Canada Day

Matthew 22:15-22

Introduction

Today is Canada Day. When I think of all the blessings we have in this land, I am thankful to be a Canadian. My mother once told me about a time, after they came to Canada and before she and my father were married, when she went with a group of other people who had immigrated from Russia to a celebration of thankfulness which was held in Winkler. At that time, those who had come out of the oppression of communist Russia were very thankful to be out of that land and in Canada and they gathered about once a year to give thanks to God for their deliverance.

Today we often take our country for granted and assume that the blessings we experience are our right. Those who have traveled or lived abroad know otherwise. We are blessed to live in this country. Most of the time, I am thankful for my home and native land and am proud to be Canadian.

But then there are other times. Our government is heavily involved in raising revenues through gambling. I am sad to be part of a country that thinks that is a good idea. A few weeks ago the newspaper carried an article outlining all the treaties made with native people that have not been kept. I am ashamed that we haven’t fulfilled these obligations. When I do a wedding and see that the registration form has removed the words “bride” and “groom” and replaced them with “partner,” I am sorry that we have diminished the meaning of marriage. At times like that, I would just like to bury my head in the sand and forget about this world and politics and wait until God brings in His kingdom.

Of course, these tensions exist because we hold dual citizenship. On the one hand, we are citizens of heaven and on the other we are citizens of Canada. John Piper speaks of the “pilgrim principle” and reminds us of Romans 12:2 which says “don't be conformed to this world” but on the other hand of 1 Corinthians 9:22 which calls us to “become all things to all men.” He says, “We are here in this world and must adapt in some measure to the culture where we live. But we are citizens of heaven and must make the counter-cultural life of Christ known in this world.”

What does Scripture say about our relationship to the land in which we live as citizens of the eternal kingdom? One passage which speaks about this is Matthew 22:15-22. Let us read it and hear what God is saying to us.

The Problem

One day some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They were not interested so much in his opinion as they were in trapping him. On this occasion, they chose what for the Jewish people was a real sticky problem. Their question was, "is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" This was no academic question, but a matter of deep concern.

There were three taxes which the Romans imposed on the Jewish people. One was the ground tax which was imposed on agricultural produce. They had to pay 10% of the grain and 20% of the oil and wine. Then there was an income tax which was 1% of income. The most hated of all, because it was a tax which reminded them of the Roman occupation, was the poll tax. It was imposed on all males 14-65 and all females 12-65. It was a 1 denarius tax. A denarius was about a days wage for a labourer. It was likely this tax which the Pharisees were talking about.

It was also an issue which many people saw from very different points of view. Because they were trying to trap Jesus, they made sure the crowd included people who held both points of view

It was the Pharisees who posed the question. They hated the tax because we all hate taxes and are not happy about paying them. They hated this tax because they believed that paying it legitimized the Roman government. They hated this tax because in their eyes paying it compromised their faith in God. In the Old Testament they were very clearly told that they should not worship other gods. The Roman people at times declared that “Caesar is Lord.” Some of the Jews thought that paying this tax was the same as acknowledging Caesar as a deity. They could not in good conscience do this and so refused to pay it.

But they had brought with them a group called the Herodians. They were not a political party, but they represented the opinion of many that the way in which to advance the cause of Israel was to support the Roman government. By not stirring up trouble, they felt that their nation had a better chance in the long term. They were supporters of Rome and would report any insurrection.

Jesus was in a no win situation. If he said one should not pay the tax, he would have been marched rather quickly to the Roman authority and arrested as an insurrectionist. If he said one should pay the tax, he would be discredited as a prophet of God in the eyes of those who believed that paying taxes was an affront to God.

As the Pharisees posed the question, they were, of course, trying to trap Jesus. But the question is a real one even for us. Just as the Pharisees and Herodians saw the issue from different perspectives, we also see the issue of involvement with the secular government from different perspectives.

Some churches fly a flag in the sanctuary to show their support of the government. We say, the flag has no place in church, this is the place for God's kingdom.

Some people believe that as salt and light it is important to take out party membership or even become an MLA or an MP. Those who do, still struggle with the basic issue. They must ask, “Is it possible to maintain the Christian agenda when you have to tow the party line?” Is it possible to maintain Christian principles when you may have to compromise in order to get passage of a bill that is important to you? David McKenna was the president of a Christian university in Seattle. One day the governor of Washington state asked him to chair the state-wide ad hoc committee on gambling. He knew that if he did, he would have to support legalized gambling, although he was not personally in favour. He knew that if he did not, gambling would be controlled by organized crime. Was he being salt and light, or was it a compromise?

