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The 7 Points of Valor: #4 – Purity

March 7th, 2010 Comments off

Romans 6:6-14 “Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin’s every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did.
That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you’ve been raised from the dead!—into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.” (The Message)

PURITY To be clean in heart, mind, speech, and body is to be strong. Psalm 119:9 Our materialistic society is a breeding ground for idols and temptations. All of who we are needs to ring true to the Good News.

Consider food colouring. You have a large pitcher of cool, clear water. What happens when you put a couple drops of food colouring in it? The food colouring spreads out and tints the whole pitcher, not just one little part. How easy is it to get all the colour back out of that jug – quite difficult. Consider the kid playing with white gloves in the mud. Do the gloves get muddy, or does the mud get glovey? Sin is all pervasive. They say a little leaven leavens the whole loaf. As we focus on purity, let us start by looking at what wrecks purity – sin.

The Fact of sin. There is a standard. Whether you believe it or not, it exists. This standard is universal, applies to everyone. A popular children’s toy is a plastic ball with 8 or 10 different shapes cut out of the sides of it; a circle, a square, a rectangle, a cross, a star – you get the picture. You also have a separate shape that exactly matches each hole. The one shape will only fit in the corresponding hole and nowhere else. The child learns over time how to match the shapes with the proper holes. This standard that is out there is like this plastic ball with a cross cut out of it. Though we were originally created in the shape of a cross, our shape got marred and no we look more like a square. Try as we might, we can’t fit ourselves into that spot.That is sin at work. Sin is falling short of that standard, of not fitting that one spot. It is like the archer aiming for the bulls-eye, the target that is down the field. I spent several summers at camp and graduated through several ranks of the archery program. As you start, you know all the right stuff, how to set the arrow up on the bow, how to hold it so when you pull back the arrow doesn’t go flinging off sideways; how to protect the inside of your forearm from the string hurting it.Unfortunately it is easy to miss the target. It takes no practice to miss. Right out of the gate you miss. Add in practice, discipline, time, and a teacher and you can begin to hit the target consistently. The Bible says, “We all have fallen short” of the mark, or the target, but what does that mean? What sometimes happens is we get confused about where this standard comes from. What is the target to which we align ourselves? The target is the character of God, the image of Jesus. The whole Old testament and its Laws is all about revealing to us that character. All the Laws and rules in the Old Testament simply are trying to show us that shape to which we need to conform. Sin, then, is anything that goes against the character of God. At its most simplest definition sin is selfishness. It is doing stuff for our own image. The heart of sin is not the rule that’s broken, but the intent behind it. Let me explain this further, but understand that, as the passage we read earlier says, we are not under the rule of sin. In other words you have a choice. It is a God given choice, and is only presented as we follow Jesus. That choice, to say, “No” to sin is what purity is all about. To understand purity, is to understand sin and how it works in our lives.

Consider the Process of sin. James 1:13-15 says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” See where sin starts from? It starts from here in our hearts, and here in our minds. We have these desires and wants that are focused on us. These can be very natural things like the need for love or food. But if we allow these natural desires to become the controlling factor in our lives, they get pulled out of proportion and we no longer look like that standard we just talked about. Salvation and Christianity, then, is not so much about the rules and stopping the bad stuff as it is about pursuing the good stuff; the stuff that relates to that image of Jesus. Did you notice the clothes of the athletes during the Olympics? With the exception of figure skating and snowboarding, it was all about speed; and in their pursuit of speed they dropped all the stuff that held them back because they were pursuing the best way to get to the finish line the fastest. They weren’t concerned about making a fashion statement. They weren’t concerned about wearing stuff just because it made them look like an athlete or made them look fast. They focused on their race and did their best to avoid all the obstacles that would trip them up and slow them down. At points in following Jesus, you have choices to make. Do you do what is selfish and just for you, or do you live out of love. Do you allow yourself to be tripped up by the obstacles of life and get your eyes off of the race. Do you allow your desires to take you out of the race? Purity is the act of keeping your eyes on the finish line and pursuing that to the end.

