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In light of all of the opposition, all of our doubts, and all of our internal ugliness, how will we move forward with joy? In this message, Pastor Bill Monday highlights how we can because "God is Able"!
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Tough and Tender
Wk 8 - St Peter
Pastor Bill Monday
Welcome back to our last message in our 8 week series on “Tough & Tender” working through 2nd Peter. And then now, Jude kind of started Jude that little letter towards the very end of the New Testament last week. We'll wrap that up today with our series before we jump into our message today. With the emphasis on God's Tender Love. Let's begin with prayer.
Sanctify Us by the truth. O Lord. Your word is truth. Amen. That's been a number of weeks that we've had this year on “Tough and Tender”. I pray that you've been encouraged by the Lord's word, which is tough, but, obviously tender. Which is the reason why it was written. And last week, if you remember among the many good things that Pastor Tim mentioned, I want to emphasize one thing, which is our focus for today. Fact, if you're taking notes, go ahead and write this in their Pastor Tim said he was tough. That was his message last week. It was a pretty tough message. And that was because of Jude. Most of the verses are really tough, and then he said, but we've set it up for this week, for Pastor, Bill is tender, so appreciated that Okay, Pastor Tim, he's tough and tender, I'm tender, I guess I like to use humor. I think I'm accessible, but I also want to be known for being tough. Things are for God's purposes and so, I thought I would just kind of illustrate a little bit of how you can take tenderness and you can overdo it.
You can be overly tender. And fact, when you would you say, as you take stock of what's going on in our culture today, in our world today, at least the Western world. We tend to be overly tender or the problem is not necessarily being too tough. What do I mean by that? Well, what is maybe the only virtue that we agree upon in our culture? Today, maybe that virtue is tolerance. Just tolerate it, it seems everything. As long as it's not tough, that's kind of true. So again just to illustrate why that can be a very dangerous thing. In fact, it is as dangerous as being overly tough, one of the share with you a story that I often go to when it comes to Temptation a Jude had really encouraged up to this point, God's people to keep fighting against Temptation, especially the temptation to use God's grace and abused it as if it's a license to sin. And so this temptation story in illustration it's about a frog and a scorpion I used this years ago for the season of Lent, for Jesus, Temptation in the wilderness. How he withstand Temptation? Let's see if you remember it but I'm going to change. It actually went to make it overly overly tender. I think you're going to enjoy it. There you go. The frog and the Scorpion there on the river banks and the Scorpion needs to get across to the other side. You remember the story. So the Scorpion asks the Frog he says
Hey, you can swim. I can't you think you could give me a lift to the other side of the river? I'd really appreciate it. Frank looks at the Scorpions. Like are you kidding me? You'll sting me and if you sting me out die, why would I give you a ride across the river? Let's go to sleep. No, I get it. I get it. But just this once and think of it, if I'm writing on your back and I sting you and you drowned and I'm going to drown with you. Why would I do that? Frog, thought about he said, all right, just this once. So the Scorpion jumps on the frogs back and they swim across the river and about halfway through the scorpion stings the frog and the Frog looks up confused as he's sinking down. He says, why in the world would you do that? Then we're both going to drown and the Scorpion, just looks at him. He's like, well, I'm a scorpion. That's just what scorpions do and that is a really sad story, people come down and that's it temptations.
That right? I don't like that story. It's too tough, too tough. So I changed it. Let's say the scorpion gets on the frog's back and they swim across, and everything's great. And the Frog goes his way and the Scorpion goes his way and it's a great day. Doesn't that sound a lot better than the story? I just told you that this is the thought I'm wrestling with you. Maybe scorpions don't always sting. You might say it a different way, they say that if you play with fire you're gonna get burned. Well, maybe not. Maybe sometimes somehow some way I can play with fire and not get burned, kind of like that. And I think today we just kind of like hearing that you don't have to be tough. Let's just be tender, just love to tolerate, maybe scorpions, don't sting, maybe fires, don't burn. Well, what if we applied that to our church practice, As We Gather And We Gather to hear God's tenderness is Grace. Well, what if we just got rid of his toughness? The law is, will we just all about love may be filling in the blanks here again, a lot of blanks to fill in. We always have to be so tough, maybe tough on membership. I don't really think our membership requirements are all that tough, but there are those that maybe feel like it is our requirements. I did. You know that we have requirements to be members here, part of 922 Church and membership is important. It is to be a blessing. It's how we recognize who we can really serve and walk with throughout this life, for our overall encouragement to partner together, to further the gospel Ministry. And so we have And called membership. And if you're new to Christianity, new to the faith, we ask that you would meet with us. And I know it's a commitment, but for at least ten lessons are discussions and overview of the Bible Jesus teachings because, well, that's what we're about his tough and tender teachings. God's word fact years ago, maybe some of you remember, it was actually a 20-week class for maybe half a year. We feel confident, we can summarize things in about 10 weeks, but much earlier than that, it is really tough to cover the Bible. It's a big book. So what if we just kind of relented? What if we just said, you know what, just join, of course we want everyone to join and we want to be committed to Christ teaching because there's life, but in our day and age I could be a little intense. What if somebody has a problem with one of the things from the scriptures? Let's just step over that. We just can't avoid that. Let's just have anyone join. Then we could be overly tender, doesn't that sound good? I mean, just think about the numbers that we could have in the community that we could be a part of in favor of that.
Well let's just see how it plays out. How about the next one? I mean do we have to be so tough on the Lord's Supper? So we're going to be celebrating that in just a few moments as part of our service. And we have this practice, we call close communion. It's weird that we want everyone to attend the Lord's Supper, because it's amazing. It's a gift from Christ himself. We recognize from the scripture that God wants us to be instructed first. He wants us to be able to examine our hearts and see our need for grace. That means to confess her sins. And then Jesus asked. And through Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Apostle Paul, he wants us to recognize that in this. Well, communion there are elements, not just bread wine, but his very body and blood, not symbolic, but really present. Yes, Christ. 2,000 years ago, his body, blood were Crucified there for everyone to receive. For forgiveness and it's true without Christ's body and blood. There is no forgiveness. He wants you to receive that intangible form to recognize that. And Paul says this in Corinthians, he says, look, if you don't recognize the body and blood that you're receiving, that you can sin against that and that just brings judgment. So, one ought to be instructed, and not only that when you come forward, Paul also says that you're one, there's Unity that's being expressed in the teachings of Christ.
So, to be United means, to know his word and to be united in his teaching and practice, but we could just out, you know, do away with that, we could just say, hey, we don't have to have this practice of close Community. Just anybody can come Now that seems overly tender, doesn't it? I'd a loving but is that what's best for us? How many of you would be in favor of that? Or how about this on Creed's in general, as opposed to Deeds? There's this kind of Mantra that's popular. It's been around for a while, but Deeds do not create just be about loving others. Doctrines often divide, you start talking about the scriptures with people and you get on easy.
What if we were just about social causes and really loving others and being a good and not so big on the Bible, That sounds the way to go today. It sounds loving but Is that what we should be? Is that dangerous that playing with a scorpion that'll sting? Well, how about this another teaching of God, on gender and human sexuality? I noticed I've been up four times since May and preaching. I think every sermon I preached on some aspect of gender and human sexuality, you're probably getting tired of it. I am too. But it's such a pressing issue, isn't it? Today? I don't know if he can speak to it enough. In fact, I probably remember because I got a stack of books on my desk right now on how to teach gender and human sexuality to kids. You just think of that? I think it's sad that in our day and age kids just can't be kids for a little while. But they have to be adults sooner than they are ready. But that's the world we live in. So I could take the route, I could just say look , yes, in the Bible it is very clear and Genesis, God's design, male and female. And for the purposes of marriage and the benefit of society and human sexuality, and how that's a gift for marriage. We could stand on that, which Jesus himself says in Matthew 19, but it would be so much easier today.
Maybe those parts of the scripture don't apply and maybe your gender perception is whatever you want it to be and you have those feelings and I don't deny that and you can live out however you'd like And I'm just going to say be at peace. All that would be so much easier, wouldn't it?
Would we agree that it's being far too tender? And are you really being tender at all? It means is that even love
Something to wrestle with. How about scripture? I mean, should we take the approach that's common today? Yeah, this is God's word as much as you want it to be. But maybe this doesn't apply, ignore that or whatever because it's too tough or just think about this other religions.
I know. Do we have a general audience? That could be done online for me to make the Bold claim. That Jesus Christ is the only way to God the father, he alone can provide the Forgiveness of sins that offends people. It offended the people in our Gospel reading the audience that Jesus was speaking to
It would be so much easier if you just kind of backed off, we were just a tender people. We didn't have to be tough. How many of you like those ideas?
Good. Because those aren't great ideas at all. And yet, that's the struggle in our culture today, isn't it? The world is so overly tender, but Well, I would suggest it's not truth and it's not love and that's why if we just sum up our thoughts, as we think about Jude, Jude knows God's people God's word in a sin broken world. When we are in a desperate situation and need God's grace, we must be both tough and tender and praise God. Your pastors here.
They're tough. And God. Be praised and God empowers us to be tender. We got to be both. And maybe I could just comment on that. The nature of our culture today, which is overly overly tender and I don't know if it's for anyone's good.
But this whole idea of tolerating anything, and everything, in the Name of Love, How does that really benefit others? Especially those that you'd say need rescue and from the fire? How do you think of this Jesus was sent in this world? Not because we're doing good. And we're okay. But Jesus was sending this world 2,000 years ago because there's a problem. And we're going to die otherwise unless God intervenes. And so, his word is giving. So think of this, if you're ever in a situation and you see somebody being overly tender and they're not speaking up for the sake of someone else, for the truth, that needs to be heard. What is really going on there? Isn't it? A form of idolatry?
Somebody is saying this, like I know you need to hear the truth. I know you need to be rescued, but I'd rather have you like me. Then they speak a difficult conversation, I'll leave that to somebody else. And if somebody else comes along and says that, well, then I'll be quick to judge them, because that's the only judgment you're allowed. Is to condemn anyone who's tough. It is really trying to exalt yourself above God. God doesn't even take that approach.
Think about the pride and arrogance of that saying I cannot love God. Oh, when God speaks this way here, that's too tough. I love a little bit more than Jesus. Who died on the cross suffered hell. And it is a form of cowardice isn't it at the same time? No, I don't want to have that controversy. I don't want to have that tension again. I would rather be at peace with myself and have to be invested in someone else. Who needs to hear toughness and tenderness. Did you see why Jude up to this point? Has been so tough and that's what Pastor Tim was hinting at. And the first 19 verses of a 25 verse book. But praise God. He speaks the truth to us. Why? Because now we're ready for some tender words and, oh, are they? So tender, especially the last verse for our consideration. So let's get to that power. Now that we've seen, there is a danger in being overly tender. Now that we've been tough again. Let's see this grace. Recognizing the dire situation, he gives us encouraging words like we don't have to be a part of the generations that perish by being overly tender, abusing God's grace like, Moses generation, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Like the angels that fell like the three individuals that were leaders and prominent figures in human history and that felled themselves by abusing God's grace cane and Balaam and Cora. She says, you don't need to be like them here. Here's how you can be different. He says, dear friends by building yourselves up in your Most. Holy Faith and praying in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love is truth and Grace She waits for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude says, here's how you survive. And a generation that is wicked and perishing, fill in the blanks, there's about four of them. Says, build your faith, build your faith, on the word, that is tough and tender. And that will cause us to pray more in the spirit because it is tough. And in this will keep ourselves in God's love. And this will keep us focused on waiting for the mercy that is coming. When Christ comes again. Now I'm trying to seize it. You see the 3 G's of her 5 in our mission statement, right? We're all about planning. Jesus routes to experience the life and love of God in the holy spirit's fruit. And the disciplines of the faith are exactly explained here by Jude. He says, build your faith. How do we do that? Well, it's by gathering and worshiping and listening to the word, which is tough. But for the tender purposes of God, And we don't just do that on a Sunday morning though. We're committed as a community to standing firm and we need each other to encourage each other. To do the difficult work of standing both tough and tender. And so, we group together with like-minded individuals in people's homes for small groups, Bible studies or in growth groups on Sunday morning again, we need each other. Otherwise, if we're not surrounded by fellow Christians, our mindset will be that of the world. And to our Despair and destruction will become overly tender. And we are in the word of God at home, which is why I love that. A part of this series, we had daily opportunities to read through first and second Peter tough stuff. First, second, third, John, and Jude and tender words from God. I don't think my family and I were blessed at the end of the day, to read through those scripture lessons. And it reminded me like, yes, we are in spiritual warfare. It's tough out there, but praise God. He's with us, we're Captain the love of God, you can see the gathering and group and grow roots there. That's what you'd say in order to not perish. To lovingly. Tenderly stand firm in those routes but he goes on, he's got another exhortation for us.
He says about others and he's got three audiences in mind. He says be merciful to those who doubt Save others by snatching them from the fire of hell. The other show mercy mixed with fear hating, even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. So again filling in the blanks he wants us to be merciful to those who doubt maybe an even hearing a message like this. Say, wow, that is tough. To come alongside them and say it's okay. God is love. You give Grace. And then for those that have strayed or those who are lost to have that mindset, well people need rescue people need us to stand for the truth in love. It really have a view of this life. Is everyone that you see there, either in a house that is on fire or have been rescued by Christ.
How tough are we that we would be willing to enter into that burning house. And to speak loving words to these Souls, that are trapped and lost in their sin. About like a child in a room where the house is burning and hides under the bed thinking that they'll be safe. To be bold. Go into that room and say, come with me. It's not safe to be where you're at and I know I've been there but there's hope. To be persistent in that. See that's what Jude is saying. Exercise, your faith. This is the give-and-go route, isn't it? Tonight just get comfortable to not just stay quiet but to give sacrificially to be willing to be like Jesus and persecuted for speaking. The truth in love Is to give and to go, that's our life in this nation. And to do so, then with the sense of fear, so to save others from hell and to show Mercy mixed with fear realizing that, when you go into someone's environment where they're entangled in sin and they're lost, don't get so comfortable. And you might be entangled in that sin too. So what he means by fearing and even loathing that clothing that is stained with corrupted flesh, love the person, but be serious about that sin. Even as we are, sinners need grace.
Tender words from Jude although maybe you're thinking like I am like, wow, still tough. When are we going to get to the tender parts? Because if you like me maybe you see all those? Like I don't know if I can do all of this. I mean am I going to be like those Generations in the past that also perish? I don't have the strength. So now finally, Jude is as tender as we need God to be.
Jude says this. To him that is Christ. Jesus, our lord, our holy God, to him, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault. And with great joy, would you, if there isn't any note you've taken so far that's fine. But take note of this to him who is able
Friends turn to the Lord. God, who is able?
Gets me thinking about how unable I am. In fact, I think it would probably be a fitting tattoo on my forehead just says unable. Maybe people wouldn't ask me to help them especially at home projects. I'm terrible. I'm unable when it comes to Home Project, anybody like that like it takes me three four times longer than it should to get a simple project around the home done. I had to fix a toilet a few weeks ago, it was just this seal that was broken between the tank and the toilet. Didn't even know that there was a seal there. So I'm like wow okay so I YouTube it says 10-minute project I'm like I'm good to go I take it all apart. It's not a 10-minute project not for me three and a half hours later after several trips to Menards. Finally watching the entire video. Put it back together probably three times as much as the cost that should have been, but that's fine. And then I bring to my wife, like, how manly am I?
Projects, I kid you not. I'm putting down sticker tiles. I call them on the floor in my previous house. So how hard is that? Probably a two hour job. Three hundred dollar cost. Well, took me six hours and at the end, the last tile I bang my elbow up against the side of an oven and somehow I need seven stitches from that. And I go to urgent care at two in the morning. Like, what would you do? Just like tile flooring. It was sticky tile flooring. So I don't know how I did that and the bill for the hospital was more than the material for the floor. So I put in a pull up rig in my backyard. That sounds more impressive than it sounds. What? Two planks of wood bar and like I ever use it, I don't ever use it. But anyway, after a broken
Windshield and almost breaking my wrist because too much torque on a drill. Finally, Yep, I have a pull up rig, I don't use it. I am not able and I kid you not. I didn't do it, that's just home projects. How true is that for Spiritual needs? Praise God. He's able. He's able to rescue you. And me, he already has Christ. And I know, you know that because you're here and that's how Jude ends this tough letter. He says, God is able. God is able to rescue you as surely as he's able to make a beautiful day like today and a creation in six 24-hour days. And how many of you believe God did that raise your hand? Well, if he created all things he knows how to rescue you and all your worries and struggles. When you like, I'm not sure that two thousand years ago, he gave you Jesus before you even recognized the desperate situation, wherein he had already rescued you in Christ by his perfect life for you by his death. What's really washed away, all your sins proven in an empty tomb which is your future? An empty tomb. He's already given you his holy spirit in the waters of baptism and by his word as a deposit, to guarantee your future is with God. You don't need to worry because God is able. So, think of that, whenever you're overwhelmed, Whether my home projects a relationship issue or your relationship with God. He is able. Which is why he was so tough. It's so we could appreciate Grace and never abuse it or run from it. He's able. And that also explains why Jude ins this way with praise as tough as he's been. He says to him be glory, Majesty, power and authority through. Jesus Christ, Our Lord before all ages. He is able and you are safe. There's no nothing more tender to hear that. Yes, to our Lord. Jesus Christ before all ages. Now, and forever more.