Beginning with the Bible, Part 2: Measure Twice, Cut Once

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:11-19, NLT

11 This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with him,
    we will also live with him.
12 If we endure hardship,
    we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
    he will deny us.
13 If we are unfaithful,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot deny who he is.

14 Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.

15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 16 Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. 17 This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. 18 They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.

19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”

- Between pastorates, when my daughter Abbi was a toddler and preschooler, I worked four years learning carpentry with my father in law.

- I learned many things about carpentry.

- One of the lessons that I learned over and over again is one of the most basic, time tested lessons of carpentry, "measure twice, cut once."

- Measure twice and cut once is the foundational rule for building anything.

*- This lesson is so important in carpentry because, as my father in law and I used to joke, after cutting something and finding it too short, "You can't cut a piece onto it."

- Imagine the frustration of cutting an enough two by fours to stud up a room, then discovering that you cut them all too short.

- You have to hope that you will use that wood elsewhere for other things, otherwise it's a waste of materials and time and both add up to wasted money.

- It's always better to take the time to measure twice and cut once.

- It is a rule that is really about paying attention to the facts in front of you and knowing for certain that what you measured is true.

- My maternal grandfather and great-grandfather owned men's clothing stores and the same rule applies when tailoring material for a new suit.

- My great-grandmother was a milliner, i.e., she was a hatmaker and would have been familiar with the same principle: measure twice, cut once.

- The apostle Paul used this kind of language as he wrote to Timothy.

- When Paul encouraged Timothy to correctly handle or correctly explain the word of truth, he literally wrote, "one who cuts straight the word of truth."

- As a tent maker, Paul understood the importance of measuring twice and cutting once.

- Paul understood that if you make a mistake when you're cutting and you don't cut straight or you cut too short, then you can't "cut a piece onto it" .

- Cutting mistakes waste precious time and precious material.

- With the word of God, we need to be certain that we cut a straight path for the good news about Jesus Christ.

- Rightly understanding the Bible equips God's people for living rightly.

- But with the Bible many times we do try to "cut a piece onto it" , but it's no laughing matter.

*- How do we try to "cut a piece onto it" with the Bible?

*- We try to "cut a piece onto it"  by reading into the Scriptures what we want the Scriptures to say, with ourselves in mind rather than what God has in mind.

*- In other words, we try to "cut a piece onto it" by bringing our assumptions to the biblical text and there are many ways to do that.

*- We can bring our assumptions to the text through theology, worldly philosophies, human traditions, personal values, convictions and experiences, etc.

- Paul wrote Timothy encouraging him to work zealously measuring the word of truth, God's word, accurately, so that God's people will be equipped to live faithful and holy lives.

- Paul didn't want Timothy to become like Hymenaeus and Philetus whose incorrect understanding of the word lead people away from the truth and back into lives of sin.

- Paul wanted Timothy to handle the word of truth correctly, why? Because...

- Rightly understanding the Bible equips God's people for living rightly.

- Not only does the Christian need to read the Bible, but if the Bible is going to have an impact on the Christian life, then the Christian also has to understand the Bible.

*- If we try to "cut a piece onto it" by reading into the Bible something that it does not actually say, then how are we to read the Bible?

- The simplest answer is in today's sermon title: Measure Twice, Cut Once.

- If we are going to cut a straight path for the word of truth, the good news about Jesus, then we need to measure twice and cut once.

*- As we read the Bible we need to measure twice.

*- The first way we measure is by observation. We read the biblical text and observe carefully what we read in a chapter or a section.

*- We observe the text by asking "the 5W's plus how."

*- Let me share some sample questions from this week's lesson: To whom is the author writing? What words are repeated or emphasized in the passage? Where is the event taking place? When was this written? What kind of literature is being used (history, poetry, parable, letter, etc.)? What is the main point of the passage?

- If we ask these questions of our passage for today, we will learn a number of things.

- First, we learn that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from his imprisonment in Rome sometime in the first century, around 66 or 67 A.D. (To learn of his imprisonment and the date of writing, we have to dig a little deeper into second Timothy, as well as be aware of history.)