The Power of sin. What gives sin such power? Why does it have such control over us? Sometimes we are so caught up in issues of holiness that we give power to sin by pushing the Law; the rules. The power of sin is the selfish intent. There is a thinking that we can do it all ourselves. We can be good enough in following Jesus on our own strength, so we don’t even need His help. Unfortunately that is pride, and the downfall of countless people, and of Satan himself. Believe it or not, you have a choice in this. Have you ever ticked someone off? Have you ever apologized but they keep coming after you? They keep blaming you for all their problems and they work hard to make you miserable – and you let them. You give power to them when you let them control your emotions, your life. Guilt and shame are 2 key controllers we use on each other, and that Satan uses on us. You don’t have to give in to them. In the power of the Spirit you can find release and peace from those things, because you are no longer slaves to sin. That is what freedom in Jesus is about. When you walk in the love and forgiveness of God you walk in purity.

The End of sin. Listen to Romans 8:1-8 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Do you see the choice here, the decision you have to make? Where is your mind set today? Each day you have to ask yourself that question. There are countless men and women who feel called by God. They start out on the road to be all they can be but they don’t finish. The simple reason is that they love the world. If you pursue the things of this world you can’t please God. The things of this world are all about how you feel, what you want. There is no room in that for God. Purity is about walking in step with the Spirit – giving these temporary things away so that you may gain eternal things.

Purity is a result of something else, not something to be pursued on its own. The pursuit of holiness is the pursuit of the Law. We make a list of all the don’ts, and try not to do them. We make a list of all the do’s, and try to do those things. All we are doing is trying to change our behavior on our own strength and as Romans 7 indicates, it doesn’t work. Purity is about what God is doing in us. It is about that process of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding and transforming us. We make the decision to follow Jesus with all we have.  The outworking of that choice, that commitment is holiness, or purity. Consider sin as darkness. A big empty room, but full of darkness. What happens when you bring a light in? Does the darkness overcome the light? Impossible. The Light goes straight to every corner, every space and brings illumination. Stay close to the Light. Stay close to Jesus, and you will be a person of purity.

Categories: holiness, purity, Team Hoyt, The 7 Points of Valor Tags:

The 7 Points of Valor: #3 – Chivalry

February 28th, 2010 Comments off
Philippians 2:3-4 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
Luke 10:29-37 “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Matthew 20:26-28 “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Team Hoyt: As we watch the video again I remind you of the first 2 Points of Valor. The first was honour, which we identify as integrity. The challenge is to not just know the right stuff, but to apply it. Integrity of words and life are the foundation of our testimony, our witness. If people around us are to see Jesus in us, our word must be true. This is honor. The second is courage. Courage is about working in the present. So often it is the fear of the future or the unknown that holds us back in life; but courage deals with today’s problems. Jesus Himself said to work in today for tomorrow has its own issues. Courage is about doing the right thing, even in the toughest of circumstances.
You will find 2 common denominators in these 7 points of valor. The first is the discipline of self-sacrifice. Jesus asked those who would follow Him to take up their cross and do so. The cross is the ultimate symbol of self-sacrifice, for not only did Jesus give up his mortal life, but in the incarnation He gave up His divine right. For Dick Hoyt , his life and goals were forfeit for what he could do for his disabled son. There was one thing that made his son feel alive – and he has sacrificed so much of his time and energy and resources to give his son that freedom. To be a man of valor, a woman who stands for what God stands for, you have to be willing to pay the price of following Jesus. The sacrifice of discipleship is coupled with the concern for others. We do not follow just words of a book, or ideas of a person long gone, we serve our brothers and sisters, our fellow humans regardless of creed or religion. We sacrifice ourselves for the sake of others. That was Jesus’ life, and so it is ours. One way to say this is Chivalry. Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood. It is usually associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honor and courtly love. The word is derived from the French word chevalerie”, itself derived from “chevalier”, which means knight, derived from “cheval”, horse (indicating one who rides a horse). It has a 3 pronged reference: duties to one’s fellow men, including the weak and the poor; duties to God, emphasizing the dedication to one’s Lord and the championing of good over evil; and the duties to women, to his own lady first and after to all ladies in gentleness and graciousness.
A real man is concerned about those who are weaker or less fortunate than he. He would rather suffer personal loss than allow another to be mistreated. He has trained himself to think of others and to act for their good rather than his own. He is always considerate of girls and women and respects their needs for protection and consideration. We live in a man’s world in many aspects and though chivalry is a dated term, it relates to both honor and courage in our lives.
What is our duty to our fellow man? We are called to love our neighbor as our self, and it is in this context we find the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is our neighbor? Start with those who are in close proximity, and go as far as what Jesus said – the Samaritans of our lives. They are those who believe differently, those who think their faith is right and ours is wrong, those who are racially and culturally mixed; some might even mention our enemies. Paul said it this way in Romans 13:8 “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” What does it look like? Think of the tales of the knights. They would support those who are weak and downtrodden. They did it because they had trained for battle: they knew their weapons and how to use them. Have you ever read that passage about the armor of God in Ephesians 6? There is a sense that all of us who are mature Christians are garbed in armor for warfare. We all, as mature Christians, wander about our days as agents of chivalry who help those who are spiritually weak and oppressed. We look for those whom Satan has beat down, whom the world has shut up behind religious bars and stripped of all spiritual esteem; those whom the Creator made in His image and then died for so that they could be restored to a relationship with Him. We watch for those to whom we can help, and we use the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet and foot ware and belt of Truth. It is all there, so that God can do His amazing work in people’s lives through us.
Whether man or woman you are called to something set apart for the elite. One understanding of the knights of old is that you had to have been born into the right family to attain that position. It wasn’t just any lackey off the street that could become a knight. It had to be in their blood. You had to have wealth behind you for the training and the armor and the horse. And you, who are followers of Jesus, have been adopted into the right family. You have the blood of the Lamb on your life so you are called joint heirs of Christ. What is your duty to your fellow man? Stand up and make a difference for those who are weaker and poor, especially when no one else will.
What is our duty to God? Chivalry means we recognize we have a Master or Lord whom we serve. Do you get that picture of a knight standing at a gate or a bridge forbidding all to pass? The knight stands by command, and obeys until his strength runs out. Sometimes it is to the answer of a riddle or the display of virtue that allows passage, but it is the dedication to the Lord that makes the knight risk his life. There is no other option, it is do or die trying. This aspect of chivalry is not unlike the Olympic athletes we have been watching these past 2 weeks. They don’t come to Vancouver to lose; they come to win. There chances may be slim, but they still put in years of training and countless other resources of muscle, sweat and tears just for the chance to compete. They give up the things in life that will take away from their training, They do their school work if they are students, and work as they are able, but their focus is on the training so they can complete the task they have been given to do to the best of their ability. Our duty to God is to give him our focus, our abilities, and allow Him to use us in His mission. His example and character lead us on as we give our all to the task at hand.
What is our duty to women? Men, we live in a society that favors you. While we like to think we are civilized, we still struggle with equal rights. The vulnerable ones of our society need help – children and widows, whether widowed by death, or widowed by absence or abuse. You have to go out of your way to be chivalrous to women, because they will not get it from anywhere else. While Jesus lifted the stature of women; a movement in society in the last 50 years has tried to make us all equal by tearing down men and the institutions of family and marriage. At the same time there has been recognition that men and women are indeed different. One of the greatest tragedies of porn beyond the individuals involved is how it shapes society’s concept of women. They become objects and chattel, pretty things to look at but of no real value. There is great abuse given to the young women of our society. Listen to these stats:
One-half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of violence since the age of 16
Almost one-half of women reported violence by men known to them and one-quarter reported violence by a stranger
One-quarter of all women have experienced violence at the hands of their current or past marital partner (includes common-law unions)
One-in-six currently married women reported violence by their spouses; one-half of women with previous marriages reported violence by a previous spouse
More than one-in-ten women who reported violence in a current marriage have at some point felt their lives were in danger
Six-in-ten Canadian women who walk alone in their own area after dark feel “very” or “somewhat” worried doing so
Women with violent fathers-in-law are at three times the risk of assault by their partners than are women with non-violent fathers-in-law
Source:  Statistics Canada. The Daily,  Thursday, November 18, 1993.
University of Victoria’s Sexual Assault Centre posts the following childhood sexual abuse statistics:
1 in 3 females and 1 in 6 males in Canada experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18.
80% of all child abusers are the father, foster father, stepfather or another relative or close family friend of the victim.
Incestuous relationships last 7 years on average
75% of mothers are not aware of the incest in their family
60-80% of offenders in a study of imprisoned rapists had been molested as children
80% of prostitutes and juvenile delinquents, in another study, were sexually abused as children.
In this context, ask yourself how do you treat women? Men, to be a real man today means you have to support and encourage the women around you. While we don’t put them on pedestals, we do recognize the great gift they are from God. In the Creation story we see the partnership God desires, but so often today we are grieving Eden. So much was lost, and we recapture some of that when we honor our women. Respect and graciousness should mark our relationships and our service. Who is looking out for these kids? You and I need to not shirk away from difficult circumstances, but find a way to help women find safe places, and to be a champion on their behalf.

