Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

Recently I read that the CEO of Google said that there is so much information on the internet that people will have to change their names to avoid the consequences to past mistakes in life. This sounds like the epitome of irresponsibility. I want to dance, but I don’t want to “pay the piper.”

How often do we fail to own up to our behavior? How often do we pass on the responsibility for our actions to someone else? It started in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. When God confronted them, Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent. The beat goes on.

There is a legitimate new name for us, however. Revelation 3:12 declares that the followers of Jesus will have his new name given to them. That matches the new identity we have in him. We are “new creatures” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As these new creatures in Christ we learn a number of things. First, we are not evolutionary flukes. We have been made and remade by a Creator. Second, as new creatures, we have a new outlook on life. We see that the world in which we live does not revolve around us. The new outlook shows us that all things are for God and His glory (see Isaiah 43:6-7). God is at the center and we, as His creation serve Him.

A third lesson we learn is that we have the opportunity to restart our lives. We get a refreshed beginning. Rather than an arbitrary change of identity as a criminal may have, we get a new identity in Jesus. God blesses and honors us in Him. The old ways pass away and a brand new life stands before us. What a blessing!

God removes the guilt of sin for us. Sometimes consequences remain. We have to own up to and live with those, but they don’t hold us back. The new identity in Jesus gives us hope for the new life and the new world to come.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

We know about the pressures of life. They come in the form of relationships, health, finances, and a host of others. The question is not IF these pressures are coming but WHEN? Then the question becomes, HOW do we respond?

One person described our choice. When pressures hit, we can be like a lump of Play Dough. We can let the impact of the pressure leave its mark on us. Or, we can be like the tennis ball. The pressure causes it to go in for a moment but then it bounces back.

A few years ago Time Magazine published an article in which physicians stated that there are health benefits to religion. They said that people of faith have a higher survival rate than those who are not. People of faith have lower blood pressure than those who are not. People of faith who attend church regularly have less depression than those who do not. In fact, the suicide rate is four times higher among non-church goers.

So, how do we the handle pressures of life? We need biblical answers for this question. John 17 shows us how Jesus handled the pressures he faced. If we can see what he did and apply it to our lives, maybe we feel less pressure and be healthier people.

Remember, Jesus came to give us “abundant life” (John 10.10). That means NOW as well as heaven later.

Keep The Light Burning!

Dr. Perry Greene

Recently I preached, “Take This Job and Love It.” We all have job stresses. One of the ways to help us like our jobs, employers, and fellow workers is to turn our places of employment into “Christian Service Centers” and work with Jesus in mind (Ephesians 6:5-9). When we do, we make our job a ministry by serving others. It becomes more than a paycheck.

It is one thing to stand before an audience and say, “Turn your job into a ministry.” It is another to actually and practically do it. Here is an idea I ran across recently that might be a step in the right direction.

Set up a “piggy bank” (a little box with a slit cut in the top will do). Set it on your desk or another prominent area of your work space. Star putting pocket change in it. If someone asks you about it, you can tell them it is money for a charity (you might even get their help on deciding which one to give to). When you and your fellow workers fill up the bank, send the money to the charity. The start over.

When you make this collection, you have done a service for others and honored God in the process. In addition, you have enabled your coworkers to serve in their contributions, too. Your job has become a place of ministry.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I enjoy playing, “What if?” If you keep reading my blog you will see many aspects of this game. Let’s play one today.

WHAT IF we change our self-image? If someone asked what you do, you would probably describe your occupation. “I am a doctor, lawyer, Indian chief.”

What would happen if we saw ourselves first and foremost as “Disciples of Jesus the Messiah”? Our occupation, rather than our primary self-description becomes our means of support for our life’s primary goal – following Jesus. Our jobs enable us to not only fill our bellies but also to fill our souls. The job gives us the ability to provide the resources we need to build up our spirits and expand the kingdom of heaven in our time.

The people of Jesus’ time, just like today, worked in various occupations. Jesus was a builder. Peter was a fisherman. Yet, they gave themselves to the study, memorization, and teaching of God’s words.

Imagine the scene in Luke 24. Jesus has been resurrected and appears to the two on the Emmaus Road and to his disciples. He instructs them from the scriptures about himself. Later some of the disciples went fishing (John 21) – what do you think they were talking about? My guess is they were talking about the spiritual issues related to their Master, Jesus.

This conversation would probably have been different from what most fishermen would be talking about. Their language was cleaner. Their topics were more than sports and troubles on the job.

That is the change in perspective. If I change from seeing myself as a plumber, accountant, etc., to a disciple who supports his spirituality with this profession, then perhaps I will see a difference in my life, too.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Do you remember the old Revolutionary War song, “Yankee Doodle”? In the song, Yankee Doodle stuck a feather in his hat and called it, “macaroni.” Have you ever wondered what pasta had to do with Yankee Doodle’s hat?

This is one of those lost definitions. In the late 18^th Century, saying something was “Macaroni” was like almost saying it is “phat” or “hot” today. Even those words’ meanings are easily lost in time.

When we study the Bible we can discover words or ideas with which we are not familiar. We either pass over them or we make an educated guess to the meaning. We may develop two entirely different views and both are off base. Yet, we will make them a point of contention without knowing the facts.

The Yankee Doodle legend has to do with the shabbily dressed American soldiers facing the immaculately dressed (Macaroni) British. The Americans stopped at a farm before fighting the Brits. The farmer’s daughter saw their attire and decided to help out. She plucked a chicken and gave the Patriots a feather for their hats. Once they placed the feathers in the brims, they called it “Macaroni.”

Studying the scriptures involves many things. It is more than finding a proof text or two to use in winning an argument. It includes understanding the original intentions of the writers. It involves digging into original meanings of words as well.

Study the scriptures. They testify of Jesus, the source of eternal life (John 5.39). He is the One we follow (John 14.6).

Keep The Light Burning!

Dr. Perry Greene

A few years ago, a man was on trial for murdering his family with a knife. Their bodies had turned up 2-3 weeks after neighbors heard screams in the night. When questioned, the man denied any knowledge of their whereabouts.

Of course, he was the prime suspect. The suspicion against him increased when the police searched his house for clues. There was no blood. There were no fingerprints. They found newly shampooed carpet and freshly cleaned and pressed drapes. The woodwork had been polished and the bedrooms had new paint.

The police sent their “CSI” unit for further investigation. They used a chemical called “luminal” and discovered where the blood had been splattered throughout the house. The man was found guilty based on the evidence.

Have you ever wondered about “God things”? Is there a God? Did he send his Son? Is his word true? These are all good questions. These are questions that God is not afraid for us to ask. In fact, he welcomes us to ask and explore the evidence.

I want to encourage you to explore God’s word. Learn it, and then do what it says. You will be convicted by investigating the evidence. God IS and his word works. Give him a try!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

In church circles we talk a great deal about “life after death.” We give the “invitation” (or “altar call”) at the end of a sermon in case someone wants to become a follower of Jesus for what? Typically we say, “And go to heaven when you die.”

The eternal afterlife is a gift from God to all who will follow his Son. It seems in reading the scriptures that this is a given fact. It does not seem to be a dominant incentive to entice people into following Jesus. In fact, as you read through the gospels and the book of Acts, count how many times the speakers use the reward of heaven as a motivation to obey God.

As a Minister, the thought of not being able to use the carrot of eternal life to get people to obey God seems disarming. Yet, as we search the scriptures, we see many people obeying God. Why would they if heaven is treated as a matter of fact and not motivation?

Perhaps we can see that there is a different focus given by the Messiah, Jesus and his disciples. They did preach eternal life, but that life is not just some far off event. The gospel to them was more than fire insurance against hell. The message they preached involved life NOW.

Eternal life begins when we walk with God. Jesus said He is the key to abundant life (John 10:10). Note John’s use of “eternal life” as present, not merely future in 1 John 5:11-13.

¹¹And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  ¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

What would be the enticement to follow Jesus if we do not emphasize the afterlife? Perhaps we can take a lesson from the Messiah and see that the abundant, eternal life not only begins in our walk with him, it impacts every aspect of our lives. We become transformed people. We see life through a new set of eyes. We do not despair over every little thing. We have a hope that the world does not have and a life worth living NOW as well as in the resurrection (see John 11:24-27).

Maybe instead of asking, “Do you believe in life after death?” we should be asking, “Do you believe in life BEFORE death?”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Recently Richard May mentioned in a sermon that if we spent the same amount of time in our formal schooling that we do in our formal church Bible classes, we would be in First Grade for twenty-four years! As I heard that I thought, “What would happen if our public schools could help us with our Bible study? How much quicker could we grow if we had at least one class per day in Bible study as well as our church time, family time, and personal time?” That is a reason that many people choose to send their children to Christian schools or home school.

Then it hit me. That is EXACTLY what the Founding Fathers intended for our education system. They knew the power of knowledge. They knew that America was established, as Patrick Henry said, “not on religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” America was to be a FREE country and it was to be a CHRISTIAN nation. People needed to be able to read so they could study the Bible.

I read that Connecticut once passed a law for their citizens where the authorities would send inspectors to each home in their state. The inspectors would test the children in each household to be sure they could read at the level they were supposed to. If not, the parents were fined. What was their reasoning? They knew that legislators need accountability. They determined that if the people could read, they would be able to read the laws that were being passed by Congress. If those laws did not match the Bible, the people could protest and have the laws removed.

The New England Primer used the Bible to teach children to read and write. It was written in 1690 and used in one form or another until the early twentieth century. The children learned stories and doctrines from the Bible at an early age. Some were so adept at learning that they were able to enter schools like Harvard and Yale (once Christian schools) while in their early teens!

