Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 14th Wasting Talents

Today’s Reading – Matthew 24 & 25

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. (Matthew 25:18)

The context of the chapters which we read today really has to do with Israel and the Tribulation Period, but we can certainly make some good, practical applications to ourselves for today. In the parable referenced in Matthew 25:14 – 30, we have the story of the man who left with his stewards some money (talents) for them to invest in some way and make a profit for him while he went away. (Note – a talent was actually a weight of measure, thus a talent of gold would be approximately 75 pounds of gold; etc.) He gave each of the three stewards a different number of talents, and expected each one to bring a return proportionate to the number of talents that they received. In other words, he did not expect as much from the guy that was given less talents as he did from the guy that received more talents; but he expected each man to give him a return on his investment.

The traditional way that we interpret and apply this passage is to use the secondary meaning of the word talent which is a gift. We say that the Lord has given us each certain gifts. Some have been given more gifts than others. God expects us to be faithful and profitable with the gifts and talents that he has given us. We are not to waste our gifts by not using them, like the guy in our text who buried his talent in the ground. We are also not to misuse our gifts for sinful or selfish reasons. Our gifts are to be used to bring a return to the Saviour, and to glorify Him.

We could also make an application of this parable to the subject of stewardship which is what the passage is really dealing with anyway. However, today we no longer deal in talents, but in dollars. God supplies each one of us with a certain amount of income, and He expects us to be faithful and profitable with the money that he gives us. When we give our tithes to support the local storehouse, and we give our offerings so that worldwide missions can go forth, we are bringing the Lord a return on His investment in us. Conversely, when we hoard our money or misuse it, it is like the man who squandered the talent that the Lord gave him.

The bottom line is that we are to use whatever the Lord gives us for His Kingdom and His glory. We are only here on this earth as His ambassador anyway. Are you using your finances and talents for the Lord’s glory, or are you burying them in the sand? There is still time to get it turned around. You’re not dead yet. Dig that talent back up and invest it for the Lord. Find ways to invest yourself in God’s ministry to this lost world.

Oct 13th Clean Inside and Out

Today’s Reading – Matthew 22 & 23

Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:26)

Matthew chapter 23 contains a harsh rebuke by the Lord to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the fundamentalist of their day. They had the right doctrines. In fact Jesus admonished the disciples to do what the Pharisees taught, but He was careful to warn them not to follow their example. They were hypocrites: they portrayed on the surface a godly lifestyle, yet on the inside they were anything but godly. They were a cold and judgmental bunch. They were quick to point out the flaws of others, but they never looked within themselves to see if their own lives were right. They had all kinds of inward problems themselves, yet they focused on pointing out the flaws of others.

Unfortunately, today we see far too often Christians who we thought had “all of their ducks in a row”, only to discover that they are hiding some dark sin in their lives. They looked good on the outside, but they were filthy on the inside. Don’t misunderstand, we all struggle with sin, but we must be careful that we come clean with the Lord through confession, and then do our best to forsake the things that displease Him. God forgives and cleanses from sin. More importantly though, we must not try to appear to others in a self-righteous way.  As fundamental Christians today, we must be very careful that while we take our stand for all of the right doctrines, and as we preach the truth about sin; that we make sure that we don’t portray ourselves as above sin. We are sinners just like everyone else. While we try to live our lives as righteously and separated as we can, we are still a people who struggle with sin ourselves. Most importantly, we must not think ourselves to be any better than those that are without. If it wasn’t for the grace of God we could certainly find ourselves involved in some of the vilest sins. We must have a genuine compassion for people who are struggling. We must never compromise the truth, but we should preach the truth with a tear in our eye.

Jesus was very hard on the religious crowd, the ones that didn’t think that they needed any help. However, you will find that though He never once compromised in either His living or His preaching, He always treated the lost sinner with compassion. He loved them to Himself. We must do the same thing. While we strive to live a holy, separated life let us also demonstrate love and compassion to the lost world around us. If they get upset with us for our position, so be it; but let them never be able to find fault with our disposition.

Oct 12th Life’s Not Fair

Today’s Reading – Matthew 19 – 21

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? (Matthew 20:15)

In the passage referenced above we have the story of the man that hired a number of laborers to work in his vineyard. He started hiring first thing in the morning and promised those early workers a penny for their toil. Throughout the day he would find more people who were idle, and he offered them “what is right” in exchange for their labor. When the day was finished and it was time to pay the workers, each man, regardless of the length of time they labored, received a penny. The men who were hired early in the morning worked longer hours yet received the same wage. They complain that the man who hired them was unfair, but he reminded them that they received exactly what they agreed to work for; and that he had the right to pay anybody else whatever he chose to pay them.

The primary interpretation of this verse I guess would involve Israel. They are probably a little envious of the church who is a late arrival to the service of God. After all the Jews have had a long relationship with him, and who did these Gentiles think they were coming in and claiming that they have a claim to Heaven. I believe we could also see this attitude among those in the church. Let’s say for example that a man grows up in a Christian home and is saved at an early age. He goes to the same Heaven that another man would go to who trusted Christ on his deathbed.

The thought that grabbed my attention this morning, however, as I read was that we often think God to be unfair because He deals with us uniquely, and it seems sometimes that he treats others better than He treats us. There are two things that we can learn from this passage. The first is that God will always do what He says He will do; and secondly He will always do that which is right. So for us to become envious about how God blesses others, or uses others is to say that God is making mistakes, or is acting like men.

Sometimes as a pastor, I see the way God is blessing other ministries. It seems that some churches and pastors just have victory after victory. Sometimes I want to cry, “unfair!”  But I need to remind myself of a couple of things that I am sure of:

1  God loves me just as much as He loves anybody else.

2  God will fulfill every promise and principle in my life, family, and ministry just as He will with anybody else.

3  God has a unique plan and purpose for my life and ministry which is different from His plan for others.

4  I may not have had the same upbringing, training, and equipping that others have had. I just need to be faithful to do the best I can with the training that I have received; and I need to learn and grow as much as I can so that I can be more effective in ministry.

5  My vantage point of others in the ministry is limited. I can only see a small part of the picture. Even though it may seem that there are no burdens or problems at the other ministry, I know that there are. That pastor in the large ministry is probably paying a much larger price than I am paying.

In John’s gospel there is an interesting story that took place after the resurrection where Jesus is restoring a very discouraged Peter. Peter had denied the Lord prior to the crucifixion. Here Jesus tells peter to “feed His lambs”. Peter, however, was not satisfied with just being restored to the ministry: he wanted the top post. He asked the Lord (referring to John), “and what shall this man do”. Jesus replied, “what is that to thee?”. The Lord basically told Peter to mind his own business. God had a purpose and plan for Peter, and He also had one for John. He has a plan for me and you too. I don’t need to worry about what God is doing with you; and you don’t need to worry about what God is doing with me. We both just need to be faithful.

Oct 11th Pardon Me

Today’s Reading – Matthew 16 – 18

Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. (Matthew 18:27)

Nearly 21 years ago, I was caught and convicted by a man that I owed a staggering debt to. He had the power to have me locked away forever with no possibility of any kind of parole. What can I say, I was (and am) guilty. I had broken just about every law that this man established and I deserved whatever punishment He decided to give me. I was worthy of the eternal death penalty. Then a strange thing happened: I asked Him for mercy, and He granted it. He not only forgave me; He paid the debt for me and adopted me into His family, and I became both His child, and His brother. At first, I was overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving. I learned that there were many others that had sinned against Him, and that He was willing to pardon them as well. I wanted to tell everybody about Him and His forgiveness. Thinking back on those days, I can’t recall one person on the planet that I was upset with; that I had a beef with, because I was too consumed with the forgiveness that I had received. But as time went by, I began to forget about the mercy and grace that I had received, and slowly developed a mindset where I subconsciously thought that I somehow deserved the pardon that I received. I began to think that my debt wasn’t as bad as others: that somehow the One that pardoned me needed me to help Him run His kingdom. I began to start thinking about others that, to me, were less worthy of forgiveness than myself. After all. I deserved it: they did not. This was all a slow, and subtle development in my mind. I then began to pick and choose who I would allow myself to forgive. Some did not deserve my forgiveness as I deserved the forgiveness that I received. I began to put people away in my own “debtor’s prison”.