Make the commitment today to be different, to be chivalrous in your approach to people and situations. Stand up for what is right, and strengthen your arm with the Spirit as you go forth in the power of God to proclaim the freedom Jesus brings to our lives today.

Categories: Chivalry, Team Hoyt, The 7 Points of Valor, women Tags:

The 7 Points of Valor: #2 – Courage

February 7th, 2010 5 comments

Joshua 1:1-9 “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

What is courage? What does courage look like?

Team Hoyt has many applications. Today we take the lesson of courage from the father and son team. They have run over 1,000 races together including 234 triathlons (6 of them were Ironman competitions and 7 Half Ironman) and 67 marathons (27 of them the Boston Marathon) over the last 33 years. Their best time in a marathon is 2 hours and 40 minutes, their best time in an Ironman is 13 hours and 43 minutes.They have 2 half marathons this year before they do the Boston marathon in April – it is Rick’s favorite race. His dad, Dick, will be 69 this year, his son will be 48. They did a 3,735 mile journey in 1992, running across the U.S. The courage of the father to attempt whatever he could for his son is inspiring.

There is the soldier on the battlefield. He is in his early 20’s and nothing prepared him for the reality and horror that is war; but he does whatever it takes to get the job done. There’s the young mother left alone with a child by an absent father. She works three jobs and lives on little sleep so that her child may have a good start in life. She also does whatever it takes so her family has what it needs. Then there is the person diagnosed with terminal cancer. It comes suddenly and shocks, bringing emotions and feelings deep and dark. Like Job, though, the response is “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Three situations, and perhaps stereo-typical in the messiness of life, but all illustrating courage and inner strength.

Courage is about working in the present. So often it is the fear of the future or the unknown that holds us back in life; but courage deals with today’s problems. Jesus Himself said to work in today for tomorrow has its own issues.

Courage expresses itself in many ways, but if you want to be all you can be in Jesus, courage has to be a part of your life. What’s the antithesis of courage? Is it fear, is it apathy? It is whatever that prevents you from action, from “doing” something. Quite a few years ago I was in a bookstore in a large mall. I walked around the corner of a bookcase on the wall opposite the cash register. Just as I turned the corner a huge man was putting a book under his coat. He turned and in a few strides was out of the store and gone in the crowd. I didn’t yell, or even move. I was shocked – shocked at witnessing a crime, and I choked. I stood frozen and unable to respond to what was happening at hand. It was one of my more pathetic moments and I still remember today that I did nothing. If it happened today I believe I am in a better frame of mind and would act quicker. At the very least I would call out from the safety of another book case; but then I failed to act.

So, how do we apply courage today? How can we become men and women marked by courage, the ability to act in the face of opposition? The process of change has 3 elements that I know of. There is a commitment, a moment of surrender and dedication. There is then the throwing off of the negative stuff and behavior and a throwing on of the good stuff. Romans 12:1-2 illustrates this when it says “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” “Present”, “do not be”, and then “be”. That is the pattern we see again and again in the New Testament, and it is the process of God working in our life. Let me leave you with 3 commitments, or decisions you and I need to make if we are going to be courageous.

Consider David. We think of Goliath or the lion he killed as examples of courage. We could also think of his reign as king and the military exploits he had; but consider something else – David had the courage to be open and honest with himself about who he was; about his life before God and the people. He knew who he was. How many men do you know could stand up in front of a group and recite poetry, much less write it? Real men – poetry, they don’t usually go hand in hand, but David didn’t care. He loved to sing praises before God and to dance before Him, even though he would be considered foolish for doing so. When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sins of adultery and murder, he didn’t make excuses or hum and haw; he “fessed” up and said “Before God I have sinned.” When confronted with his fallenness he pled guilty before God and accepted the consequences of his sins.

It takes courage to be real, to be authentic in community. It takes courage to show the “not so polished” sides of our lives. This church is your community and you and I need the courage to be vulnerable and make ourselves accountable to each other. There is power, incredible power when we open up ourselves to one another in the Spirit. I was talking to a lady yesterday about the Your Best You conferences. Her comment was the correlation between how “churched” women are and how closed they are. The more “churched” the women are, the more closed relationally they are. That’s the exact opposite of where we should be. Take courage, and let us all to be real.

Consider Abraham. Here he is cruising through life, successful at what he does when God says, “Move!” Say what? Where, why? “Just move!” So up come the roots and off he goes. Abraham heard God and was obedient to the call on his life. He took the initiative God asked of him and left the familiar and comfort. He had the courage to surrender all he has and was, and to step out, to break new ground, to believe God when He said, “Go” knowing God would provide. So, Abraham goes and gets to a wonderful land that God says will be his and his descendents. Then God says, “Offer you son as a sacrifice to me.” Abraham lived in a time when that was not uncommon. The land he came from practiced that, and Abraham thought the God he served was different. So, trusting in God again, with the courage of his faith, he was just about to follow through on God’s command when God intervened. And Abraham’s courage was counted to him as righteousness – his belief in God’s deliverance pleased God. The Psalmist tells us God is not interested in sacrifice, but in the broken and contrite heart that pursues Him. Do you have the courage to pursue God or is something holding you back? Have you dedicated your family and your money and all you have and are to Him? That is what God asks – everything. Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Thine.” Give up your small ambitions and pursue God. Again and again we see followers of Jesus throwing away careers and money and all the stuff this world holds dear, just so they can do what God created them for. They have the courage to surrender all and follow Jesus. Have the courage to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus.

Consider Daniel. Here he is as a captive in a foreign land, but finding favour with God and moving up in the ranks of government. And there are people who are against him, and jealous and they devise a plan to do him in. He is faced with a challenge – turn away from God or die. He has the courage to stand up for his faith. He had the courage to do what is right regardless of the consequences. Think of this: you have a son or daughter. They have grown up and are now in the exact place of Daniel’s friends Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. How would you want teenage son or daughter to respond to the challenge of bow down or be thrown in the furnace? God does not call us all to stand on a street corner and proclaim the day of the Lord. He does not call us all to sell all our stuff and give it to the poor and live a monastic lifestyle. But He does call all of us to holiness and a life changed by His Spirit. What IS God calling you to do and be. Most often God’s will has to do with being, with who we are in Him and how we live our life before men. Sometimes it is about location and task. Are you up for it? Are you ready for the challenge? Join your brothers and sisters in community and let us make the decision to follow Jesus whatever the cost.

Categories: Courage, Joshua 1, Team Hoyt, The 7 Points of Valor Tags: