On Sept. 6th, we finished our summer series, "Hot Topics". I spoke on God's fierce anger, doing my best to balance the OT stories of God with the NT stories. We may not like to read about God running out of patience and mercy, but it happens, especially when we continually deny him. We can never forget that God is the same God throughout history and is capable of acting in the same way at any point in history to get our attention.

Difficult Bible passages “God’s fierce anger” 2 Kings 21-23
Intro… reading comics growing up, digging superheros, I like the OT God…
Does God really get angry enough to wreak havoc on humankind?
Jerry Falwell…Katrina…God is God, same in the OT and NT

Text: 2 Kings 21:10-15

A brief background to the books of 1 & 2 Kings…
Originally they were one book. These books trace the history of the kings of Israel and Judah from Solomon to the Babylonian captivity.
These two books not only record the history of the kings, but show that the success of any king or leader (and of a nation as a whole) depends on his allegiance to God’s law. Failure to do that resulted in decline or captivity.
2 Kings traces the decline and captivity of both Israel and Judah. Israel endured a succession of evil kings during a period of 130 yrs! It’s a back and forth with the kings…however most of them did evil in the eyes of God.

In chapter 21 we read about the reign of King Manasseh, 21:1-3, 6, 8-9.
· Now we see God’s righteous anger flare up…and rightly so….21:10-15
· For 50 years Manasseh duplicated the depravity of the Canaanites. He murdered so many righteous men that there were not enough left to defend Jerusalem when the need arose (21:10-15). Worst of all, the people tolerated it!
· We know from Hebrews 11:37 that he ordered Isaiah sawed in two. All this led to the unavoidable rejection by God.
· Even with his conversion later in life, it was too late to reverse what had happened among the people of the nation as well as his own household.

His son follows right in his fathers footsteps, 21:19-22
· He was assassinated by his own people and they put his son Josiah (at 8 yrs. old) in charge to be the next King.

Mercifully God prepared Josiah to get Israel’s house back in order with God. 22:1-2
· They found the book of the Law, 22: 8, 11-13, 15-20
· Josiah reformed the nation, 23:1-4, through 24
· He ushered in one of the most intensive periods of reformation and revival known in Judah’s history.
· However, even with finding the book of the Law and now following it, this revival never really deeply penetrated and affected the culture.
· Manasseh was so evil that the effects were multi-generational.
· And then we come across our main passage for today, 23:26-27.
· Amazingly , Josiah’s reformation and revival was not sufficient to offset the evil done by Manasseh and temper God’s anger.
· Josiah was a great godly leader, but the people themselves did not turn back to God. They followed Josiah out of fear without a change of heart.
· The early chapters of Jeremiah reflect the conditions under King Josiah Jeremiah 1: 13-16, 2:4-6.
· This describes the condition of the human heart accurately.

Really the bigger picture in today’s story is: “What is the balance of God’s love and mercy with his wrath and righteousness?”
Today’s story is a sobering reminder of how at times God will no longer forgive and extend mercy. God was (rightly so) obligated to bring the judgment foretold to Manasseh in 2 Kings 21:12-15.

Yes, God is patient and long-suffering in his mercy. Yet his judgment will and must eventually come, even though someone may arrive on the scene and call people to repentance. (Josiah)

God's wrath does burn against unrepentant sinners Ps. 38:1-3, Jer.1 0:24
If God always extended his mercy, we would (and do) abuse that mercy. Romans 6:1-2

Our minds want to compartmentalize things. We tend to emphasize one side, rather than the full package Reality though is not that way.

It’s called a healthy respect for God’s total and complete character.
In understanding God’s character, we need to be able to escape our linear, compartmentalized world view. This is only possible through Jesus.

Conclusion:
There should be the same healthy balance in a good Father, right? A good Father loves his children and gives them grace when they mess up, yet he also sets the rules and disciplines his children. Kids need both!

And from today’s Bible story, (Manasseh, Amon and Josiah) what a lesson for us men today, are we living out a godly example for our children? Will they carry on the name of God?
· 2 Chron. 33:10-17

Sermon notes

Spirituality vs. Christianity Acts 17

Intro…a church in Encinitas….
Celebrating Our Divinity. Loving Our Humanity. Serving Our Community. Come join us on Sunday or Wednesday. Great music, a spirited message and a joyful, loving community are waiting for you. Childcare, children’s and teen's classes are part of the Sunday celebration too. At _____________ our philosophy is based on the Science of Mind. “There is a Power in the Universe greater than we are, and we can use it.”
We believe the ultimate goal of life to be a complete emancipation from all discord of every nature, and that this goal is sure to be attained by all.
We believe in our own soul, our own spirit, and our own destiny; for we understand that OUR LIFE is God.
We believe that HEAVEN is within US, and that we experience IT to the degree that we become conscious of It.

To most people, practically anything can be considered a spiritual experience.
The perfect wave, ice cream, music, art…people actually look for spirituality/God in all kinds of other ways also...
(Mountains, Ocean, Meditation, Money, Self-Help etc.)

This is nothing new, people have been searching for a deeper spiritual meaning since the beginning of time… Adam and Eve…be like God
- Kings, rulers have worshipped other gods and even required people to worship them.
- We’ve ended up with so many different religions today because of everyone’s different search for deeper meaning and purpose, “There has got to be something out there bigger than me.”

Today I hope to show that we all have a God shaped hole in all of us.

Paul dealt with the same type of mindset in his day too…Acts 17:1-4
- Background: chap 9, Paul’s conversion, 12, Xians persecuted, 13, missionary journeys, 15, The council of Jerusalem, , 2nd missionary journey, CHAP 17, Paul’s work in Thessalonica, Berea and Athens.

What can we learn from Paul’s approach when it comes to talking about spirituality with others?
v. 2 He reasoned with them from the scriptures.
The Bible is always a good base to work from, keep it handy and memorized

v. 3 He spoke the gospel truth.
Jesus is the Christ, Messiah, not just some great prophet

v. 11 He spent time with wise people. (The Bereans)

v. 13 He preached the gospel everywhere he went, even in the midst of conflict.
Take a look at what Paul was dealing with and how he handled it:
v. 16 A city full of idols.What are the idols people worship today thinking they are spiritual?

v. 17 He reasoned with them.
Kept an open dialog. Reasoned: dialegomai, to say thoroughly, discuss in argument or exhortation, dispute, hold debate.
We can reason with others, but always be ready to defend the truth.

v. 18 He dealt with the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers .
Epicureans: those who followed Epicurus. They believed happiness was the chief end of life. Who are the “Epicureans” of today?

Stoics: Their founder was Zeno…got the name Stoic from Stoa Poikile (means painted porch), a lecture place in Athens where Zeno taught.
The emphasized the rational over the emotional, be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief. Calmly accept all things as a result of divine will.
They were pantheistic, a belief in and worship of all gods. Who are the Stoics of today?

In this context, we find Paul (in v. 19) taken to a meeting of the Areopagus (a council that had charge of the religious and educational matter in Athens)
This council met on the Hill of Ares, west of the Acropolis, also known as Mars Hill. They were dedicated to Ares, the god of war.
- Basically, they sat around , “doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.”
- They needed some godly wisdom and council and Paul was about to do just that.

v. 22-23 “Men of Athens, (friends in San Diego, spiritual seekers of Encinitas) I see that in every way you are very religious.” (He saw their numerous objects of worship.) The even had an altar to an “unknown god.”
“What you think is unknown, I will make know to you, tell you the truth. “

Remember these basic truths that Paul taught at Mars Hill: 17:24-31
v. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth…
v. 25 God gives all men life
v. 26 God created life and determines our outcomes.
v. 27 It is our job as humans to seek God.
v. 28 In God we have all we need.
v. 29 God is not an idol made of the finest materials; he is alive, living, breathing and loving.
v. 30 God commands full repentance.
v. 31 God will judge us all with justice. He is a right and fair judge.

What were the reactions? V. 32-34
1. Some sneered
2. Others said “tell me more.”
3. Some believed, a few…even Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus. That membership was a high distinction. God can soften anyone’s heart.

Conclusion …v. 34
Religion isn’t just a mystical feeling…
Christianity isn’t “PC”. It claims to be the only way to God. John 14:6

Here are my notes from this mornings sermon. I did my best to not just focus in on homosexuality, but any sin that God is displeased with in our lives. Please give me your thoughts and maybe we can get a dialog going here.

“Don’t show favoritism” James 2:1-4

· My concern this morning is more about how the Christian church treats those who struggle publically with sin, any sin.
· Our series this summer is “Hot topics” and the topic of homosexuality is certainly one of the hottest...“Jesus, save me from your followers”

Text: James 2:1-4
· This text from James applies to attitudes of favoritism this church was showing towards those who were rich vs. those who were poor.
· However, the principle applies to our topic this morning also…
· The Bible is very clear on its stance toward homosexuality. In a few minutes we’ll look at some of the key passages that show that heterosexual relationships are God’s best for us.

v. 1 Don’t show favoritism.
· Why do we tend to show favoritism? Because we like to be around people who are like us. Most of us don’t want to get stretched into an uncomfortable place.
· Often when someone comes into our lives, and especially our churches who is in the throes of a sinful life, we just don’t know what to do.
· What is if they make a scene? What if they don’t change fast enough?
· Often we like to pounce on a single issue or sin in the Christian life and make that our cause…

A minister was completing a temperance sermon. With great emphasis he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." Sermon complete, he sat down. The song leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365, "Shall We Gather at the River."

v. 2 How do we show favoritism?
· By giving preferential treatment to those who “look or act normal.”
· When someone comes into our churches who looks a bit different, the judgment radar goes off.
· The same thing was happening to the churches that James is writing this letter to.
· “Oh, you are rich, good looking and don’t smell too bad, please, come sit right up front here (so we look good as a church).
· We can do the same thing today if we’re not careful, “Oh, you seem put together with no major sin struggles, welcome to our church!”
· But when someone walks in who looks “weird” (to you) or has an obvious sin struggle, we’re not sure how to greet them and what to do with them.
· We need to let anyone come right in, sit where ever they want and feel welcome.
· At the same time, we need to keep preaching the whole Bible, the truth of God’s word and let the Holy Spirit continue to convict each one of us in the areas of sin that we struggle with.
· Some of us wear our sins on our sleeves and some of us wear our sins on our hearts.
· God is just as grieved over the “obvious” sins that everyone sees and can easily name, as he is the “secret” sins that no one knows about.
· The key is not to get too self righteous and start thinking, “At least I don’t struggle with that sin.”
· James tell us that showing favoritism is sin, v. 4 “judges with evil thoughts” and . v. 9…
· Showing favoritism and not loving those who struggle with sin shows an immaturity in your Christian life and a lack of compassion for your fellow man.

Let’s take a look at some specific verses that help to clarify the Biblical stance on homosexuality.
· Lev. 18:22, 20:13 Those are pretty simple and straight-forward.
· Romans 1:24-27

· Galatians 5:19-21 We’re all on this list somewhere…helps us not to judge others so much.
How do we turn away from our sinful nature?
· Galatians 5:22-25
Pursue the fruits of the spirit
Crucify the sinful nature
Live by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit.

· Romans 13:12b-14.
(A call to turn away and do what is right in God’s eyes.)
Put aside the deeds of darkness
Put on the armor of light
Behave decently
Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ
Don’t think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
We need to dress for battle!

If we are going to avoid the trap of an addictive sinful life or habit, then it’s going to take some definite action steps on our part.
· Keeping clear of sin does not come naturally to any of us.
· If we don’t take steps like those described in Galatians and Romans, then we will be that person who is judged when we walk into church.
· People will be tempted to show favoritism and “not know how to deal with you.”


Conclusion: 1 Cor. 6:9-11
· Again, a list we all land on somewhere…today’s sermon really is for all of us!
· But the key words are: “And that is what some of you were.
· Through God’s grace, love, mercy and forgiveness, we can be washed, sanctified, justified (made right) in the name of Jesus.
· That’s called not being a victim of a sinful life, not trapped in a behavior you think you can’t get out of.
· That’s called victory in the Christian life.

Surfing Lauer boys

I'm one proud dad. Now, if only my two year old baby girl with get with the program here, :-)

Here is the latest sermon I preached. Love to hear your feedback on this very important, but hard to understand topic.

“How can a loving God send people to Hell?” Deuteronomy 30:1-20
Intro…“When bad things happen to good people.” A NY times best seller
Rabbi Kushner offers the suggestion that God is limited by what He can do by the laws of nature, by human nature, and by human freedom.
· He lets go of the notion that God is all-powerful in favor of the notion that God is good.
· He takes the position that God does not cause suffering and could not prevent it.
I bring this up because it relates to the title of my sermon, “How can a loving God send people to Hell?” (or let them suffer or allow bad things to happen).
· God is not removed from the suffering in our lives.
· God is not removed from the decision making process in our lives.
· God is sovereign and fully aware of every single event that has happened and will happen in our lives.
· God is not limited in any way by our human nature and the choices we make.
· There is a fine and important balance (which we will never fully understand as humans) between the daily choices we make and God’s foreknowledge of those choices.
· This sermon series is intended to answer questions you or others you may know may have on these “hot topics”.
· We want you to be better educated and ready to: “ give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:15
· With that introduction….

Text: Duet. 30: 1-3 (A prediction of the re-gathering of Israel from all the nations to which she was scattered.)
v. 2-3 …when you return…the Lord will restore…Mark 13:26-27
v. 5-6 …he will bring you back…so that you may love him with all your heart and soul and live.
v. 10-11 …obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments…
v. 17 …But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient…you will certainly be destroyed.
v. 19 Now choose life, so that you and your children may live…

Some choices have greater consequences than others,
paper or plastic, red shirt/green shirt, Accel through the yellow light or stop? Peach pie or apple?
….you’ve been presented with a clear gospel message…

If we couldn’t make our own choices, what would we be? puppets or robots

Some realities:
· God allows us to make choices. Ps. 119:30
· God is not micro-managing our lives….some things seem random..
· There is a God who created us, loves us and has some guidelines for our lives with definite consequences…present and eternal.
· 1 Timothy 2:3-4 Although God wants us all to be saved in reality, we know that not all men will accept Him.
· Eph. 1:4-5 Every man has a responsibility to make the right choice and believe the gospel in order to bring to pass personally God’s predestination.
· God doesn’t really send anyone to hell, we send ourselves by virtue of choice.
· For God to force anyone to go to heaven against their wishes…would not be heaven.
· “The gates of hell are locked from the inside by the free choice of men.” John-Paul Sarte

Peter’s denial of Christ. Matthew 26:69-75
· Are you denying Christ? (pre-Xian or even as a Xian)
· Will you take a stand for him in public? (small scale or large)
· Don’t let it get to the point where you “weep bitterly”.
· There are consequences either way. Prov. 1:28-33

Back to the title of this sermon, “How can a loving God send people to hell?”
· God, created humans, gave us freewill (instead of a robot), we face choices and consequences, man rejects God, the solution is Jesus Christ, the choice is ours to either accept or reject that relationship with God.
· That’s as simple as it gets, the gospel.
We always need to remember the two sides of God:
Love, grace and forgiveness…Duet. 30: 4-5
Righteousness, judgment, guidelines. Duet. 29: 19-20, 24-26
A balance of both sides is critical!

Conclusion: “The football verse” John 3:16-18
· As a father, I want the best for my children…even now they make choices which are either good or bad. I do my best to present the truth (and the consequences) and have to sometimes painfully watch, let them decide and deal with those consequences, good or bad.
· God is our heavenly father and he wants the best for us too. If we would just set aside our pride and our own agenda and take our father’s advice, we’d be just fine.
· It comes down to choices. Once we’ve been presented with the facts, it’s up to us to choose.

Kelley and I rented "Knowing" last weekend. It turned out to be better than I thought. To me, this is one of those movies that ends up with some good/interesting theology communicated. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "Christian" movie, but if you looked, you could see some Christian themes throughout the film.

I like how the main character wrestled with a random vs. planned universe. To me, it was also interesting how he was a pastors kid and considered himself a prophet, trying to save humans from destruction. Did anybody else notice when he was driving through the city towards the end of the movie, the van with "Jesus is the way, the truth and the life" written on the side?

The whole aliens deal at the end was a bit weird, but over all, the movie makes for some good discussion later.

Back to the roots

Oh....these are good memories. Last Wed. I drove up to Baldwin Park (right near West Covina and Azusa) to pick up a new motor for my Bus. While there I made a trip to Mecca (for burgers, that is) to the original In-N-Out, first built in the area October 22, 1948. The top two pictures show that original store which is no longer open and has a fence around it. Circa 1980, my college buddies and I from Azusa Pacific would frequent this In-N-Out when it was still open. We'd go there around 2am and score some free fries, always worth the trip when living on a college student's meager budget.

The bottom two pictures show the new "number 1" store about 100 yards away. Next to it is In-N-Out University where they train the employees. As I proudly pass on the heritage and yumminess of In-N-Out to my kids, it is with great pride knowing I have eaten at the original store. In-N-Out is truly a So. Cal gem, and I'm stoked for any of you outside of the area that are able to enjoy their burgers.