Eventually I began to move farther and farther away from the One who had given me the pardon in the first place. I began to think, say, and do things that had already condemned me. Something inside of me bothered me, and I began to be grieved about my life; but at the same time, I began to give some second thoughts to the ones that I had locked away. I reasoned, “what right do I have to hold people in my prison, when I have been given a complete pardon for the same things.” If He was willing to forgive all of my past, present, and future debt, ought not I be willing to pardon some people myself.

I have been saved a long time, and through those years I have been hurt countless times by many different people. Unfortunately, however, I have also hurt just as many people as have injured me. I have given up the mind game of trying to somehow justify that my sins weren’t as bad as theirs were. I didn’t (and don’t) deserve God’s forgiveness; and I don’t deserve the forgiveness of the people that I have wronged. They don’t deserve it from me either; none of us do. However, I accept it. I have received forgiveness, therefore I must give forgiveness. If you have wronged me, I forgive you. If I have wronged you, please forgive me. Once bot of us are released from prison we will be free to serve the One who pardoned us in the first place.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (Luke 11:4)

Oct 10th Keeping Your Focus In The Storm

Today’s Reading – Matthew 14 & 15

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (Matthew 14:30)

Just a quick thought this morning from today’s passage. The disciples were traveling by ship in the Sea of Galilee without the Lord. The Lord had stayed behind to get alone and pray. The Lord saw them through His omniscient eyes, and saw that they were struggling and frightened in a severe storm on the sea. He went to them, walking on the water. Peter sees the Lord walking on the water and he decides that he would like to try it as well. He asks the Lord’s permission to venture out on top of the waves. The Lord bids him to come, and he Peter does well for a short time until he loses his focus. While his eyes were on the Lord, he stayed afloat; but when he took his eyes off of the Lord and focused on the storm and the waves, he began to sink. Finally, he cries out to the Lord for help.

In the Christian life, there will be many storms. Some of these storms will be physical, some financial, some relational; but we will all go through the difficult days as we serve the Lord. Some of these storms will be self-inflicted, while others will be caused by others, and still others are beyond explanation. It really matters not where the blame lies as to the storm itself. The key to staying afloat in the storm, however, will be keeping our focus on the Lord Jesus. He allowed the storm in our lives for a purpose. It may be for our good; it may be for His glory; it may be for both. We need to trust the Lord and allow Him to see us through the storm.

I have seen this principle in action in recent days. When the storm first started, I spent most of my time trying to figure out how the storm originated. Who could I blame for the storm? Surely, it couldn’t be my fault, could it? After a while, though, God began to show me that this storm (and most other storms that I have experienced)  was at least partially my own doing. He also showed me that the purpose of the storm from my perspective was to teach me and grow me. I must confess, I wanted to sink. I wanted to just throw in the towel, blame everybody else for my troubles, and move on in bitterness. Instead, I have cried to the Lord for help. He has (and is) lifting me up, and is helping me to make my way back into the ship. I thank the Lord for his mercy, grace, and patience with me.

Oct 9th The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12-13

Matthew 13:58 And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Good morning. I don’t know whether to ask, “How’s your belief system?”, or “Seen any mighty works lately?” If John 6:66 is the saddest verse in the Bible, then Matt. 13:58 is next in line. Jesus could not do many mighty works because of the unbelief of the people in His home town. Believing is faith going to work: faith is not stagnant. And Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him:for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and thathe is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

It is a good thing to review what we believe that the Lord has given us to exercise our faith. So here’s a little check list that may help.

