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

“The priest shall then put on his linen clothes, with linen undergarments next to his body, and shall remove the ashes of the burnt offering that the fire has consumed on the altar and place them beside the altar.” Leviticus 6.10

One of the more mundane activities of the Levitical priests was the removal of the ashes of the sacrificial animals from the altar. I read that during the period of the second temple, priests would race to claim the privilege of ash removal. They must have been the younger priests!

What would make those men compete to dispose of these ashes outside of the city? It was a dirty job. It was a tedious job. It was not a sensational job, but it had to be done.

This was a small part of the worship of God. The upper echelon of priests, particularly the High Priest, would be a lot more glamorous to us. Can you imagine our most popular TV evangelists in a foot race to win the privilege of ash removal?

When we consider the instructions of God, we may be tempted to overlook the simple things. We may not want to have a hand in the “small” things God ordains. We may prefer the attention-getting activities over the “lesser” ones. Yet, God teaches that his “small” commands are not to be overlooked.

What would our churches be like if we developed an attitude of accentuating the small? What would it be like to have “competitions” to: fill communion trays; empty the trash; clean the fellowship hall; or teach Jr. High? This attitude has the power to transform a Christian community.

Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). Too often we want the much before we master the little. If we can learn not to overlook the little, God will give us much in due season – “if we faint not.”

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently watched the youtube.com replay of Kathy Griffin’s acceptance speech at the Emmy Award ceremony. In her statement she criticized Jesus and people who give him credit for their accomplishments. She went on to declare that her Emmy was her god.

Today I watched her interview with Larry King. She made what may appear to be a profound observation. Her intent was to make fun of people who believe God (Jesus) is interested in their awards; helps them win football games; or assists with three-pointers in basketball. Doesn’t He have more important things?

At first it seems foolish that the God of the universe would care whether or not I win an award or even excel in my craft. Aren’t people hungry? Aren’t there wars? Aren’t America’s own politicians stripping away our God-given freedoms and rights? Aren’t these bigger, more important issues than my petty awards?

Then I remembered the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:29-31 (ESV).

“²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.³⁰But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

How much does God care about me? He cares down to the minutest of details. That may or may not include awards or athletic heroics. It does include my well-being and my walk with him.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I am sure we have all heard things like, “don’t worry about the letter of the law; just get the spirit right.” We tend to by-pass the “little” commands of God, especially when we do not see the validity. We excuse it by saying that we have the right attitude.

When God directed the Hebrews to build the tabernacle, he gave them minute details. To a fat and sassy American Christian, this seems a little overdone. Why didn’t God just give them a general plan and let them use their creativity to accomplish it? Maybe at this stage in the history of the nation the people needed exacting details as to how to accomplish what God commanded.

In Exodus 39 and 40, the phrase, “just as the Lord commanded Moses” is used fourteen times. There are seven occurrences in each chapter. The first set of seven has to do with the manufacture of the tabernacle parts. The second set has to do with putting it together. In every detail, the people did exactly as God instructed.

How important is the “minutia”? I heard about two men discussing this very subject. One was frustrated at the commands of God that seem to be so trivial. The second man asked him what would happen if you missed even one dot or letter in an internet address. The answer, of course, is that you would not get to the site you wanted.

God’s ways are not ours. His thoughts are not ours (Isaiah 55:8). What may seem unimportant to me may be of critical importance to God. Why should I consider anything that God tells me of little importance?

God rewards us according to how we handle the little things in life. Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (Luke 16:10). Why should God trust me with the big things if he can’t trust me with the small? Why should he expect me to be a great person of faith if I do not do even the little things he instructs me?

Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene

Jesus makes an interesting statement in the Sermon on the Mount. He says, ¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Notice that he says we are not to primarily seek earthly treasure but heavenly ones. We know that there is nothing we can do to “earn” salvation. It is a gift based on faith (Ephesians 2, et al). We also know that our earthly possessions are momentary at best (2 Peter 3:10). Jesus says that we can place lasting treasures in heaven. What an interesting possibility!

Jesus also told a rich young ruler, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21). It seems there are ways that we can “provide for our eternal futures” now.

The scriptures show us numerous ways to do this. It is essentially walking in the ways of God (Deuteronomy 13:5). As he told the rich young ruler, we can care for the poor; we can visit the sick (Genesis 18:1); we can clothe the naked (Genesis 3:21); we can bury the dead (Deuteronomy 34:6); and others. It all boils down to what Jesus cited as the first and second great commandments – to love God completely and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

With this in mind, where should we spend the bulk of our time and energies? I heard a speaker recently talk of the enormous amount of wasted time in front of what my dad used to call “the idiot box” (TV). Consider these statistics. We have generally sixteen waking hours per day. That totals 5840 hours per year. If we watch two hours of TV per night we will watch 730 hours per year. Now it gets ugly. Let’s divide our total TV hours by our waking hours (sixteen). We find that we are spending a conservative 45.6 waking hour days in front of the TV every year. It is likely that we watch more than two hours per day.

One of the great ways we can bless God, and according to Jewish thought to gain treasure in heaven, is by the study of his word. Let’s use the same formula for our Bible study. Fifteen minutes per day for 365 days divided by the sixteen waking hour days gives us a total of 5.7 waking hour days per year of study. We watch TV nearly NINE times more than reading our Bibles every year! Where would you guess your prayer life would fall in this scheme?

Which do you think will matter more in the long run? Will the breath-taking results of “The Bachelor” mean more to us than participating in the Lamb’s wedding? Will finding out the next “American Idol” be as important as practicing the Ten Commandments? Will watching this season’s “Survivor” matter more than surviving by the Beatitudes? Will watching the Super Bowl be more important practicing pure religion (James 1:27)?

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

In ancient times a measurement for building was called a “cubit.” Noah was commanded to build the ark of gopher wood that would be three hundred cubits by fifty cubits by thirty cubits (Genesis 6:14-15). In those days, a cubit was the distance from the tip of the finger to the end of the elbow, approximately eighteen to twenty inches.

Do you see a problem with that form of measurement? What if your forearm is an inch longer than my forearm? That would mean our cubits were of differing sizes. We could not really cooperate in building because I could not cut the wood to the correct size for your measurements and vice versa. This would promote blatant individuality.

There is an interesting verse at the end of the book of Judges. It reads, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21.25, ESV). Everyone in those days was essentially measuring his or her own life by his or her own cubit. There was no standard of right and wrong.

There actually was a standard of right and wrong. It was the word of God that had been given to the Hebrews at Mt. Sinai. The trouble with them (thankfully, not us – please note the intentional sarcasm) is that they neglected the standard.

Imagine for a moment modern builders tossing out their rulers and steel tapes. What kind of house would you have? I am sure it would look very odd if each of the men on the work crew took a hand in measuring. Things would not match up and your house would probably slant at best.

Thankfully as time passed, people became aware of the dilemma. Instead of leaving it up to every man to determine his own standard of measurement, a “builder’s cubit” was developed. This was much like our yardstick or ruler. It became the standard by which people built.

God has given us a standard to build our lives. It is the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus Christ). His whole life is based on the Word of God. John, in fact, tells us that he is the word incarnate (John 1:14).

Notice Jesus’ standard of judgment for us:

⁷If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak (John 12:47-49, ESV).

God requires standards for us to live by. He does not leave us on our own. Our standard is His one and only Son.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene