decided to table it one more month to pray for a miracle. After the meeting I went over to my friend to say, I know you are disappointed. Carlos replied like all great overcomers, Yes, but its God’s problem. And God can do miracles. A tough situation isn’t over when the “fat lady sings” because God always has the last word. I related how we struggled with our daughter church Ignite. And now an even bigger group is gathering in a small group The God who is present in our tough times is a positive God. That’s reason to rejoice!

One last reason to rejoice in tough times is provided by Paul from jail. God places positive people around. In Paul’s case a guy by the name of Epaphroditus had brought a care package to Paul from the Philippian church. That warmed the cockles of the old apostle’s heart, giving him reason to rejoice. Have you heard about that young boy who was having surgery to remove a tumor by his eyes that cost him his sight? They asked him before the surgery, while he could still see, What would you like? I’d like to watch USC play football, he replied. So USC team befriended him. When the players come off the field they tap him on the shoulder or give him a hug. Now blind, he beams. What positive people has God put in your life? What a great reason to rejoice!

Those are today’s scriptural reasons to rejoice. Make your own Christmas list of reasons to rejoice in your tough times. Email them to me, if you don’t mind. Amen.

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Service 11-29-2009

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Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31
Sermon: “Setting the Table to Talk About Gay Rights”
Pastor Todd Buurstra
This is a recording of the Contemporary Service (9:15am).

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Service 11-22-2009

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Scripture: Romans 12:14-21
Sermon: “Bullies”
Pastor Todd Buurstra
This is a recording of the Contemporary Service (9:15am).

Ever felt bullied to the point that you threaten violence? (Don’t respond by raising hands.) We live in a violent world. It starts with schoolyard bullies like Randy who spent recess threatening like this, and goes on to include Ms. Willoughby. I mean, think about it:
Though its against policy here, you may feel your arm twisted at church for a good cause.
You may feel pressured at work (bullying) to put in the extra hours that your boss does.
You may feel threatened/bullied at home: If you dare do…I will…

And didn’t the homegrown terrorism at Fort Hood, make us all feel bullied? And so it was appropriate that you asked me: should we be inviting the imam to our Thanksgiving Eve service? After all, don’t they call us INFIDELS, and does this disrespect our troops?
So how does God call us to overcome intimidators?
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Service 11-01-2009

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Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11-20
Sermon: “Abortion”
Pastor Todd Buurstra

This is a recording of the Contemporary Service (9:15am).
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Service 10-25-2009

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Luke 9:10-17
Three Essential Hugs
Pastor Todd Buurstra

This is a recording of the Contemporary Service (9:15am).
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Service 10-11-2009

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Scripture: Proverbs 1:20-33
Sermon: “YES and NO”
Pastor Todd Buurstra

This is a recording of the Traditional Service (10:30am).
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