___ I am a sinner saved by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:8-9; John 1:29, 3:14-18; Acts 16:27-31, 19:4)

___ Salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect salvation: an eternal salvation. (1John 5:13; John 6:36-40, 10:27-30; Eph 4:30; 1Cor 3:11-15; Heb 9:11-15)

___ I pray. (1Thes5:17; Matt 7:7-11; James 4:2, 5:16)

___ I read my Bible. (Romans 10:17; Ps 119:9-16)

___ I tithe because I know that God will supply all my needs so I can do more with 90% of my income and God, then with 100% of my income without God. (Php 4:19; Mal 3:8-12; Matt 6:27-33; Luke 6:38)

___ I tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8; Matt 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; John 15:8,16; Prov 11:30)

How many could you check off? Don’t let me know – that’s between you and the Lord. If you could not check off all of these, then we (yes, I said we because I could not check off all of these either) need to work on those unchecked. James said, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

Peace (John 14:27)

Oct 8th Whose Mold Are You Being Poured Into?

Today’s Reading – Matthew 10 & 11

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. (Matthew 11:16 & 17)

In the passage referenced above Jesus explains that the people of the world want us to conform to their expectations. When the world wants you to dance, you’d better dance; and when they want you to mourn, you’d better mourn. John the Baptist didn’t fit into their mold. They called him a devil. Jesus was different from John, but they didn’t like him either.  They said he was a glutton and a “winebibber”.

When I was a kid growing up, particularly in the high school years, I could never quite figure out who I was. I tried to fit in with every group within the student body, but yet I never found a place within any particular group. I tried to run with “the jocks” but I didn’t quite fit there. I then tried to hang around the smart folks, you know the ones with the pocket protectors, but I wasn’t a match for them either. I even tried to run with the “burnouts”, which resulted in my getting into a lot of trouble. I never found a place where I fit until I got saved. When I was 25, I found the crowd I was made to run with. However, as I grew in the Lord, I discovered that even many within the church were not running exactly the same direction that I was running. At that point I had a choice. I could either conform to what they expected of me, or I could keep going the direction I was going. It dawned on me one day that the only person that I needed to please was God; and the only mold that I needed to be conformed to was the image of Christ.

Christian, stop trying to live your life pleasing your peers. Now you kids that are reading this still need to please your parents and the other authorities in your life, but you need to stop worrying about what everybody else thinks about you. Be who you are: who God made you to be; and be all that God made you to be. The crowd never accomplishes anything; but individuals who distinguish themselves from the crowd pouring their life into the will of God will accomplish great things, and eventually have the admiration of many within the crowd. But you have to be willing to break away from the dancing and mourning expectations of the people around you.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Oct 7th What Do You See?

Today’s Reading – Matthew 7 – 9

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? (Matthew 9:11)

In our reading today we learned about the conversion and calling of Matthew. Matthew was at his work of collecting taxes when the Lord approached him and called him to follow. The Bible tells us that Matthew immediately left his job to follow the Lord. He didn’t even give two weeks notice! Shortly after this, Matthew invites the Lord to his house to dine with him and his friends. Now this was not the crowd that hung out down at the synagogue. These were a rough bunch of “publicans and sinners”. The kind you would tell your kids to stay away from. Jesus saw this as a tremendous opportunity to minister, and to shew mercy to these folks. The Pharisees, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to criticize. They found fault with Jesus, wondering aloud as to why he would associate with such a group of “rabble rousers”.

Last night at our Kid’s Club at the church we had an extraordinary number of teenagers and children. As Bryan Brodton and I were driving through the complexes, we were amazed! The kids just kept getting on the bus. Some of them I had never seen before. I was excited because I knew that this was a tremendous opportunity to reach some of them with the gospel of Christ. Jesus loves these kids and gives stern warnings to those who would try to hinder them from coming to Him.

As the kids service came to a close and we were getting on the busses to bring the children home, many of our church families were arriving for the adult Bible study and prayer meeting. I could not help but wonder what some of them were thinking. Were they as excited as the Kid’s Club workers were? I don’t know. I am sure that some were happy to see what God was doing, but I am also concerned that some may have not looked at it the same way. Some may not have been happy to see all of the “snotty nosed bus kids” on property. After all, they don’t act right, and most of them do not dress right. I had to tell one teenager to pull up his “droopy drawers” a couple of times. Take it easy on him though. He is brand new, just got saved; and he hasn’t missed a service since.

It is amazing that two people, both Christians, can look at the very same thing, and yet see something totally different. But what do you see? Do you see the multitudes out there in the world as your enemy, or an opportunity for you to demonstrate and distribute the love of Jesus Christ? And, while I’m at it, why aren’t you helping us reach and serve these kids? They need somebody to mentor and love them.

Oct 6th Quit Worrying and Trust God

Today’s Reading – Matthew 5 & 6

Note – I apologize for the inconsistency of these posts over the last week and a half due to our vacation. We are home now, and should be able to maintain our regular daily schedule.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 5:34)

Beginning in Matthew chapter 5 we have recorded what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. These verses teach us the rules for the Kingdom. These are not verses that deal specifically with the church, nor are they principles that deal with salvation. However, these passages do show us how a Spirit filled people will live during the Millennial Kingdom. Having said that, I think these verses should also describe how a Spirit filled people should live today. These principles go way beyond the bare minimum; and they surpass the minimum requirements of the law. God’s people should be second milers. They should be a people who are willing to go beyond just the law in their relationship with God, and men.

The last section in chapter 5 deals with worrying. Many of us are consumed with worry. We stress over what might, or might not, happen tomorrow. God says that we should be able to trust him with tomorrow and just content ourselves with serving Him today. God gave us provision and protection today, and He is well able to do the same tomorrow. I am not a doctor, but I am pretty confident in saying that worry and stress are contributing factors in many health problems; but we don’t have to live that way. Worry is really nothing more than a lack of faith. If our faith is strong, we know that our God will take care of us and guide our path; so we don’t have to stress over life. We worry and stress because we have taken our lives into our own hands; and we realize that we are not able to control all of the situations that will come our way; and we will not always make the right decision. However, if we put our lives and our families in the hand of God, we can be assured that God will do right by us, and He will take care of us.

These verses are not teaching, however, that we should not carefully prepare for our tomorrows. It is not wrong to make good decisions, under His guidance regarding future planning. If you think about it, salvation itself is decision that ensures a safe future. I realize that salvation entails much more than “fire insurance”, but many of us were saved because we were concerned about a future judgment. So it is not wrong to spend some time today considering tomorrow. However, when we get to the point where we are so stressed about tomorrow where we cannot serve Him today, we have taken planning well beyond the healthy limits. It is not wrong to put some money away for a rainy day, but if we get so consumed with hoarding our income today to the extent where we won’t give our tithes and offerings, we have gone well beyond mere planning.

The bottom line is that if we can trust God with our eternal destiny, can’t we trust Him with all of the little details that comprise living for Him in this world. God took care of us yesterday; He is feeding us today; and He will continue to do so tomorrow. We can trust Him. Stop worrying.

Oct 3rd A Touchdown We All Can Be Excited About

Today’s Reading – Zechariah 1o – 14

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:4)

This is football season, and every fan knows the excitement of seeing his team score a touchdown. Here in Zechariah 14 God tells us about another kind of touchdown that all of God’s people can be excited about. This is when Jesus returns from Heaven and touches down on the Mount of Olives. This is when all of the enemies of God including Antichrist and Satan will finally meet their doom. Christians have put up with a lot of garbage through the years from the lost world: from martyrdom to simply being made fun of, the world has had its day. But that day will soon be over, and all of the world will know that Jesus is Lord!

I know that all Christians will have the same level of enthusiasm in that day when the Lord returns; but it is sad to think that today there will be more excitement about football than the Lord. Brother Chalie Clark sent out a “tweet” this morning that said, “Every pastor should be MUCH more passionate, focused, and hard working today than any NFL coach could ever dream of being.” I wonder how true that will be. Let’s get excited about the reality of the rapture, and the return of the Lord. Then let’s pour that passion into serving Him in these last days. I don’t want to be just a spectator, I want to participate.