Because of this difficulty, others believe that any close relationship with the government is a compromise of faith and so they don't even vote. Our forefathers made such a decision. We today have become much more involved in the political agenda.

Some believe that we should speak boldly against the evil things the government sometimes promotes and that we need to be involved in the process. They will protest and get involved in lobbying. On the other extreme some simply ignore the whole matter and keep silent. That is a tempting option especially when we wonder if we really have any influence. For example, we lobbied the government regarding the redefinition of marriage. It was redefined anyway. What is the use of being involved if nothing changes?

Some protest by refusing to pay the military portion of their taxes, other Christians believe that it is all right to join the army.

The problem of living as members of a political system which does not give first allegiance to God when our first allegiance is to God has never been easy. It was a problem for the Jews of Jesus day and it is a problem for us today.

Of course, the point is that the Pharisees and Herodians used this dilemma because were trying to trap Jesus because they hated Him. However, the question is a relevant one.

Giving Back To Caesar

Jesus was not fooled for a minute. He knew their evil intentions from the beginning and even confronted them for their hypocrisy. He asked to see the coin used to pay the poll tax. It was a denarius coin and had a picture of Caesar on it. He told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s…”

The Pharisees used the Greek word, "dounai," which means “to give” when they asked Jesus shall we "give" Caesar tax money. They viewed giving taxes as a gift which could be given or withheld.

Jesus used a different Greek word when he answered them. He used the word "apodote" which means "pay back." With the illustration of the coin and the words he used he made it very clear that they were to give back to Caesar what belonged to Caesar. Jesus convicted them by the very fact that they were using this currency. They used Caesar's currency, but were not willing to pay Caesar what he was owed.

Jesus’ answer serves also to instruct us that we have obligations to our government. What are we called to "pay back" to “Caesar?”

First of all, we are obligated, according to Scripture, to obey the laws of the land. Romans 13:1 says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

What does that mean?

There are laws which we find personally inconvenient or we might even say ridiculous. For example, the law regarding off road vehicles is very clear. It says, “you must not ride on a roadway.” Yet people do it all the time. I believe that Jesus is calling us, as Christians, to obedience to the laws of the country, even if we don’t like those laws. Paul actually uses the word “submit” and this is really what the issue is all about. When we submit to the government, even if we don’t like the law, it is submission to God. If we refuse to submit to the government, it is a refusal to submit to God.

Of course the difficulty which the Jews were discussing was that obedience to this law was, in their mind, disobedience to God. The Bible gives examples where people disobeyed the government, precisely as an act of obedience to God. Peter said, “We must obey God rather than men.” Daniel continued to pray even though the law said he couldn’t. This statement, in which Jesus challenged the Pharisees to give to Caesar what is His, shows us that although there is a place for civil disobedience, we need to be very careful about when we do it.

Giving back to Caesar means obedience to the laws of the land.

It also means paying the taxes we owe. The Pharisees were receiving benefits from living under Roman occupation. As much as they hated the occupation, there was order and government in the land. The Romans built roads and other public works and they were the beneficiaries of these. As such, they were to pay for the benefits they received. Romans 13:6,7 says, "This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour, then honour." We receive public services, what do we owe for that? If we enjoy the benefits of a certain government, we should be willing to pay for those benefits.

We notice in Romans 13:6,7 what we also notice in I Peter 2:17, that we are to honour the government. There we read, "Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.” We enjoy mocking government and yet, according to Scripture, we ought to accord respect to those who give their time to governing. If they were not there, we would have a very different world. In a message on Romans 13, John Piper tells a story from the June 10, 2005 Star Tribune. “Across the border from Laredo, Texas is the city of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The town has lost its civil authority and is ruled by gangs.

“Alejandro Dominguez was the only person brave enough to be police chief. Hours after he took office, assailants riddled his body with dozens of bullets in this city wracked by a turf battle between Mexico's two main drug gangs.

“The streets were virtually empty Thursday, a day after the killing, with only a handful of federal police armed with rifles and automatic weapons. . . . “We are defenceless,” attorney Zorina Medrano said at City Hall. “It's obvious that the criminals are better organized (than the authorities.) They sent the national army and even they weren't respected. Who else can we ask for help?'”

That's a small snapshot of what the world would look like without God's common grace of civil authority. We owe them the honour due them for the work they do.

We also owe thanksgiving. This is stated in I Timothy 2:1-3, "I urge, then, first of all, that…thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority..." Those who come from other countries and know what it is like in those countries have often expressed that thankfulness. My mom has spoken of this because of what she experienced in communist Russia and war-time and post war-time Germany. Let us be faithful in giving thanks for those in power.

Finally and probably most important of all, we owe the government our prayers. We read in I Timothy 2:1-3, "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession… be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour..." Do we pray for Vic Toews, Stephen Harper, Gary Doer, Herm Martens and all the others who give leadership in our country?

When Jesus said, "return to Caesar what is Caesar's," I believe that all of these things are included in that concept.

Giving Back To God

But Jesus did not leave it at that. Remember, a "yes" or a "no" answer were both grounds for condemnation. He also covered the other side of the issue. He told them, "give to God what is God's."

It is not a coincidence that he asked them "whose inscription and image are on the coin." The image and inscription on the coin was that of Caesar, indicating that the coin belonged to Caesar. But, and here is the crux of the matter, the image and inscription of God is imprinted on us. Thus giving to God what is God's means giving ourselves first of all to God. The image of God is stamped on our whole person and the inscription of God is written over our whole body and when Jesus said, "give to God what is God's,” he meant the whole of who we are is to be dedicated to God.

When this fundamental issue of giving to God what is God's is solved, then we can begin working on the problem of our relationship to government. If we are having trouble obeying the law, it is important to remember that first of all we need to submit to God. If we want wisdom to discern how to know when giving to Caesar is going too far, first we need to give God our heart. With ourselves given to God, obedience to “Caesar” will fall into place.

One of the best examples of dealing with this problem is Daniel. He had a choice about allegiance to the king. When he was first brought to Babylon, he could have refused any alliance with the Babylonian king. Although he would have been killed, he still had that choice. He knew that it was not God's will for him to refuse obedience to the king. Thus, he obeyed and served first the Babylonian kings and later the Persian kings faithfully.

However, he never forgot his first allegiance. His heart belonged to God. When the demands of the government clashed with the demands of God, he put God first. As a result he was put in the lions den, but he never wavered in his commitment to God. In the end, such a stand caused him to have a great influence on the government. "In putting God first, Daniel became light and salt at the very center of an idolatrous government."

In an article by David T. Owen-Ball we read, “Returning, then, to the original question (Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar?) Jesus allowed that one should render to Caesar what is Caesar's, but what can be said to belong to Caesar when one's entire life belongs to God? While emphasizing the supremacy of religious duties, the passage does not specify the precise nature of a Christian's duty regarding civil taxes, or regarding civil obligations in general. The passage does suggest, however, that Christians ought not to respond to civil issues without considering, first and foremost, their religious duty in the matter.”

Conclusion

We want a "yes" of "no" answer, but Jesus did not give such a simple answer. He told us that first allegiance belongs to God, but we are also to give to Caesar what belongs to him. The people were amazed at his answer. Did they do it? we don't know.

Will we do it? That is up to us.

We are privileged to live in a great country. We have peace and abundance. We have much to be thankful for. In obedience to God, let us give to the government all that we owe. But let us not forget that we live in a secular society where God is not primarily honoured or consulted. Our first allegiance is to God. Will we give him first place in our lives? Have we given him our hearts?

Forgiveness

Introduction

“A man lay on his deathbed, harassed by fear because he had harboured hatred against another. He sent for the individual with whom he had had a disagreement years before; he then made overtures of peace. The two of them shook hands in friendship. But as the visitor left the room, the sick man roused himself and said, "Remember, if I get over this, the old quarrel stands." G. Ray Jordan quoted in James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other…” and Colossians 3:13 says, “…forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” These verses are written to churches and the point is that they are not just nice, general, pious platitudes. The command is written for people who hurt each other and need to obey this command when it is hard to do so. Yet forgiveness is very important. Neil Anderson, in “The Bondage Breaker” says, “Most of the ground that Satan gains in the lives of Christians is due to un-forgiveness.” In saying this, he refers to II Corinthians 2:10,11 where un-forgiveness is identified as one of the schemes Satan uses to destroy people of faith.

Forgiveness is hard to live yet it is commanded and necessary, so let us talk about it.

Forgiveness Is Hard

We all understand how hard forgiveness is. I doubt if there is a person here who hasn’t struggled to forgive another. What makes it so hard and why do we have to get beyond that and do it anyway?

Because We Are Angry

The first thing that happens when we experience a wrong done or are hurt by someone is that we become angry.

Anger is good and very important. Without anger, there would be no passion about anything and evil and injustice would flourish. However, anger is also very dangerous. Anger is dangerous because there is an inverse relationship between anger and intelligence. The higher our anger rises, the less ability we have to make good, rational and wise decisions. Anger is dangerous because if we react quickly out of anger, in our state of diminished intelligence, we usually make serious mistakes.

Properly considered, anger should be looked at like an alarm bell. If the smoke alarm goes off in our house, we usually do not dash madly out of the house. We investigate what is causing the bell to ring, deal with it if we can and shut it off. Anger should be looked at like that. If anger arises, we should investigate what is causing it, deal with it if we can and shut it off.

But anger, and the lack of clear thinking that goes with it, makes it difficult to forgive.

Because We Want Revenge

The feeling which quickly follows anger when we have been wronged is the desire for revenge.

In the Old Testament, God recognized the desire people have to seek revenge. Very early in human history, it became clear that revenge was an escalating affair. In Genesis 4:23, Lamech is quoted as saying, “I have killed a man for wounding me.” That is the problem with revenge. We want the person who has hurt us to pay and to pay well for the damage done. In order to limit vengeance, God gave the law of eye for eye and tooth for tooth. The problem, however, is that even if we are absolutely just in seeking revenge and stick to eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, which is very difficult, we still end up with a blind and toothless population.

Even if we can get over our anger and desire for revenge, we still find it hard to forgive because we want justice. A legitimate question we ask when wronged is, “How can the person who wronged me get away with it?” What they have done is not just, it is not right and if I forgive them, they will be getting away with an injustice. How can we allow such an evil thing to be permitted?

In spite of these challenges, Jesus has called us to leave vengeance and justice up to God. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

It is hard for us to overcome our desire for revenge and justice and that makes it difficult for us to forgiven.

Because Forgiveness Is Costly

The other thing which makes forgiveness so difficult is that if we do forgive, it will cost us dearly.

David Augsburger, in the book, “70x7, The Freedom of Forgiveness,” writes, forgiveness is “…not tolerance; it’s not make believe; it’s not your little game of winking at hurts. It’s something much, much deeper.”

If we choose to forgive someone, we will have to bear the cost of the wrong done to us. Augsburger gives one illustration. He says, “If I break a priceless heirloom that you treasure and you forgive me, you bear the loss and I go free.”

James Buswell says, “No one ever really forgives another, except he bears the penalty of the other’s sin against him.”

Loss is a difficult thing for us to bear. The loss of property, the loss of ability through illness, the loss of a loved one are difficult losses to accept. Whatever we lose when we forgive is also a hard thing to bear and makes forgiveness very difficult.

Forgiveness Is Possible

If forgiveness is that hard, why do it? How is it possible to overcome our own passions and the injustice of the situation? How can we afford to bear the cost of another’s wrong?

Because God Is Just

Forgiveness is possible when we trust the justice of God. The story of Joseph is an amazing story of forgiveness. He was probably abused and wronged about as badly as anyone can be, and by his own brothers. They hated him, demonstrated their hatred by threatening to kill him and then sold him into slavery. Years later, after he had been reconciled to them and after their father passed away, the brothers, filled with guilt for what they had done, went to Joseph and asked him to forgive them. The story appears in Genesis 50:15-21 and in verse 19, Joseph responds to their request with the statement, “Am I in the place of God?”

In saying this, we see his reasoning for why he had been able to forgive his brothers. He understood that even the evil which they did to him was used of God to bring about the salvation of their people. His trust in the goodness and justice of God allowed him to freely forgive them.

Our trust in God, who is love, who will make things right, makes it possible for us to forgive those who wrong us.

Because of Love

As Christians, we are the objects of an amazing love. Romans 5:8 tells us “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Having been loved so amazingly by God, we have been called to live with a similar love, not only for our friends and relatives, but even for our enemies. That love is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5:5 says, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Being loved, being empowered to love and being called to love makes it possible for us to forgive those who hurt us. It allows us to consider the other person rather than just our hurt and concerns.

Augsburger writes about how such love works in forgiveness. He says, “The grace of forgiveness is to care more about a person than about what he has done.” “forgiveness is to…grant freedom,” it “releases the offender without making him suffer.”

The unique love which we as Christians have makes it possible for us to overcome anger and hatred and to choose to love even those who don’t deserve it.

Because We Are Forgiven

The most powerful reason why it is possible for us to forgive is because we have been forgiven by God. Matthew 18:21-35 is the story of the unforgiving servant. It begins as Peter asks the question, “How often should I forgive?” Peter was very generous. The Rabbi’s had a rule that you should forgive a person 3 times. Peter offered to more than double the Rabbinic generosity to 7 times. But Jesus multiplied that to such an extent that, as Augsburger says, forgiveness is “qualitative not quantitative.”

In explaining the importance and possibility of forgiveness, Jesus told the story. A man had a debt that was so great it was impossible to pay back. The annual income of Herod, the king, was about 900 talents. Clearly an amount of 10,000 talents was impossible to pay off. As the debtor pleaded with the king to forgive the debt, vowing to pay it off even though it was quite clear that that would never happen, the king responded by cancelling the debt. What freedom! What joy to be released of this burden! The story then goes on to tell us that the debtor went to a person who owed him a relatively small amount and demanded payment and refused to accept any excuses. His clear injustice in not forgiving the small amount when he had been forgiven a huge amount was punished by the king.

The point Jesus was making was that if we do not forgive, then we have no concept of what God has done for us. It shows that we think that we are acceptable to God because of our goodness instead of being acceptable because we have been forgiven a debt we could not in any way repay. Thus, forgiveness is absolutely imperative for those who have been forgiven by God. When we see it in this light, we also recognize that forgiveness is possible.

Because It Is The Only Path To Freedom

Another thing which makes forgiveness possible is that it is the only path to our own freedom.

Myron Augsburger tells the story the bishop of a church in the days when they still went to church by horse and buggy. After church, he got into his buggy and found that the horses could not pull it. He looked in the back and noticed that the buggy had been piled full of rocks. He got out, unloaded the rocks and went home. Years later, two men, came to him and confessed what they had done. The bishop laughed and said, “Do you men mean to tell me that you’ve been carrying those rocks around all of these years? Why, I threw them out years ago and forgot about it.”

In The Bondage Breaker, Anderson says, “If you don’t let offenders off your hook, you are hooked to them and the past…”

If we are unwilling to forgive, we remain bound to that which we will not forgive. We are the ones in bondage. Forgiveness is possible when we realize that it is the only path to freedom.

How Do We Forgive?

I occasionally watch the program Frontiers of Construction. They often describe construction projects which seem impossible, but are done anyway – like the dike systems in Holland which protect the land from tidal inflow, but also allow for rain runoff to go into the ocean. The thing that makes the show interesting is how they do something which seems almost impossible.

Forgiveness is like that. It seems almost impossible. So how do we do it?

Acknowledge The Wrong Done

The first mistake we often make in contemplating forgiveness is that we consider that it means that we have to overlook the wrong. Often we may want to say, “forget it, no problem.” That is not true forgiveness. True forgiveness begins when we acknowledge that we are angry and that a serious injustice has been done to us. Forgiveness will not happen adequately if we do not admit that we have been both wronged and deeply hurt.

The first step to forgiveness is to say, first of all within ourselves and then to the person who comes to ask for forgiveness, “what was done was wrong. I am hurt and I am angry.”

Remember That We Are Forgiven

The second step is to remember that we are forgiven. We have already looked at this, but it is an essential step in actually forgiving.

In his commentary on Mark, Alan Cole says, “If we don’t forgive, it shows that we have “no consciousness of the grace that we ourselves have received, and thus that we are expecting to be heard on our own merits.”

George Herbert wrote, “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven.”

Jesus puts it this way in Matthew 6:14,15, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ^15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Choose To Forgive

Beginning with these two perspectives gives forgiveness integrity. If we acknowledge the wrong done, it means that we are not simply glossing over our feelings and dismissing the wrong. If we recognize that we are people who have been forgiven it means that we can go on to the next step of actually forgiving.

This means that we will forgive in spite of the fact that we do not feel like it, but will rather choose to forgive.

“Years after her concentration camp experiences in Nazi Germany, Corrie ten Boom met face to face one of the most cruel and heartless German guards that she had ever contacted. He had humiliated and degraded her and her sister. He had jeered and visually raped them as they stood in the delousing shower. Now he stood before her with hand outstretched and said, "Will you forgive me?" She writes: "I stood there with coldness clutching at my heart, but I know that the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. I prayed, Jesus, help me! Woodenly, mechanically I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me and I experienced an incredible thing. The current started in my shoulder, raced down into my arms and sprang into our clutched hands. Then this warm reconciliation seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. 'I forgive you, brother,' I cried with my whole heart. For a long moment we grasped each other's hands, the former guard, the former prisoner. I have never known the love of God so intensely as I did in that moment!” Quoted in James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited

Forgiveness is a choice. It is something which we do not feel first, but something we choose first.

As we make this choice, we must make another choice and that is the choice to bear the cost of the forgiveness. Neil Anderson says, “Forgiveness is agreeing to live with the consequences of another person’s sin.” The greatest example of bearing a wrong done is Jesus. When he was put to death on the cross, he bore the cost of all of the wrongs of all of the people in the world and so released us of the guilt of our wrongdoing.

This kind of a choice begins in the mind but it may take a while for our feelings to follow. As our feelings keep rising even after we have made the choice, it becomes difficult because we may wonder if we have actually fully forgiven the person. At that point we need to remember that we have made the choice and we need to stick to the choice. Eventually the feelings will also follow the choice we make. We will probably not be able to forget and forgiveness is not forgetting, rather it is, as we have already said, the choice not to hold the wrong against the person. Although we may not feel like it, we must continue to live by that choice.

David Augsburger says, “Forgiveness is a free gift of love or it is nothing of value. It is never a receipt for payment in full. It is an undeserved pardon. An unwarranted release.” Such a release raises a question about forgiveness which I am still struggling with and that is the nature of a continuing relationship with the person who has wronged us. For example, if we loan our lawn mower to a neighbour and he wrecks it, comes back, asks forgiveness and we forgive him and he asks to borrow our new lawn mower and we loan it to him and he wrecks it, does forgiveness mean that we keep on loaning him our lawn mower 70x7 even though he keeps wrecking it? If forgiveness means not holding the past against a person, it would suggest that we should. On the other hand, is it a loving thing for us to help another person refuse to learn responsibility? Is it wise to send a child or a woman back into an abusive situation? Wisdom would suggest that we ought not to do these things. I admit that I am still wrestling with this, but perhaps the way to answer this question is to consider what is the loving thing to do for all concerned.

As you listen to this it may seem, in your mind, that you know all this in your head, you know it is the path to freedom, you know it is a choice which must be made because you have been forgiven, but it is still very difficult. David Augsburger asks, “How do you forgive…when the cost is staggering, the pain unbearable, and your own anger still swelling?” He answers, “You can’t” but continues by saying, “The secret is God working in, you working out in life.” He quotes Philippians 2:12,13 to show us the way, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Conclusion

The thing which prompted me to write this message was a story I read in the Christian Week newspaper. Sokreaska Himm received an honorary degree from Providence College this spring. The newspaper tells his story. He grew up in Cambodia. “After two years of near starvation and forced labour at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, Himm’s 11 siblings and their parents were taken by soldiers to an open grave. As his family members were clubbed and beaten to death one by one, 13 year old Sokreaska watched the killers in silence as he lay on his dying father in the grave. At nightfall, Himm regained consciousness and struggled to pull himself out from under his family. Left with deep emotional trauma, Himm faced a life of bitterness and anger. Thirteen years later, his conversion to Christianity set him on a pursuit for the meaning of forgiveness.” He has written the book “After the Heavy Rain” and writes in it that he “hopes that survivors of any kind will find his story an encouragement to face the greatest decision of their life: whether or not to forgive.” He writes that he embarked on a “difficult journey of forgiving his family’s killers – in person. It was only much later that Himm returned to their village and gave them scarves and Bibles as a sign of his own forgiveness.” “…after years of suffering, Himm says he is finally at peace.”

Forgiveness, even after the most horrible wrongs, is possible! If you need to forgive, do it soon.

On a cold winter evening a man suffered a heart attack and after being admitted to the hospital, asked the nurse to call his daughter. He explained, "You see, I live alone and she is the only family I have." The nurse went to phone the daughter. The daughter was quite upset and shouted, "You must not let him die! You see, Dad and I had a terrible argument almost a year ago. I haven't seen him since. All these months I've wanted to go to him for forgiveness. The last thing I said to him was 'I hate you."' The daughter cried and then said, "I'm coming now. I'll be there in thirty minutes."

The patient went into cardiac arrest, and code 99 was alerted. The nurse prayed, "O God, his daughter is coming. Don't let it end this way." The efforts of the medical team to revive the patient were fruitless. The nurse observed one of the doctors talking to the daughter outside the room. She could see the pathetic hurt in her face. The nurse took the daughter aside and said, "I'm sorry." The daughter responded, "I never hated him, you know. I loved him, And now I want to go see him." The nurse took her to the room, and the daughter went to the bed and buried her face in the sheets as she said good-bye to her deceased father. The nurse, as she tried not to look at this sad good-bye, noticed a scrap of paper on the bed table. She. picked it up and read: "My dearest Janie, I forgive you. I pray you will also forgive me. I know that you love me. I love you, too. Daddy."

We've Always Done It...For Good Reason!

Acts 2:38-42

Introduction

One day Rachel was baking bread as she had done many times. She divided the dough into two pans and, as she had always done, set aside a small piece of dough which she used to make a few buns. As she did so, she wondered why. She had learned this way of baking bread from her mother and determined that the next time she saw her mom, she would ask her. About a week later they were together and she asked her mom why she had taught her to set a small piece of dough aside. Her mother said, that was how she had learned to bake bread from her mother and had always done it that way. She admitted that she had sometimes wondered why and decided that she would ask her mother the next time she saw her. The next day she went to visit her mom and asked her. Her mother told her that she had done it that way because the pans she had at the time were smaller pans and if she used the whole piece of dough it did not make a nice loaf of bread.

Sometimes we have traditions that are carried on from one generation to another without actually understanding why we do it. Perhaps what we are doing today is such a tradition. Do you ever wonder why we baptize and invite people to become members of the church? In order to answer that question, I would like to look at what happened on the very first day of the Christian church.

Jesus came to earth to live as a human being. He died on the cross, rose again from the dead and after 40 days, He ascended into heaven. The disciples waited for 10 days and then the Holy Spirit came on all of them and Peter preached to those present in the temple. When he had finished preaching, we read in Acts 2:37 that the people asked, “What shall we do?” In answer to that question, in Acts 2:38-42, we have a description of what happened at the very beginning of the church. That pattern has been continued to this very day and as we reflect on what happened, we will see why we continue to do these things and why they are so important. Let us read Acts 2:38-42.

Repentance

The first thing Peter did was to call them to repentance.

Need For Repentance

As Peter had preached, he had brought the listeners to realize that they had been responsible for the death of Jesus who was the one sent from God. He said to them, in Acts 2:36, “…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” As a result, we read in 2:37, “…the people …were cut to the heart.” They were guilty and they felt guilty because they had indeed been involved, if not actively, then in their hearts with the death of Jesus. So they needed to repent of this great wrongdoing.

Of course, we need to realize that we are also guilty for the death of Jesus. Jesus did not die because He had sinned. He died in the place of every sinful person on earth. So if you are human, you are responsible for the death of Jesus because of your sin. Therefore, we need to repent of our sin and rejection of God.

Later in his message, Peter pleaded with the people in 2:40, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Each of them was implicated in the disobedience of their day. They had need to repent.

Of course, we also are fully involved in the corrupt generation which surrounds us. We share in the sins of every man and are in need of repentance. We have made a mess of our life and need to turn around in order to straighten things out. We are on a path that leads to death and therefore need to repent in order to find life.

Call To Repentance

The call to repentance, which Peter issued was a call in tune with the rest of Scripture. As Paul reported of his ministry to the elders in Ephesus it was important for him to say in Acts 20:21, “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

Repentance is an about face and it does not come until we know that we are going the wrong way. Arthur Wallis said, “Brokenness is not revival; it is a vital and indispensable step toward it.” The beginning of our salvation, happens when we repent of our sins. All of you who have asked for baptism have acknowledged your need of God and have indicated that you have repented of sin and want to walk with Jesus.

Promise of forgiveness

What happens when we repent? Peter answers, “so that your sins may be forgiven.”

For the people experiencing the guilt having crucified Jesus, this was good news. This is good news for us. After all, what other option do we have? If we stay in our guilt, we will slowly die, first in our hearts and then eternally. If we demand justice, we are dead for sure because we are guilty of wrongs punishable by death. There is no better offer than to repent and receive the forgiveness which God offers. E. M. Poteat wrote, "…there is forgiveness with God. 'None with nature,' say the scientists; 'None with law,' say the jurists; 'None with society,' say the Pharisees; 'None with anybody,' say the cynics. 'But,' says our Lord, 'God forgives...'"

The first thing that is needed is turning to God and that begins with repentance. We are so thankful that those of you who are being baptized have repented. We invite anyone who has not repented to do so and find God’s forgiveness.

Baptism

Along with repentance, there is a call to baptism.

Background

The background of baptism is found among the Jewish people. Some ceremonies of cleansing were practiced in normal Jewish life. Some of the Jewish sects had practiced baptism as a ritual of cleansing. But the baptism which was to be practiced by the Christians had its roots primarily in the work of John the Baptist. He had called people to a baptism of repentance. We read in Mark 1:4, “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

On this day of Pentecost, however, another change took place. Now the baptism was not simply one of repentance, but also one of accepting Jesus. It was now to be baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ.” From this point on baptism became a part of the practice of the Christian church.

Meaning of Baptism

Because it is a baptism “in the name of Jesus,” it means more than just a recognition of sin and a desire for cleansing. It also acknowledges that that cleansing comes from Jesus and is given by faith in Jesus. It also indicates a new life lived in the power of the resurrection. In other words, the meaning of baptism includes the reception of Jesus into one’s life.

There are several different aspects to the meaning of baptism. One aspect is that found in Romans 6:1-14. In this passage, baptism is described as a death to sin and being raised to a new life in Jesus Christ. Immersion baptism illustrates this beautifully. As the person is put down into the water it symbolizes the death to sin and as they are brought out of the water it symbolizes the resurrection to newness of life.

Another aspect of the meaning of baptism is seen in the passage we are looking at today. Peter indicated that upon repentance and baptism, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This meaning is illustrated beautifully in the baptism by pouring. As the water is poured over the person, it is a picture of how the Holy Spirit has been poured into the life of the person being baptized.

When we understand these meanings, we understand that baptism is not just a ritual which has been handed down from generation to generation without meaning. It is a powerful picture of a significant spiritual reality. Those of you who are being baptized are saying some very important things. You are saying that you identify with Christ. You are saying that you have died to sin and don’t want to live that way any more, but want to live in the power of the resurrection. You are saying that you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit through faith and that it is your desire to live daily in the power and with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

The Gift Of The Spirit

Furthermore, it is wonderful to notice that these actions come with a promise – the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Conditions For Receiving The Gift

The conditions for the receipt of the Spirit begin with the call of God. We don’t truly understand how that works. It introduces all kinds of things that can be easily misunderstood. How does God call? Does He call everyone? Does he neglect to call some? These are things which have to do with the sovereignty of God, and we leave that up to Him, but we do need to understand that God does call people to himself.

We cannot change the call of God, but we do have a responsibility to respond to the call of God. From the human point of view, the conditions for the receipt of the Holy Spirit are repentance and faith exemplified in baptism.

The promise is that this call extends widely over the earth. Peter indicates that it is for those who are near – the Jewish people; and those who are far off – the gentiles and the people of the ends of the earth. Therefore, it extends to those of you being baptized today. Having repented and expressed faith in Jesus, you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Benefits Of The Gift

What are the benefits, the blessings of this gift from God?

The gift is the Spirit Himself. It is not a gift of what the Spirit can do in and through us. It is not the fruit of the Spirit, although if we are filled with the Spirit, we will bear fruit. It is not the gifts of the Spirit, although when we are filled with the Spirit, we will receive gifts to use to serve God. The gift is the Spirit Himself.

The wonderful thing about that is that the gift of the Spirit is the powerful, divine presence of God with us. As we reflect on what happened on the day of Pentecost, we see that it was a divine event. Peter and the other apostles did not discover “Bic” lighters and hold them over their heads. God put the flames over their heads. James and John did not rent a big fan from a movie company to make the mighty wind appear. God brought the mighty wind. Thomas and Matthew did not have a computer which translated their testimony so everyone could understand it in their own language. God’s Spirit allowed people to hear the message in their own language. Peter hadn’t been practicing his message for the last 50 days. God filled Him with His Spirit and he spoke powerfully.

The coming of the Spirit means that the Christian life will always be a divine event. We repent and we trust, but the life we live as Christians is lived in the power of the Spirit of God. The Spirit empowers us to obey! The Spirit empowers us to serve! What a blessing!

I want to encourage each of you who are being baptized and in deed all of us to recognize the presence of God’s Spirit with us and to live and learn more of what it means to live in the power of the Spirit.

Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “A woodpecker tapped with his beak against the stem of a tree just as lightning struck the tree and destroyed it. He flew away and said, "I didn't know there was so much power in my beak!" When we bring the Gospel there is a danger that we will think or say, "I have done a good job." Don't be a silly woodpecker. Know where your strength comes from. It is only the Holy Spirit who can make a message good and fruitful.”

Covenant Community

The last thing which happened on this day was that “about three thousand were added to their number…” They became members of the church. They entered into a covenant with the community of God’s people.

Making Covenant

The fact that it says that they were “added” indicates a new relationship between those who were disciples. It indicates that they entered into a covenant with one another. The next verse says that they were “devoted,” which also indicates covenant. God is not calling individuals to himself, but is creating a people for himself. The church does not exist apart from God’s people living in a covenant relationship with one another. After you are baptized today, you will become a member of the Rosenort EM Church. This act is in complete agreement with what happened on the first day of the church and continues to be in tune with the will and intention of God. Once again, I would like to encourage those who are believers and have not made a commitment to the body of believers where you fellowship regularly to do so. It is scriptural.

Living In Community

Not only did they make covenant with one another, but they began to live in a covenant relationship with one another. Please look at verse 42 and note that they listened to the teaching of the apostles. They enjoyed fellowship with one another. They remembered the things Christ had done by observing communion together and they prayed together.

As you become members of this church, I would encourage you to engage in these things as well. Continue to seek the teaching which happens here. Enjoy the fellowship. Participate in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, as we will do this evening and engage in the work of prayer together with others of God’s people.

Conclusion

What we are doing here today was what was practiced on the first day of the church and because it is filled with meaning, we continue to do it today. We are indicating change through repentance. We are marking new relationships with Jesus through baptism. We are recognizing the power of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit and we are recognizing the relationship we have with the people of God.