What It Means to Really Live (Part 1)

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>What It Means to Really Live (Part 1)</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id517.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="An Example to Follow, an Example to Set"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id521.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What It Means to Really Live (Part 2)"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"What It Means to R</B><I><B>eally</B></I><B> Live" 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:13</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, May 21-22, 2005</B></div> <bR> <div>      We shared in church a brief video clip of a young man in Houston, whose father was committed to a religion other than Christianity. When the son became a Christian, his father made him choose between his earthly father and his heavenly father, because he could not have a relationship with both. The son choose his heavenly father.</div> <div>      Near St. Louis, MO, Pastor Bori Oginni was arrested by local police last summer (2004). Here are some facts, from the American Center for Law and Justice (www.aclj.org).</div> <div>     * Pastor Oginni's small church had rented a day care facility for more than two years because they didn't have enough money yet to build a building of their own.</div> <div>     * They were celebrating their church's [2-year] birthday when a local police officer arrived and began asking questions. </div> <div>     * Three days later, the owner of the day care center was summoned to appear in court! </div> <div>     * A police officer again arrived during a Sunday morning service.</div> <div>     * The policeman claimed he wanted to speak with the pastor in private and have him fill out a form at his office.  The officer's patrol car was blocking the pastor's own vehicle, so the pastor didn't really have much choice. </div> <div>     * Once they got to the police station, the officer placed the pastor under arrest for "conducting business/service without proper license"! </div> <div>      [...] Congress itself is barred by the U.S. Constitution from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion "or abridging the freedom of speech, or of ... the right of the people peaceably to assemble." This entire humiliating incident is nothing less than religious discrimination.</div> <div> (Jay Sekulow, ACLJ email, 5-19-05)</div> <div>      Finally there was this story from foxnews.com this weekend: “School Nixes Girl's Religious Song” Friday, May 20, 2005 NEWARK, N.J. — A public school prohibited a second grader from singing a religious song at a talent show, prompting a lawsuit Friday alleging violation of the girl's constitutional rights. / A federal judge declined an emergency request to compel Frenchtown Elementary School to allow 8-year-old Olivia Turton to sing "Awesome God" at the Friday night show, but allowed the lawsuit to go forward. / School officials in the western New Jersey community had said the performance would be inappropriate at a school event.” (Foxnews.com).</div> <div>      The reality for many believers is that when they come to faith in Christ and share their faith, there are consequences – division in your family, derision and hateful words from people who do not agree with you, people who damage your reputation when you are trying to stand for integrity, maybe just people who look at you funny and don't want to hang out with you anymore; or possibly direct and physical persecution permitted by the society.</div> <div>      With that background in mind, consider this question: what would it mean to you to say you “really live,” or “<I>this </I>is the life”? Comfort, wealth and privilege? Fame? Marriage? Under what circumstances would you say, "now this is the the life"? It is a question that gets to the heart of our values, the things that are most important to us.</div> <div>      In the midst of afflictions and persecutions, how can Paul say, “now we <I>really</I> live” (3:8)? How can one who is suffering find joy in the faith of others? We tend to complain in times of suffering, but Paul was able to say "<I>this </I>is living," because the Thessalonians were standing firm in their faith. What does that say about his values?</div> <div>      I want to offer guidance, this week and next, on how to persevere in your faith in the midst of trials and afflictions and difficulties.</div> <bR> <div>      Please look at this brief overview of 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:13.</div> <div> 1. <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=1Thess+2:13-20" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>1 Thessalonians 2:13-20</U></A> – The Thessalonians genuinely accepted the word of God, in spite of intense opposition. Please read <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Acts+17:1-15" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Acts 17:1-15</U></A>, which tells the story of the opposition Paul experienced when he took the message of Jesus Christ to the Thessalonians.</div> <div> 2. <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=1Thess+3:1-9" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>1 Thessalonians 3:1-9</U></A> – Paul sent Timothy to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith and endurance.  The positive response gave Paul great joy.</div> <div> 3. <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=1Thess+3:10-13" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>1 Thessalonians 3:10-13</U></A> – Paul prayed for them, that they would continue in their faith.</div> <bR> <div>      Here is one simple challenge for today: expect persecution and suffering for your faith, and commit to standing firm. I want you to know, it's worth it to follow Christ, even if it costs you your comfort and your care-free lifestyle. It's worth it, no matter the cost. Next week we will talk about how to persevere in times of opposition.</div> <bR> <div>      A few weeks ago (click <A HREF="id515.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Building for the Future: Whats Involved"><U>here</U></A> to review it - it's at the end), I read part of a blog posting from Pastor Wayne Cordeiro (<A HREF="http://enewhope.typepad.com/mentoring_at_a_distance/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://enewhope.typepad.com/mentoring_at"><U><U>http://enewhope.typepad.com/mentoring_at_a_distance</U></U></A>), based on his experience in teaching house church leaders in China . Here is the rest:</div> <div>      After a few minutes [of stunned silence about the 22 million Christians these 20 house-church leaders oversee], I caught my breath and launched into the teaching time. We brought sixteen Bibles and passed them out, leaving a few of the leaders to share with one another. I had them turn to 2 Peter chapter one. As we were about to read the chapter out loud, one of the elderly ladies handed her Bible to another leader. I thought that was a bit strange, since Bibles were so scarce, but didn’t pay much attention to the exchange.</div> <div>      When we began to read the chapter aloud, I immediatley understood why she willingly gave up her Bible. She was quoting the whole chapter from memory!</div> <div>      During a short break, I asked her how she memorized such a large amount of Scripture. “Oh, I have much more memorized,” she replied through one of our interpreters. I added, “But how did you memorize so much when there are so few Bibles available?”</div> <div>      “In prison if you have a Bible, they confiscate it immediately. So people brought me Scriptures written on pieces of paper. If the guards found you with them, they would take those away from you as well; so I memorized the Scriptures as quickly as I could. You see, they can take away the paper, but they cannot take away what I have already hidden in my heart.”</div> <div>      When the two days were concluded, I had fallen in love with these seasoned warriors. Realizing my own inadequacy to help them in their daunting task of reaching China, I asked, “How can I pray for you? What do you want the most?”</div> <div>      “Pray that we become like you,” was their immediate request. “We do not have freedom of religion. We only have a few registered churches, and the rest cannot attend. We are a persecuted Church. Pray that we can soon be like you!”</div> <div>      “I cannot do that,” I sadly replied. “I will not pray for you in that way.”</div> <div>      “But why?” They pushed back on my seemingly unchristian response.</div> <div>      “You came here after riding thirteen hours on a train. In America, if church is more than thrity-minutes away, people will not go. It’s too far. You have been sitting on a wooden floor without air-conditioning for two days to hear the Word of the Lord. Where I come from, if you cannot sit on cushioned chairs and be in the comfort of air-conditioning, people will find better things to do. You don’t have adequate Bibles, so you memorize what you can gather. In every Christian home, we have an average of three Bibles, but we don’t read any of them.</div> <div>      “No, I will not pray that you become like us. But I will pray that we become like you!”</div> <div>      Sometimes we learn the most from those who have the least. We realize that when we are rich, we are often the poorest, and when we are the poor, that is often when we are the richest!</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2005, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>