For His Name's Sake - not mine (Sermon)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23-ESV).

This is maybe one of the most well known and beautiful pieces of scripture. So many people have it hanging on their walls, it is read to loved ones, we recite it at funerals and even get it tattooed on their bodies! We visualize ourselves venturing through life, not knowing the ills and troubles that lay ahead, but as long as we are with the Lord - our Good Shepherd - He will lead us and protect us.

Excuse me while I preach for a minute.

Our Lord Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This is where context is important and also beautiful because we get a deeper meaning of what God our Father is saying to you and I through His word. “These things” Christ just told His disciples was that there will be a time where they will have grief and the world will rejoice. Why? We know as the readers today that Jesus was crucified, and it seemed to his followers that death and the world have won. But Christ wants His disciples to know that their grief will turn to joy because He will return, and the Father who sent Him will love them because they loved Christ the Son. He goes on to say that they will scatter and leave Christ all alone, but Christ assures them that He will not be alone, but be with His Father (who sent Him).

We can find the same kind of comfort in this passage as we do in Psalm 23 because we are told that troubles will come. A matter of fact, they are promised in a sense "two-fold", especially as Christians. First, we know as Bible-believing Christians that this world is broken and fallen. In a broken and fallen world troubles come - heartache, hurt, pain, disease, disasters, the list goes on and on. This should not be a news flash to folks who know God’s word. The other side to this coin is as Christians, we will experience troubles because of the name of Jesus Christ. I believe this side is being emphasized more than the former by our Lord in John 16:33 and even Psalm 23. He says, “in me you may have peace”. He is letting us know that because of Him you will feel grief (at the time due to the world rejoicing over His death - and in some way the world still does). But the beautiful news is that being “in Him” is the only way we will find peace in this world that will bring us trouble, regardless of if it is because the world just brings trouble or because we invite trouble in for being a Christian. You and I are being told that the only way we will find peace in this life is by being IN CHRIST.

Going back to Psalm 23, have you ever noticed a key part of verse 3 that we can easily overlook when we read it? We are told that he leads us in paths of righteousness for HIS name sake. When this was revealed to me as a Christian, I was wrecked in a way that words cannot describe. You see, I thought how I was as a Christian was “good enough”. I only understood God’s grace at a topical level, and to me it provided me a means to freely seek things that gave me peace all while trusting that He will protect me from things I did not like. Even the way I “worshiped” Him was to my choice and what felt good to me. Church, music, people, whatever - if it felt good and the things in my life felt good, all was good, right? Makes sense. Worldly things and possessions identified my “blessings” from Him and my peace came from this mindset that as long as I am happy I am good with Him, and if I am good with Him, He will protect me cuz it says so in Psalms 23.

To some this may contradict what Christ spoke about in John 16:33, but this is why every Christian needs to be reminded or have revealed to them “for HIS name sake”. I have learned that good biblical discernment falls under a very important truth - God’s word defends His word (hermeneutics).

I quickly realized (and was convicted) that I was treating Jesus as this “awesome addition” to MY story, like a “holy” novelty. He was a component of MY testimony instead of me being a part of His plan. My life was not shining any spot light on Christ. I also quickly learned that the Bible was not about me, but it pointed to Christ. Jesus Christ did not NEED me, I needed Him. My “Luke-warm” and ignorant faith actually provided itself like a spiritual prison. In putting my selfish expectations on a Holy God, I found myself either feeling inadequate as a Christian or even "disappointed" in God when things in my life happened that did not line up with my wants and needs (my “theology”) rather than what God’s word says and promises.

Many of you know what I mean as you read this right now.

As a person who has been there and now as a pastor that ministers to people now who have gone through it themselves, EVERYONE will come to place of “theological crisis” if they are boxing God up like this. Spiritual bondage is inevitable.

I ask that you continue to track with me here.

As a pastor, my wife and I get to see things and experience "troubles" from another vantage point. My wife and I planted a small ministry. We oversee and guide people literally to their graves. I am responsible for the people I oversee. I am a pastor, overseer, a shepherd - not just a Sunday preacher. Our “flock” is close to us. So we feel and experience heartache and troubles on such an intimate level that many who have never shared this calling could understand. I see why we are told to encourage one another as long as the day is called today (every day) in Hebrews because it is needed. I have learned that many pastors do not get that encouragement, or they surround themselves with people who may not offer true accountability, or even honest encouragement as much as they do some good "chat time" or filling a spot or position in the church.

This is why we see so many leaders of the church fall to sin or get burned out.

My wife and I strive to hold fast to God's word as individuals which always puts us in a humble position to learn. We teach this to the body as well, and it is not easy folks. Why? Because every day we all wake up wrestling with our flesh, the world and the devil. Our flesh is still sinful in nature, even though we no longer are bound by it. The world shows us brokenness and sin which can tempt us. And the devil - the accuser - loves to exploit our flesh and the world by continuing his same old tricks and lies.

If you look at the Lord’s prayer I think you will see very quickly why Jesus gives us the format of prayer He does.

Anyone who speaks anything different to you, that they do not battle with these things, that there is no battle going on whatsoever because Jesus took it all away, they are lying through their teeth. This heaps burden on people to think they have to "be something" before they can show that they are something - saved. Are you lying to yourself in thinking that because you wrestle with these things? Are not “Christian” enough? Let me tell you, that is the devil lying to you. This is how spiritual abuse takes place and we have to be mindful of what we speak to people who we see as brothers and sisters in the faith. By heaping burden on folks like this, we keep them operating in sin rather than seeing they have the freedom to no longer practice sin.

This is why Paul boasts about his weaknesses and sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. It is in our weaknesses we are reminded of God’s grace and how perfect His strength is, which then encourages us to WALK in His grace. It is in our weaknesses we should boast because it gives God glory. It is in our weaknesses and sufferings we are drawn to God, reminded of how much WE NEED HIM, not the other way around. This is all, for HIS name sake. We are told to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, that means in everything we do and think is to be to God and for God (for HIS name) but guess what, we need His Holy Spirit to do this because we cannot do it in our own strength and flesh - nor for our name sake.

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 6:8-10 something we tend to forget as Christians. Our faith is paradoxical, which means to claim one attribute (joy and excitement) you must welcome in another attribute because the value of that experience is known only by the presence of the other. He says, “through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything”.

“Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing”, how beautiful that phrase is to me and my wife.

So my faith is not determined by my ability to always be happy and excited, or avoiding the feeling of sorrow? Paul is saying "to do life" for the name sake of the Lord, offering our bodies as living sacrifices and just simply being alive as Jesus promised, we will have troubles! It is our peace in us given by Christ that will determine what our default response is to the sorrow and troubles. But if it is taught that sorrow should be minimal or limited - wrestling with sorrow is absent - acting like there is no spiritual battle going on even though you are on the side of victory, you do nothing but imprison yourself and heap burden and pain on others.

This is not Christianity. Christianity came about because of the blood of Christ and has carried on throughout time because of the blood of those who profess Him to be Lord and Savior!

My wife and I have put ourselves front and center for stricter judgement from God because we are teaching the word. So let that be something to consider because we surely do. Testing is always welcome and encouraged, but the criticism that comes from people who many times do not attend our church often (or ever) is a very hard thing to take, but by God’s grace in us - we strive to do so. People who are not in fellowship with us - true fellowship - critique us the most we have learned. Gossip and "busy bodies" from folks idle in their faith find their “peace” and contentment, maybe validation in pointing out faults in others of the faith. This causes division in the church and God sees this as an abomination in Proverbs 6:16-19. Our ministry is also compared to other churches who outwardly show something different, but within the people that attend have the same struggles (we know this because we seem to always get folks who feel that they are inadequate because they are not “acting” a certain way. In the beginning of their faith they were “on fire” only to now feel like something is wrong because the flame is out (please note what I said about myself early on in my faith). We have all kinds of people who profess to be Christian, even the ones who left the church because of spiritual abuse. But we praise God because they have the Holy Spirit in them compelling them to know the God of the Bible in a way that causes their lives to change in EVERY aspect.

This is how our walks become fruitful, steadfast and mature. Remember that fruits are the identifier of the Christian.

Regardless of what we endure for our flock, we lament for the people that pass on or leave us/the church and contend that they stay with Christ. You feel sorrow all the much more when "your work" is so close to you and you do this for the name sake of the Lord instead of your own.

I ask that you evaluate yourselves as Paul asks us to do in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and read Galatians Chapter 5. Are you showing low hanging fruits that are conditional to your environment and company you keep? You are a certain way around those who are like you and you like? How are you with "the least of you all"? Or are you literally being broken and cleaved to make room for high hanging fruits that only “grown folks” in the faith can reach and infants and outsiders can see? Once again pointing the glory to God.

My wife and I are blessed because when we get caught up in "condemning" ourselves because the work we do is not glamorous and differs from what what the world says it should look like, we get to hear the testimony of someone who is out working for the Lord, experiencing sorrow like Paul lays out in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, yet rejoicing all the much more! We no longer feel alone, regardless of not just the lack of encouragement, but the mounds of criticism by those who are far from us.

In Nehemiah Chapter 6 we learn about Nehemiah being pursued multiple times by the enemies of the Israelites to “come down” from building the wall out of fear of rebellion. They were threatening to kill him and lying about his reasoning for building the wall.

Now, here is some context for you once again. Nehemiah was the cup bearer for the king. This was a position of much prestige and notoriety. Basically, Nehemiah was "somebody" in the world's eyes that had a nice and glamorous position and when you saw him you knew who he was.

Nehemiah was a praying man that relied on the Lord leading his paths of righteousness. In doing so he actually left his life of glamour and comfort to do a job that obviously was not the most welcomed nor the most glamorous. He had a trowel in one hand building something for the Lord and in the other hand a sword to fight off lies, discouragement, and the enemies. All in the meantime he exclaims this "not-so glamorous" and hard work as “great work” in verse 3 of chapter 6.

This is the work my wife and I do. Joyful work that involves weddings, baptisms, praying over people and ministering to those who gave their life to the Lord. But we are also sitting at tables with couples who have marriages in struggle, ministering and “mourning with those who mourn”, funerals, suicides, addiction issues, depression - TROUBLES of a broken world.

Here is the kicker many forget - as we do all of this for the namesake of God we still have our ministry at home that is also for the name sake of the Lord. Remembering, our bodies are a living sacrifice in EVERYTHING we do. This "church work" would mean nothing if our home is out of order. This would mean nothing if our kids and our marriage was broken. Troubles come with our home ministry as well. I will spare you details of the challenges at home because every home has them - but our home has peace, a Godly peace, and it has order and Godly representations that is my wife and I to our children.

We live that "as for me and my house, we serve the Lord" life! I lead my whole family with Christ Jesus.

My wife and I work outside of ministry too - secular jobs, difficult jobs where people heap criticism on us because whose name we bear, the name of Jesus. It is odd to get the same kind of treatment from the world as you do those who you also call you "brother and sister", but the vantage point is similar I suppose because it is impersonal. I asked my wife how it would feel to have a mother who just gave birth to a baby, full of joy and excitement, who also has a nanny watch that child 8 hours a day come to her and say “you are doing something wrong as a mom because you always seem tired and not excited”. My wife’s response to that was one of just a look, no words. This is how ministry feels at times. Once again, we rejoice because we know that we are not alone. There are other "Nehemiahs" out there doing great work that may not seem like anything pleasant and glamourous. But God’s word tells us that the identity of biblical ministry will look as such, especially in a world that is so confused and having so many false religions and practices - even among “Christians”. Our country gives "success" an identity and to many church should have that same identity. Paul’s epistles seem to tell a different story and Jesus' own words to his disciples tell a different story.

Yes, when we first have our eyes unveiled and God has revealed himself to us, we are excited and full of energy. But in time, you learn that every day of the marriage that is our faith in Christ is not the wedding day. Any person who is married can attest to that. Does this mean you no longer are excited or joyful? By no means. It means you have learned and acknowledged that there is work to be done, work you welcome in doing because you love whom you are doing the work for.

The very thing that testifies on behalf of this is you learn the more you hold fast to God’s word, the more you abide in Him. There will be conflict that comes from the world who does not know Him. This is why His peace in us is His legacy left for us. Your fellowship with Him is not expressed through outward joy and spiritual expression, because once again the “wind that keeps those wings spread” is not going to always be present, and you will learn that quickly as a Christian if you have not already.

Paul boasts about his weaknesses and sufferings, because the paradox is that it indirectly boasts about the strength of Christ.

I live in the grace of God based from the good news revealed to me that I am a sinner, born in sin, apart from God and I am destined for death and judgement. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that I have been forgiven, redeemed, and reconciled back to God the Father, being seen as now His child, no longer a spiritual infant. I have been given a new life that is evident by the fruits expressed through living a life with his peace in me. Problems and troubles are promised, not avoided, in which sorrow will be felt, yet given all the more opportunity to rejoice in Christ!. I am made brand new through Christ, brought to life because I was dead in my sins and transgressions. I am called to be governed by the word of God and led by the Holy Spirit and not the flesh. I am being sanctified, made holy, and set apart daily, sorrowful that I am not who I want to be yet in Christ but rejoicing that I am not who I was yesterday!

After all of this, let us read Psalm 23 with new ears and eyes and if you feel the impact of this passage in a way you did not feel before, that is the Holy Spirit convicting you and changing you. Embrace it, repent, and rejoice that you are growing!

I leave you with this. Do not concern yourself with the ways of the world and heap judgement on folks outside of the church (1 Corinthians 5:12), as there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the world. We are called to judge those in the church who live in sin, which once again, does not make for a “popular” pastor or Christian. Your maturity and self examination of yourself in the faith - that "plank observation and removal" in your eye - which will allow you to properly remove the sawdust from a brother or sister’s eye. Spiritual gifts mean nothing if there is no love, and if there is no love then there is nothing being done for the name sake of the Lord. The spot light is simply being pointed to you and not God, and this will bring about conflict.

The world will get crazier around you. For you who do not waiver in your faith in Christ, you will be persecuted for the Bible tells me so. Churches will compromise and churches with a "spine" will be rare. God has called for us to teach and shepherd a church with a spine in this world.

My wife and I are always growing, seeking pure spiritual milk which is given through God’s word so we can grow properly and continuously in the Lord. I pray that before you critique a leader, pastor, or even brother and sister in the faith that you simply pray for them and offer encouragement, because chances are they do that for you.

Do you know them as the bible calls for you to know them? Are you in fellowship with them? What fruits do they bear in the name of Jesus? What gospel do they preach?

There is so much out there when it comes to denominations, spiritual practices, flesh appealing fellowship and gatherings, whatever. I may not know all of the different “things” a person can do to "show" their faith when it comes to spiritual connectedness, or religious piety, but in the words of Paul the Apostle, “for I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:22), and from there we operate and live.

In love and faith, Pastor Josh and his amazing wife Julaine

For His Name's Sake - not mine (Sermon)

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