- We also learn that Paul was concerned that Timothy work hard to keep in the minds of God's people the truth of the gospel.

- Truth is mentioned a number of times.

- The passage has a strong emphasis on God's people staying faithful and holy by remaining faithful to the truth.

- In it Paul also emphasizes what happens to people who do not stick with the truth.

- They turn to useless arguments, foolish talk, godless behavior, leaving the path of truth by making false faith claims.

- But those who stick with the truth have a firm foundation sealed by the knowledge that they belong to God and, therefore, must turn away from evil.

- Verse 15 speaks of Timothy working hard to correctly explain the word of truth is, quite literally, the central verse in this passage.

- The first part of measure twice is observe the passage.

- Once we observe the passage then we have a good handle on what the passage says.

- But the old general rule of thumb was measure twice, so we need to know more than what the passage says.

*- The second part of measure twice is interpretation. We need to know how to interpret the passage based on what the rest of God's word reveals without trying to "cut a piece onto it" by reading our thoughts back into the text.

*- Once we know what a passage says, how do we interpret the text?  This part is where good reference materials come into play.

*- Check cross-references, notes in a Study Bible, lexicons for word meanings, historical and cultural contexts, parallel passages, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, etc.

- For example, if we asked ourselves if what Paul has written here agrees with what he is written elsewhere, and with the rest of the New Testament, then we could answer that question by checking cross-references.

- Rather than going through all that this morning, which would take the better part of an hour, I'm going to ask you to trust that I already did it and give you the short answer, yes.

- Yes, this passage agrees with what Paul has written elsewhere and compares well with what others have written in the New Testament.

- Again, for the sake of time rather than going through everything I've listed on the slide, I just want to give you an interpretation of the passage with one sentence.

*- Why would we want to summarize a passage with a single sentence? The short answer is for clarity of understanding.

- Accurately summarizing a passage with a single sentence shows that you have understood the passage and can communicate it clearly.

*- Paul strongly impressed upon Timothy the importance of correctly explaining the word of truth to enable Timothy to help his flock avoid falling away from the truth and continue living as God's faithful and holy children.

- Now that's a big sentence, but it's a sentence which we can make more concise and clear to communicate a principle.

- Rightly understanding the Bible equips God's people for living rightly.

- First, Observe, then interpret; that's measure twice.

*- Now we're ready to cut once, to cut a straight path for the word of truth to speak into our lives. We are ready for application.

- Applying the text to our lives is where the rubber meets the road.

-  After all, what use is observing and interpreting so that we can understand if we do not do what the Scriptures say?

- God has preserved for us Paul's words to Timothy, because we also must correctly explain the word of truth. So we understand not only what the Bible said in the past, but also what the Bible is saying to us about how we ought to live.

- We need to ask four simple questions about how to apply the text to our lives.

*- The first question has to do with doctrine. Has the text increased my understanding of the essentials of the Christian faith? If so, how?

*- The second question has to do with rebuking sin. Has the text identified sin in my life? If so, confess and repent.

*- The third question has to do with correcting sin. Has the text revealed steps for me to take to correct a sinful habit, attitude or lifestyle? If so, what are they?

*- The fourth question has to do with righteousness or justice. Has the text shown me a command or principle that I need to start obeying or practicing? If so, what is it?

- These are the basic steps to understanding and applying the Bible to life and they are essentially the same as what we're going to be using from week to week in Sunday school and in our small groups as we dig into the word and go deeper into the Bible.

- I want you to know this morning that my main objective, my key goal as your pastor has always been and will continue to be to correctly explain the word of truth thereby helping you avoid falling away from the truth and continue living as God's faithful and holy children.

- I want to give you this assurance today: I am fully committed to measuring twice and cutting once with the word of truth.

- As far as the application goes for today's message, I want to at least remind us again of the principle that God has helped me draw out of this text.

*- Rightly understanding the Bible equips God's people for living rightly.

- This principle directs us back to one of the essentials of the faith and that is the authority of Scripture. Paul maintains that the Bible is the word of truth.

- If we are going to live right before God and before our neighbors, then we need to understand what the Bible says and do it.