How far from our moorings we have drifted as a nation! How amazing the wisdom of our ancestors! How can WE get back on track?

Beginning where we are, we must make a more concerted effort to learn and to learn. Most importantly, we must learn the word of God from Genesis to Revelation. We must see His hand in the history of the world and our country. America did not happen by accident. Even men like George Washington realized that Providence established the nation, not the military or political skills of the citizens (see also Zechariah 4:6).

Turn off the TV and slow down. Take time to read the Bible daily. In the words of Jesus, “Could you not tarry one hour?” Knowing the Bible will make all the difference on all the levels!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

A contract is a formal or legal agreement. It may take a written form in which two parties come to an agreement and hold each other to it. Entrance into the contract is usually voluntary, but once in, it is impossible to get out of the agreement without violating the contract. One must live up to the stipulations until the end of the contract period. At that point, each party is free to go his own way.

Most Western Christians treat God in this fashion. Typically, we try to “trap” God in his agreement. We legalistically approach him and see that he has made us an offer we really can’t afford to refuse. Then we leap into the agreement. Going through the motions, we try to force God into living up to his side of the deal with little to no real commitment on our part. We reason, “He OWES this to me because I entered into the contract. Does this sound at all familiar?

This gets a little tricky because there are some legal applications to what God offers us. The Bible teaches, though that we cannot earn our salvation or do we deserve it on any level (Ephesians 2:1-10). We cannot earn or receive it from God regardless of what we do to achieve it on a legal level. We violate the “contract” daily but expect exemptions. We cannot simply comply with a few rules or regulations and demand blessings from the Creator of the universe.

We are actually in a covenant relationship with God. While there are legalities within it, there is an emphasis on relationship over law. We see covenants all through the Bible. God made covenant with Adam; by means of Noah; in Abraham; by way of Moses; and especially in and through Jesus. A key to covenants that came by these men is the relationship that God wanted with his people. The covenant expresses contractual obligations but create a relationship between the parties.

In Luke 22:20, Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” The fullness of the covenant is seen in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Jesus expresses the ultimate aspect of relationship by his willingness to pour out his blood (a sacrifice) for his people. He expresses relationship as well as contract obligations.

Maybe the story of the “loving Father” in Luke 15 can better express this. Both the “prodigal” (i.e., wasteful) son and the older brother treat their father in a legal way. The younger son declares, “Give me what is mine.” He expected his legal rights in the form of his early inheritance, even though this was highly insulting to the father. In essence, the son is saying he wishes his father was dead and that he preferred stuff over his parent. The older brother also winds up with an inheritance. However, as the story unfolds, the father (obviously representing our heavenly Father) expresses a covenant relationship with his sons which supersedes contractual obligation. Because the father loves the sons, he is willing to humiliate himself with both of them and went beyond the law to restore relationship.

This is exactly what the Father has done for us through Jesus. What do we deserve as sinful children? The obvious answer is death (Romans 3:23; 6:23). If God was merely a contract lawyer, that is what we would get. He is, instead, a loving Father. He desires relationship with us (your guess is as good as mine as to why). Therefore, God establishes a covenant with us which is ratified in the blood of his Son. He actually took on the whole legal obligation of the covenant because we cannot (also see Genesis 15 when God ratified the covenant with Abraham by taking the Abraham’s responsibility as well as His own).

Let’s live beyond contractual obligations with God. That is what we want in our homes, why not in God’s household? Even the Torah states we are to LOVE God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), not just abide by a set of rules. Jesus states it this way in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I used to want to do something GREAT for God. I wanted to be a Moses or a Samuel or a Daniel. I have changed my mind.

I did not change my mind because of stress. I imagine that any of the great Bible characters lived with constant stress and turmoil in their lives. It appears that Moses had (or at least approached) nervous breakdowns on occasion. Daniel had to walk the tightrope with the king and THE King. Every one of those guys was the “cream that rose to the top” but did so in very trying times. But, that’s not my reason.

I changed my mind because I have come to realize that God did not make me a Moses. He already had one. There was already a Samuel and an Elijah, or whoever else you want to name. God makes some of us to do things with high visibility. He makes others of us to do more hidden things (Romans 9:20-24; Isaiah 64; Jeremiah 18). Rather than complain because I am not “an eye” (1 Corinthians 12:14ff) shouldn’t I just be who I am? Isn’t that a greater responsibility than trying to be someone I am not?

The real task of my life is to learn who God had in mind when he made me. Once I have made that discovery I can more aptly live up to HIS expectations of me. A by-product will be a fuller life with a deeper commitment to my God. Is that not what Jesus said the first command involved?

God is not going to condemn me for my lack of Moses-like qualities. He will not criticize me for not being Jeremiah’s equivalent in our day and time (how rough would that be?). He only expects me to be me and live up to his Instructions.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene