Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community
In this blog, we'll focus on the working being done at Sligo Presbyterian Church, Sligo, Pennsylvania. We'll also look at what's happening in Sligo, Rimersburg, Clarion, and all the other communities served by our congregation.
On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:
On July 4, we'll celebrate our 250th anniversary as a country. And even though we haven’t been perfect, we’ve served as an example of freedom for the rest of the world. But as important as that is, the Bible teaches that true freedom is a spiritual reality found through Jesus Christ that transforms how individuals live, serve, and interact with the world. With that in mind, during the six weeks between Pentecost and Independence Day, we’ll explore six key things the Bible says about our freedom in Christ:
Well, here we are, one week closer to our semiquincentennial. And for us, that means we’re one more week into the series we started two weeks ago, you know the one that’s focused on the freedom we have in Christ. And to this point, we’ve talked about how this freedom is empowered by the Holy Spirit – a presence within us that opens our minds and shapes our character and strengthens our relationships. And then last week, we looked at how our freedom in Christ is also liberating, because it frees us from the past in the present for the future. Now that’s what we’ve already covered. And this morning, we’re going to consider how this God-given freedom we have in Christ is also enlightened, in other words, how it enables us to know and to understand and to apply what we’ve received from God.
And you know, when you think about it, being enlightened is really what our founding fathers were all about. You see, in their time, they were considered children of the Enlightenment – you know, enlightened men. And I’ll tell you, I think you can see this in what they did 250 years ago. In a very intentional and faithful and practical way, they took ideas and principles they already knew and understood, and they applied them to the situation they faced. For example, almost one hundred years before Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the English philosopher John Locke had already written this:
...no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. [Chapter 2, Section 6 of the Second Treatise, 1680]
You see, for Locke, the job of government was very clear and specific: it was there to protect three God-given rights: life, liberty and property. Now that’s what he wrote. And I’ll tell you, that became the basis for what’s probably the most well-known sentence in the Declaration that was signed on July 4, 1776:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. [The Declaration of Independence]
You see, based on both his knowledge and understanding, our enlightened founding father, Thomas Jefferson, applied an idea written sixty years before he was born into a document stating that we had the right to be free and independent states.
And you know, I mention all this, because I think this same kind of enlightenment is related to the freedom we have in Christ. You see, I think God wants us to do the same kind of thing our founding fathers did when they approved that document Jefferson wrote. In other words, I believe God wants us to be enlightened, because he’s has given us something that the Evangelist John described when he wrote this near the end of his gospel:
Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life. [John 20:30-31, CEV]
In other words, God has given us his own collection of ideas and principles that he wants us to know and to understand and to apply. You see, God has given us his word, and because he wants us to be enlightened as we approach it, I think he’s freed us in three very important ways. And let me share with you what they are.
For example, because God wants us enlightened as we approach his word, I believe he’s freed us to be intentional. In other words, thanks to God, we can decide that we’re going to put forth the time and the effort to learn what it actually has to say. And you know, way back in the Old Testament, I think that’s exactly what God told Joshua to do right before he led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. Just listen to what God said:
Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land. [Joshua 1:6-8, CEV]
Now that’s what the Lord told Joshua to do. And you know, I think he’s saying the same kind of thing to us right now. But to do it, man, we really need to be intentional as we approach the Bible. For example, to get anything from God’s word, somewhere down the line, we need to be intentional in reading it. And nowadays, it’s actually easier than it used to be, because there are some wonderful free Bible apps, like the Bible Gateway, that we can put right there on our phones. To know it, we’ve got to read it and that takes intent on our part. But you know, if we want to get something out of it, reading may not be enough; we might also want to do a little intentional studying. I mean, let’s get real: would anybody here hire a surgeon or a lawyer or an accountant who, when you ask about his or her credentials, says, “Well, I read the book...once.” I don’t know about y’all, but I want to see a diploma on the wall, because that shows intentional study. And to be honest, I’d also want to know that he or she has bought into what they read and studied. In other words, at the very least, I want my surgeon to accept basic human anatomy or my lawyer to be guided by the legal code or my accountant to work within the tax laws. Now that’s what I want. I want to see intent on their part. And you know, what’s true for them is also true for us; therefore, we also need to be intentional as we approach God’s word.
And I’ll tell you, if we are – if we claim our freedom and start being intentional when we approach God’s word – then I think we’ll know a lot more than we did before, won’t we? For example, then we’ll know what God did for his people in the past, enabling us to ground our values and priorities and actions on something solid. And then we’ll know what Jesus and Paul and everyone else who wrote the Bible actually said, providing the knowledge to separate what’s true from what’s false and what’s helpful from what’s distracting and what’s clear from what’s confusing. As a matter of fact, the more we know, the more we’ll recognize that we still have a lot to learn, giving us the courage to listen to ideas that may be different from what we’ve heard before and the confidence to hold them up to the light so that we can decide what to accept and what to reject. I’m telling you, doing this is the kind of thing that comes from knowledge. You see, because God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be intentional as we approach his word.
But that’s not all, because second, we’re also free to be faithful, trusting that we’re not doing this all by ourselves. I’ll tell you, it’s sort of like want the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy:
Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. [2 Timothy 3:14-17, CEV]
You see, as it concerns claiming this wonderful source of truth we’ve been given by God, personally, I think faith is absolutely essential. And I’ll tell you, for me, that’s different from those other examples I mentioned. I mean, for me personally, so long as he knows the tax laws and is honest, I’m good with an accountant filling out my 1040 even if he doesn’t attend church. And so long as she really knows the law and has integrity, I’m good with a lawyer representing me in court whether or not she has a picture of Jesus in her office. And personally, a Muslim surgeon from Pakistan saved my life about ten years ago. For me, they don’t need faith in Christ to do their jobs and to do them well. But even though that may be all well and good, I think it’s different as we approach God’s word. I mean, I may be able to quote the entire Bible, chapter and verse, but if I don’t have faith in the author and if I don’t believe I’ve been freed from the past in the present for the future and if I don’t trust that there’s a presence that inspires the Bible in a way it doesn’t inspire Gray’s Anatomy or the Pennsylvania Penal Code or Barron’s Accounting Handbook, unless I have faith, then the knowledge I’ve accumulated in my head may never make the twelve-inch trip to my heart. Being faithful is important as we approach God’s word.
Because, I’ll tell you, when we are, I think our faith can really help us understand. I mean, with faith, we can begin to understand who God is: that he’s absolutely perfect in his freedom and his love, you know, that he’s infinite and eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing, and that he’s present beyond the edges of the universe and within the tiniest neutrino. That’s who God is, right along with being perfect in his grace and holiness, his mercy and righteousness, and his patience and wisdom. Now with knowledge and faith, this we can understand, but that’s not all. Because along with that, we can also understand why we’re here – you know, why a God without limits would make creatures who are limited in every way – but maybe more important than that, why this same God would choose to limit himself by taking on human flesh and becoming like us. And with faith, we can begin to understand how we might respond to this one we can know through his word. Of course, without knowledge, understanding is impossible. And yet, without understanding, knowledge is just a mess of isolated facts. It’s a bunch of words on a page. It’s a lot of nice-to-know information that we won’t be tested on later. Real meaning comes with understanding, and I think Christian understanding is impossible without faith. You see, because God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be faithful as we approach his word.
And third, we’re also free to be practical, and I’m talking about practical as we consider what we know and understand. And I think that’s what James was getting at when he wrote this:
Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget. [James 1:22-25, CEV]
Now that’s what I mean by practical. And without that practicality, man, the rest really don’t mean much. It’s like what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: What if I could speak all languages of humans and even of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [1 Corinthians 13:1, CEV] You see, unless we decide we’re going to get practical with God’s word, all our knowledge and all our understanding is just a lot of noise. It doesn’t accomplish anything. It’s just a big, fat waste of time. Of course, when we decide to get practical with the Bible, it changes the way we read it, doesn’t it? For example, we can no longer be satisfied with just asking, “What?” We’ve also got to consider the “So what?” In other words, we also have to ask ourselves, “Why would God direct these words to his people?” And “how might my knowledge and understanding shape what I do later this afternoon or tomorrow or later next Saturday? When I’m practical with God’s word, I’m actively looking for how God’s word is going to change me.
And you know, that’s exactly what’s going to happen when we decide to apply it to ourselves. Of course, some passages are easier to apply than others. For example, when Jesus said, “You must love [God] with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these” [Mark 12:30-31, CEV], now, that’s pretty clear. And when he said that the nations would be judged based on whether or not they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and comfort the prisoner, well, that’s pretty unambiguous. And when Paul told the Corinthians that “love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude,” [1 Corinthians 13:4-5a, CEV], man, that’s not exactly rocket science. And those are just three examples of commands we can claim and apply today. But even those passages that seem a little vague – you know, the ones that aren’t so easy to apply – I’m telling you, they’re also important, because all of it’s God’s word even if they challenge us to meditate and to pray and to discuss so that we might integrate them into ourselves. I guess the bottom line is that, although it may demand a little effort on our part, we can apply the whole Bible to our lives. You see, since God wants us enlightened, he’s freed us to be practical as we approach his word.
Now, in about four weeks, we’ll celebrate the work of some very enlightened men, children of the Enlightenment, individuals who knew and understood principles from the past and applied them to thirteen colonies struggling with the meaning of freedom. And for us right here and now, we can learn from their example by claiming the ideas and values and principles that God has given in his word. And I’ll tell you, when we do this ourselves, we’ll have an advantage that those politicians didn’t have. You see, as we approach his word, God’s freed us to be intentional; therefore, we can know. And God’s freed us to be faithful; therefore, we can understand. And God’s freed us to be practical; therefore, we can apply what we know and understand. You see, this we can do, because in Christ, we have a freedom that’s enlightened.
Whenever we come to the Bible, we often read looking for instruction and encouragement for the day. But the Bible isn’t meant only to guide us day-by-day. The Scriptures are a historical record. They reveal what God has done and is doing in the world—and introduce us to the people who played a particular role in His plans for the world.
If you’re a longtime reader of the Bible, you’re more than likely familiar with many of these people. Some are examples of faithfulness. Others are cautionary tales against faithlessness. But all were examples of people who furthered God’s plan to give “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” [John 3:16, CEV]
During this series, we’ll discuss the following witnesses to God’s authority and love:
June 7: Deborah, the Dutiful Judge (Judges 4:4-10, 14, 21-22)
June 14: Hannah, the Faithful Supplicant (1 Samuel 1:9-20, 25)
June 28: Amos, Courageous Prophet (Amos 1:1; 2:11-12; 3:7-8; 7:10-15)
July 5: The Believing Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13)
July 12: Simon Peter, Restored Disciple (Mark 8:27-29; Luke 22:31-34; John 18:25-27, 21:15-17)
July 19: Zacchaeus, Repentant Tax Collector (Luke 19:-11)
July 26: Mary, Loyal Mother (Luke 2:15-19; John 2:1-5; 19:25-27)
August 9: Stephen, Unwavering Martyr (Acts 6:7-10; 7:54-60)
August 16: Saul of Tarsus, Unlikely Disciple (Acts 22:3-15)
August 23: Timothy, Leader with a Legacy (2 Timothy 1:1-6; 3:14-16)
August 30: Lydia, Generous Hostess (Acts 16:11-15, 40)
In the first session, we discussed the Judge, Deborah. The discussion and passages are below:
Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”
Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”
“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him.
But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.
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