- If we are going to be open to a gentle rebuke, then we must accept the Bible as the word of truth.

- If we are going to be open to having our thoughts, attitudes and behavior corrected, then we have to accept the Bible as a word from God.

- Is there pious nitpicking among us or godless chatter?

- Do you ever find yourself talking a good game for the Lord, but actually doing very little to build up the kingdom of God?

- Do you find yourself following the teaching of others who try to add to or take away from the basic good news about Jesus Christ?

- Are we prepared to let God use the Bible to measure twice and cut once in our lives, cutting a straight path for the word of truth to thrive?

- It all comes back to this principle, today's take-home truth: Rightly understanding the Bible equips God's people for living rightly.

Beginning with the Bible, Part 1: Start Here

Sunday, October 20, 2013

- If someone were to ask me what I thought the purpose of the Bible was then I would have to say that the main purpose of the Bible is to point people to salvation in Jesus Christ.

- But I would also have to give the person who asked me that question, today's take-home truth: the Bible lights our thought paths, so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

- The Bible lights our thought paths so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

- Now, the only way the Bible can do that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

- Without the Holy Spirit to guide and direct as we read the Bible, then we are only left with human reasoning, false arguments, and proud obstacles which lead to disobedience.

- The Bible lights our thought paths so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

- Let's get going first with Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

*- When we think about the kind of lamp that the psalmist was referring to then we need to be thinking about an ancient lamp. Not something which has about 40 million candlepower.

- There's no faith involved in using that kind of lamp to get from the tent or the camper to the toilet in the middle of the night.

- Using that would be like having your own little personal version of the sun.

- There's no effort involved. This is not the right kind of lamp.

*- No, we're talking about something which has about 1 candlepower.

- Going out after dark with this kind of lamp requires a great deal more concentration from a person. It requires a great deal more faith.

- This lamp also requires effort because you have to pay attention to your feet. You have to keep your wits about you.

- A small lamp like this lights up just enough of the space around you so that you are forced to take one step at a time with your eyes focused on the path ahead of you.

- The psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

- The world in which we live is a dark world filled with the darkness of sin and controlled by the powers of darkness.

- But Jesus is the light of the world and he has given us the lamp of his word to shine on the path that lies before us, so that by faith in him, we can take each day one step at a time.

- The words that God has spoken in the past capture for us the character of God himself, as well as the character of his plans.

- As we spend time in his word, the better we know him and the better we know his plans and therefore the better we can know what God would have us do as we face all of life's circumstances.

*- The better we know God's words the better able we will be to make the daily decisions of life that keep us on the path with him.

- The Bible lights our thought paths so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

- Now let's turn to our second Scripture for this morning, 2 Corinthians 10:3 to 6

*- 3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 6 And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.

- Now, the original readers and listeners to this letter from Paul were the Christians of the city of Corinth.

- The folks at Corinth had all kinds of problems. I am thankful to God that they did because we wouldn't have first and second Corinthians without them.

- One of the problems they had was in listening to all kinds of false teachers.

- So, Paul contrasted human standards with God's standards. He told them there's a human way of doing things and there's a godly way of doing things.

- Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians that the Christian life is a spiritual war and that Christians are warriors for God, who are involved in spiritual battle against spiritual forces of evil.

- Because this is a spiritual battle against spiritual evils, it would be silly to consider fighting in this battle with physical strength and human strategies and material wealth.

- Paul says we use God's weapons for this fight, and we don't use God's weapons to attack people.

- In the sixth chapter of his letter to the church of Ephesus, Paul told the Ephesian Christians about the armor of God and Paul only lists two weapons of attack, the rest are defensive weapons, the two weapons are the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer, persistent, Spirit filled, unceasing prayer.

*- Physical, worldly weapons are absolutely useless in spiritual battle.

*- Only the truth has the power to gain victory in spiritual warfare. Only faith in God empowers Christians in spiritual struggles. Only by following God's path can victory be guaranteed.

- Paul was right to be concerned about the Corinthian Christians because the strongholds of the devil are false philosophies which turn away glory from God and hide the truth.

- Paul, saw strongholds of evil as human reasoning, false arguments and proud obstacles.

- Any belief, point of view, thought, attitude or value that deflects glory from God and hides the truth is a stronghold of the devil.

- The Christian has access to only two weapons to attack, tear down and destroy such strongholds which keep people from knowing God.

- Again, those two weapons are the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and persistent prayer in the Spirit.

- And Paul says what we must do to respond is destroy strongholds and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

*- As Paul wrote to the Romans, Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. (Romans 12:2, NLT)

- The Bible lights our thought paths so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

- If we are going to be the kind of people who bring God glory and bring the truth of God's grace to our neighbors, then we also need to be the kind of people whose beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, values and points of view are grounded in the Christ of Scripture.

- We need to be the kind of people who take every thought captive to obey Christ.

- We need to be the kind of people who are unwilling to allow themselves to continue copying the behavior and customs of the world,

- And be the kind of people who are willing to allow God to transform us by changing the way we think.

- We need to become the kind of people who live on a steady diet of Bible.

*- The Bible contains the words of God which reveal the Word of God, Jesus Christ.

- To know Jesus, we need to know his words and deeds.

- To think like Jesus, we need to know what he said and how he acted.

- To know God's standards, we need to be intimately familiar with his law.

- To fight in the battle, we need to know how to wield our swords and we need to know what to pray and how to pray.

- To fight in the battle, we also need our armor: feet, shod with the gospel of peace; waists, buckled with the belt of truth; bodies, covered with the armor of righteousness; heads, wearing the helmet of salvation; and, having a firm grip on the shield of faith.

- To know God, we need a steady diet of his word.

- The Bible, we start here. Read it, and read it more. Pray it, and pray it more. Know it, and know it more. All so that we'll know him and that he knows us.

*- The Bible lights our thought paths so we can walk with Christ in obedient faith.

"Christ's Authority" Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-23, NRSV

Sunday, October 13, 2013

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

- Christ has authority over all things for God's glory.

- The reason for everything is the glory of God.

- Every moment, every person, every creature, every place, every created thing exists for the glory of God.

- Everything belongs to him. All of it, for him, from him, and Paul says it three times in Ephesians 1, all "for the praise of his glory."

- The first time we find this phrase, the praise of his glory, is in verses five and six:

 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 

- If I am a Christian today, it's because of Christ's authority.

- I am chosen, and destined to be God's adopted child through Jesus Christ. That's God's gift to me.

- Was it just for me that he did that? No, he did it "according to the good pleasure of his will," that is his heart's desire.

- What is God's heart's desire? Why sacrifice Christ Jesus? Why adopt me as his child?

- Paul says it simply, that it is "to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." ...To the praise of his glorious grace.

- I'm a Christian, chosen, destined to be God's adopted child in Jesus Christ because his heart's desire is for the praise of his glory.

- The next place we find the phrase, to the praise of his glory, is in the context of verses 11 and 12: 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory.

- If I am a Christian today, then I have a higher destiny, a greater purpose than living for myself because of Christ.

- I belong to Christ. He is my inheritance.

- Because of God's purposes, accomplishing all things according to his will in Christ, I must submit my will to the will of Christ, conforming to his will.

- Why submit to Christ? Why conform to God's will?

- Only as I focus my life solely on the hope I have in Christ will my life be lived for the praise of his glory.

- Because of Christ's authority, I no longer live for myself, for I am called to live for the praise of his glory.

- The third time, we find the phrase, for the praise of his glory, is at the end of verses 13 and 14: 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

- If I'm a Christian today, then I must embrace the reality of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life because of Christ's authority.

- I've heard the word of truth. I have received the good news of my salvation. I have believed in Jesus Christ that God raised him from the dead. I have been marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.

- Why embrace the reality of the Holy Spirit's presence?

- I must embrace this reality of the ever present Spirit of God in my life because I need to be filled with a sense of God's love, I need continued assurance of my salvation, and I need to display the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the character of Christ in my life.

- Why? This is the guarantee of my inheritance, proving that I belong to God & that I am his child, proving that God keeps his promises, proving that God will carry out his mission on earth, proving the genuineness of my faith, and securing for me eternal life...

- The work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian's life is for the praise of his glory.

- The life I live now, the Spirit is working powerfully to transform now.

- The experiences that change me today, the Spirit verifies is a taste of the eternal changes in me to come.

- My current life is lived in expectation of my inheritance toward redemption as one of God's own people.

- I'm looking forward to the time when God will completely free me from the presence of sin because I am sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit.

- Because of Christ's authority, the Holy Spirit lives in me, signed, sealed, delivered...All for the praise of his glory!

- Paul also prayed for these things for the Ephesian church, God's people in Ephesus, because Christ has authority over all things God's glory.

- Paul prayed to God the Father, the one to whom all glory belongs, that the Ephesian Christians would have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that their intimate knowledge of God would grow.

- He also prayed that they would know the truth about the future hope awaiting the bride of Christ, God's people.

- He prayed they would know the truth about the riches of his glorious inheritance, that God will inherit his people as his own precious possession by bringing them to be with him for eternity.

- He prayed that they would know the truth about the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.

- Paul wanted the Ephesian Christians to know deeply the complete, absolute power of God, which he has made available to every believer.

- God is telling us today that our hope is in Christ, our inheritance is in Christ, and the power of God is available to us in Christ.

- Christ has authority all over all things for God's glory.

- 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

- The power that raised Christ from the dead is the power that placed Christ in authority over every other power and authority forever.

- In the ancient world, if the King seated someone at his right hand, then it was a clear statement that the King considered that person his equal.

- Christ has supreme authority. He sits at the right hand of God the Father, and no one is his equal.

- Christ's place at the right hand of God the Father is as the one who intercedes on behalf of the Christian and as the one who has authority over all creation.

- Because he is raised from the dead and because he sits at the right hand of the Father, Jesus is the head of the church.

- As he said to his disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me." Matthew 28:19

- Christ's authority is supreme, superior to all other authorities, both seen and unseen.

- And, says Paul, he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

- Four times in this passage, Paul tells us, twice in verse 22 alone that all things are under the authority of Christ.

- Friends, if God's word tells us something four times he doesn't want us to forget it.

- First, Paul told the Ephesian Christians that God's plan has been to gather up all things in Christ.

- Second, Paul told the Ephesian Christians that in Christ we have been chosen according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will.

- Third, Paul told the Ephesian Christians, all things are under Christ's feet.

- Fourth, Paul told the Ephesian Christians that God made Christ the head over all things for the church.

- Christ has authority over all things for God's glory.

- God is not working for our personal comfort and pleasure in the present moment.

- God's heart's desire is not our personal desires, comforts, and pleasures.

- No, God is working to make his church salt and light, so that people may see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father.

- God's will is that our speech and our actions, our words and our deeds, all of life be for the praise of his glory.

- Whose glory? His glory.

- When we truly believe that Jesus reigns, then our lives will follow his agenda.

- The Bible tells us that, "God has put all things under the authority of Christ."

- Christ has authority over all things for God's glory.

- In light of the sovereignty of God and the authority of Christ, our every word and deed must seek to reach for and strive after two standards.

- The first standard is to bring God the glory he deserves, and the second standard is to bring God's grace to the lives of everyone around us.

- Again, it reminds me of the song of the angels at the birth of Messiah Jesus, "Glory to God highest heaven and peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests."

- These two standards reflect the greatest Commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two Commandments.

- Christ has authority over all things for God's glory.

"Straining toward the Prize" Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Sunday, September 22, 2013

- Former pastor, Todd Wilson, founder of Family Man Ministries, shares the following story.

- Once upon a time there was a man who was bright, ambitious and hard-working. One day, a letter arrived from the richest, most powerful man in the world, who was also eccentric and hadn't been seen in years.

- Scribbled in his handwriting was this short message: "Dear Sir, it is come to my attention that you are a house painter and that you do excellent work. I have a lovely old house that needs to be repainted. Money is no object, as long as it is done properly and to my satisfaction."

- Directions to the house were scrawled in the lower left-hand corner of the letter, with the promise to pay an incredible sum of money upon completion.

- The man was thrilled to receive such a letter, and the next morning he sprung out of bed, loaded his truck, and drove to the house.

- When he pulled into the driveway, he gasped at the sight of the monstrous Victorian house and knew instantly that this would be his crowning achievement.

- The house, if such a building could be called a house, stood six stories tall and would have covered a football field. There were parapets and porches, gingerbread work by the mile, and 100 windows of various shapes and sizes. It was every house painter's dream.

- With gusto, the man unloaded his tarps and ladders and set in to scraping and sanding every square inch of the place. It was an enormous undertaking and required over 10,000 sheets of sandpaper, 3000 scraper blades and 100 gallons of wood filler. It took 10 years to finish, and that was just the sanding.

- A lesser man might have thrown in the towel, but not him. Around the clock he worked. When it was too dark, he brought in lights, and when it got cold and snowed, he covered the entire house in plastic.

- Curious onlookers often asked the man why he worked so hard on the house. Without slowing, he'd answer, "I just want to do a good job for the guy who hired me." That's the kind of guy he was, hard-working and conscientious.

- Once the sanding was complete, the man spent another eight years applying a quality primer, and then he was ready to paint. And paint he did. He chose 126 different shades of taupe and 35 accent colors.

- It was truly a sight to behold. The colors were spectacular and the workmanship, superb. The decades passed and the house was slowly completed. Every day, huge crowds gathered to watch the gray-haired man paint with caring strokes. The applause was deafening and sometimes lasted for hours. He was featured in newspapers, magazines, and even a movie was made about the house and the man. Never before, had the world seen such a house or admired such dedication.

- Finally, on the man's 72nd birthday, the last drop cloth was packed away and the house was done.

- Amazingly, it just so happens that on the very day he finished, a letter arrived, announcing that the owner planned to stop by the next day to see his house and pay the man for his work.

- The next morning the sun rose into a dazzling blue sky. At the house, the crowd was bigger than ever and police had to be on hand to keep the crowd in check.

- For several hours the man waited, buffed, and paced back and forth like a caged lion. The crowd was wild with anticipation and then hushed in a sudden silence, as a black limousine pulled down the long gravel driveway.

- The man's heart pounded like a bass drum as a black capped driver exited the door and made his way to the rear of the car. With gentlemanly elegance, he leaned over and opened the door for his employer.

- Every eye searched the dark opening of the car, as a small, white headed man stepped out into the bright sun and lifted his hand to shade his eyes.

- The painter, unable to hide his pride, puffed out his chest, beamed a glorious smile, and swept his arm up toward the shimmering beauty.

- The owner, seemingly speechless by what he saw, gazed at the house and then looked at the man who labored for 50 years on the house. In a voice as clear as a bell, he shouted, "You painted the wrong house!"

- He turned, stepped back into his car and left. The crowds disappeared, the sun vanished behind a cloud, it started to rain, and the cold realization settled over the old man, that he had wasted the best years of his life.

- He looked up at the house, turned and walked away, mumbling, "I can't believe I painted the wrong house."

- Todd Wilson comments, "Many men and women have spent their entire lives working for a goal, only to realize near the end that it was the wrong goal. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way. It's your choice."

- Wilson continues, "In a way, we're all guilty of painting the wrong house from time to time. We are constantly being lured by the wrong goals and the wrong idea of success."

- The apostle Paul had a great desire for the churches that he served and taught to spend their lives and invest their lives in working for an eternal prize.

- God does not want his church or any of his people to spend their lives working hard and in the end discover they've been painting the wrong house.

- Don't get me wrong, it's good to work hard. It's good to invest yourself wholeheartedly in meaningful work. It's good to have a sense of accomplishment in a job well done.

- However, the life and service of the Christian and the life and service of the Christian church need to be spent doing the work God has appointed.

- The painter in the story made one mistake, and it was a mistake that he made before he even began the work.

- It's a mistake that goes unmentioned in the story until the end, a mistake that is implied.

- The painter's mistake was in following the directions to the house. If only he had gone to the right house, for all his efforts he would have won the prize.

- No one wants to arrive at the end of life, only to discover that they've worked, suffered, and sacrificed for nothing.

*- The apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church at Corinth, "Don't you realize that in a race. Everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)

- To win God's prize, live life by God's purpose and plan.

- The goal of the Christian life is eternal life and that prize can only be gained by following God's purpose and plan.

- I've said it before, salvation is opposed to earning not effort. Salvation takes work.

- The work to which the Christian and the Christian church is called is the mission of Jesus Christ to be the hands and feet, and voice of Jesus until the light of the gospel shines in every home.

- Our mission is to bring glory to God and peace on earth, bringing God's grace to all who would receive it as the angels sang announcing Christ's birth.

- Like a pebble that is cast into the water that mission spreads out in concentric circles in both the life of the believer and the life of the church.

- The gospel light needs to shine in each one of our homes and spread out from there and the gospel light needs to shine in the life and ministry of the church (God's people, Christ's body) spreading out into the neighborhood, the community, the region, the province, and the world.

- Eternal life with Christ is the prize, but that gift has to be opened and used.

- To win the prize, live life by God's purpose and plan.

*- God's Purpose: God's purpose is that we run in such a way as to win the prize.

- The Christian must run in the direction of the prize. The painter got it wrong from the very beginning because he didn't go in the right direction.

- To live the Christian life well, we have to run in God's direction.

- Surround yourself with others who are running as hard and as fast as they can toward God.

- The prize can be attained, but by the disciplined who bring their bodies under the control of the Holy Spirit and into step with Him.

*- Paul wrote to the Philippians, "Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14, NRSV)

- If we want to win, then we have to run. Run as hard and as fast as we can in God's direction.

- We cannot get there by dwelling in the past. The past is over and done. We can only get there by running toward God's future.

- We must not use the past as an excuse for not doing what God calls us to do in each approaching moment.

- We must not use the past as a barrier to God's new work, saying to ourselves, "But we've never done it that way before."

- We must run, always run, looking always straight ahead if we are to reach our King and gain the prize.

*- God's Plan: God's plan is that we understand the Christian life as an athletic life, practicing strict self-control and self- denial.

- The Christian must learn to deny oneself anything that is potentially harmful or not beneficial, while training our bodies for good works.

*- Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23, NRSV)

- If we truly understand the Christian life, then we will understand that it, rather than rejecting and denying suffering and sacrifice, embraces them.

- It is a life that embraces self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering because the Christian knows the glory that is to come and that their sacrifices are not in vain.

- Not that we intentionally seek out suffering, but that we understand that being the hands, feet and voice of Jesus can bring trouble, but through the trouble, joy.

- Many times it's as simple as giving up something good in exchange for God's best.

- Without the prize, self-discipline is merely self-punishment.

- God's plan is that we understand the Christian life as an athletic life of strict self-control and self-denial.

- God's purpose is that we run in such a way as to win the prize.

*- God's prize: God's prize is a crown which lasts forever.

*- As Paul wrote, "Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one." (1 Corinthians 9:25, NRSV)

*- The ancient Olympians received the highest honours and received laurel crowns as tokens or symbols of their victory.

- Normally, woven from fresh branches of bay laurel, Paul reminded his readers that these laurel wreaths were only temporary, but the prize the Christian runs for is imperishable, eternal.

- We are called to run, not for a crown that is fresh today and wilted tomorrow, but which lasts forever.

- We run in such a way as to generate enthusiasm for Christ in others, believer and nonbeliever alike, knowing that their gain is also our reward.

- We are called to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus until the light of the gospel shines in every home.

- The prize we run to gain is not simply for ourselves, but for everyone around us. It's not just our eternal destinies we're running for, but their place in the kingdom of God.

*- To win God's prize, live life by God's purpose and plan.

- Have you been painting the wrong house? OR, Has your focus been on the eternal prize, God's kingdom?

- Have you been running as hard and as fast as you can in God's direction?

- Have you been training yourself to sacrificially choose God's best over the merely good?

- God's plan is that we understand the Christian life as an athletic life of strict self-control and self-denial.

- God's purpose is that we run in such a way as to win the prize.

- God's prize is a crown which lasts forever.

*- To win God's prize, live life by God's purpose and plan.