John's words about God's children remind me of a story. Once upon a time there was a woman who had two daughters. The woman was a wise and loving mother. But despite her care for them they grew up hateful and selfish. As soon as they could they both abandoned their mother and went out to fulfill their selfish desires.

Years passed and the woman, who had stayed in contact with her two wayward daughters, discovered that she was terminally ill. Out of love she sent word to both daughters telling them that her days were short. One of the daughters came to her mother and spent her last days with her. As she watched her mother suffer and die she grew to know her again for the first time. She saw the faith and the love and the wisdom that was always in her mother but that her selfishness had never before let her see.

When the woman died her other daughter arrived for the funeral. But people could see the difference between the two daughters. The one that had been with her mother had learned her wisdom and love. She was no longer the selfish, spiteful woman her sister remained. She was like her mother a person of love and wisdom.

What does it mean to be called the children of God? To some people "the Children of God" means one thing and to others another? Some say, "We're all God's children aren't we?" Well, that sounds reasonable because we are all descendants of the first human beings created by God. Often this way of speaking of all God's children is a way of calling for human rights for all and love for neighbor. After all if we are all "God's Children" then even a non-Christian of a different race on the other side of the world is my sister or brother. In that sense we are all children of God by creation.

But John has a different meaning of "The Children of God" in mind. He is not thinking of "God's children by creation" but "God's children by salvation." He writes, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"(NIV) To John the title "Children of God" is a lavish gift from God the Father. It is a title that we have and some don't.

But before you get proud and think you are somehow special because you are called "God's Children" consider this. Nowhere does is say that this title was not offered to others. In facts a reading of the Gospels makes it clear that Jesus offered this title "Child of God" to everyone. it is just a matter of some accepting is and others rejecting it. Like the two daughters in the parable: One got to know her mother and gained a great gift from it. She truly because the daughter of her wise and loving mother. The other did not, but stayed a selfish spiteful emotional orphan. We were all God's Children by creation. But only a few have accepted the gift of that relationship with God and they are God's Children by salvation.

So what does it mean to us that God has lavished this great gift on us? First of all it means that we are inheritors of the riches of the Kingdom of God. John writes, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Some people think of heaven as just a continuation of this life without all the negative things present. But the Bible speaks of us becoming glorified. It says that we will be like Jesus.

Do you remember the passage I read from Luke. It described Jesus as appearing as he had in life. He was even able to eat with the disciples. The wounds that had killed him were ever visible. But at the same time he was able to appear in locked rooms and disappear at will.

John says, "What we will be has not been made known." I won't try to speculate on how we will appear after the resurrection. But it's clear that the depth of our inheritance in Christ is far beyond what we can even imagine. We speak of heaven as having streets of gold, but its glory is far beyond that. By calling us "Children of God" and heirs of heaven we have indeed be given a lavish gift from God.

But is that all it means to be called a child of God? No, as children of God we are also called to responsibilities. John says that "everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he (Jesus) is pure." So as God's Children, we have a responsibility to live pure lives. John goes on, "In him (Jesus) there is no sin." And if we are in him, and Children of God, there should be no sin in us.

John says, "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him of known him." Does that mean that a person who commits any sin is no longer a Child of God? That is how some have interpreted this. But John is talking about continued unrepentant sinning. We all commit sins. The difference is that when a Child of God recognizes they have sinned, they repent, and with God's help they try to purify their lives of that sin.

So as Children of God we have a responsibility to become more like Christ in our daily lives. Some people think that receiving the gift of salvation is the end of the road. But this makes it clear it is just the beginning. Now that we are Children of God we are called to let the Holy Spirit mold our lives to be more like Christ's. Like the daughter who came to her mother before her death we are called to get to know our heavenly Father and become like him.

Perhaps another parable will bring all things together. Once upon a time there was a king who had great wealth. In this king's realm there was a region that had been through a great famine. Since the king had such great wealth he sent great amounts of aid to that region. In fact he sent so much that the region became the richest in the kingdom.

How should the people of that region react to the King? Should they show undying loyalty to that king? Or should they openly disregard that king's laws?

You tell me. Out of great love God has made you Children of God. The greatness and the depth of this gift will not be fully realized on this side of the resurrection. If we are truly grateful for this gift and look for the hope of Jesus' return, then it should effect the way we live. We should seek to follows God's ways as shown to us in Christ.

In other words, if we are children of God, we should act like it.

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Luke 24:36-49

The room was dark. John tells us that the doors and shutters were closed. The air in that room was probably stale because of lack of good ventilation. And everyone was quiet; speaking only in hushed whispers.

The disciples were gathered there for fear of the Jews. The Jewish authorities had killed Jesus just three days before. They had crucified Jesus their leader; the messiah of God. What would they do to them. So they kept quiet so that no one would find them. Perhaps they even thought of fleeing the city by night to escape.

The pressure was taking its toll on the mental state of the disciples. That morning some of the women snapped and started babbling about Jesus being alive. The realization that someone had gone as far as to steal his body had pushed them over the edge. The air was so thick with tension that Thomas decided to just leave for a while.

Then someone knocked on the door. Everyone held their breath for fear that it was the Romans come to arrest them. To their relief it was just two of Jesus followers who had left town that morning. They too had gone off the deep end and were babbling about seeing the Lord. Then the door was quickly shut and bolted again and they talked about it in hushed whispers.

Then, suddenly, there was light in the darkness. The light wasn't coming through the shutters or the doors they were still bolted shut. It was from the middle of the room. It was coming from Jesus!?

Jesus was standing in the middle of the room; alive! He opened his arms and said, "Peace be with you!" They were startled and terrified. Perhaps they had lost their minds. Or maybe it was Jesus' ghost come to haunt them for betraying him.

Jesus spoke: "Why are you frightened? Why do you doubt what you have heard? I am alive just as they told you. Look touch my hand and side. I am flesh and bone. I am not a ghost!"

And even as they looked at his hands and feet they had trouble believing. Then Jesus said, "I'm hungry. You got anything to eat around here?" They gave him some fish and watched in amazement as he ate.

Then Jesus began to teach to them again. He said, "I've already told you this but I'm going to tell you again. Everything that the Bible says will happen must happen." Then he opened their minds to see how the scriptures were being fulfilled. And he showed them that it was written that he should die on a cross and rise on the third day.

Then Jesus said something that probably worried or even scared the disciples at first. He said, "It's God's will that everyone hear about repentance and forgiveness in my name. Begin in Jerusalem and tell it to all the would. It�s your job to be my witnesses. It�s your job to let them know that they can have new life through me!"

I imagine someone laughed out load. "Ha ha ha ha. That Jesus is such a kidder. He doesn't really expect us to go out and start telling people about repentance and forgiveness in his name. If we go out there openly talking about following Jesus, they'll kill us! 'Go witness!' That's easy for him to say. He's already been crucified, but I haven't and I don't plan to be."

But Jesus went on. Remember when the prophets promised that God would pour out the spirit on all flesh. Well, that's about to happen. Just stay here in the city until you have been armored with power from above.

These first Christian faced incredible odds. The Roman Empire was strong and several times they tried to stamp out this new religion. But power came from above and they told people about the truth of repentance and forgiveness in Jesus name. And the church moved out of that stale dark upper room. At Pentecost they opened the doors and let some fresh air in. And they openly came out into the light to give their testimony.

But the church today seems to have retreated to that Upper Room mentality. We no longer bolt the doors and shutter the windows. Instead we hide behind carved doors and rose colored stain glass windows. Wheew. Is it just me or is it getting stuffy in here?

Maybe we need to open the doors and window and let some fresh air in. But people are afraid to let in some fresh air. They are afraid that those outside will find out that they are disciples of Christ. They are afraid to go out there and face the ugliness of the world and tell it about salvation in Jesus' name. So we hide in our Sunday morning Upper Rooms. And we keep quiet for fear that the neighbors will hear us.

Jesus told us to be witnesses. To boldly go where no disciple has gone before and tell people of love and grace through Jesus Christ. But we haven't been doing it, because if we had more people would know about it. Have you ever sat down and told someone about Jesus? Have you told them that Jesus died for their sins and if they would accept him they would have eternal life? Have you taken the risk to love and outcast because God first loved you?

I saw a poster once that said, "If being a Christian were a crime, would there be enough evidence to find you guilty?" I think we would have trouble getting an indictment on most "Christians." We might not even have enough evidence to get a search warrant. If I were to interrogate your friends and neighbors and co-workers, would they say you are a Christian or would they say, "They go to church but I don't know for sure?"

To bear witness we must be willing to let people see our religion at work. You might be afraid to let people know you are a Christian. They might think you are a fanatic. They might not associate with you. If you showed God�s love to the wrong people or spoke out against the wrong thing, they might not like you any more. If you are afraid, for whatever reason, you are not alone. Jesus' first witnesses were afraid too. But God gave them the strength to face their fears. And God will give you strength to be his witnesses. You have already been given that power. Simply Believe!

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Psalm 4

"I can't sleep!" Insomnia is a most hideous condition. Sleep is necessary to live. Without it the body eventually breaks down. It is also important to our mental and emotional well being. While we sleep we dream and those dreams are often our mind's way of working out the conflicts and problems of the day.

But sleep is more than just a time of unconsciousness. It is also a metaphor for peace. Peace in a sense is the sleep of the soul. Just as the body and the mind need a rest from the day's trials so the soul needs a rest to bring peace. Without this rest of the soul the result is spiritual turmoil. Just as the body would die without sleep, and the mind be lost without rest, so the soul dies without peace.

But there is so much that takes peace out of our lives. There are worries about the state of the world. Wars plagues, natural disasters. Will the forces of evil in all these conflicts win out and what will be the effect. There are worries about our communities. Drugs, AIDS, crime.... Will some drug crazed person break into my house, my home. And there are worries about the future. Will I get cancer, will someone I love develop Alzheimer�s, will the family finances hold out. And we worry about the ones we love. Will they find eternal peace. Will our children or grandchildren find happiness and meaning in life. Will they go to heaven? And sometimes we lose sleep over these worries and often they rob us of peace.

So why all this talk of sleep and rest. You may be wondering if I have been suffering from insomnia. Well the author of Psalm 4 seems to have been worried and having trouble sleeping. He begins with a desperate plea to God, "Answer me when I call, O God of my right." And after praying through his troubles he concludes, "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety."

I imagine the psalmist lying down at night and not being able to sleep. He is worried and that worry keeps him awake so he prays. And what is he worried about? For one, some people have told lies about him and others have believed those lies. But in faith he says, "I know that the Lord has set apart the righteous." Despite the fact that other people believe the lies he knows God will hear and listen to him. But while the psalmist is hurt by the lies of his enemies he also cares about them. He counsels them to be angry but not sin. They should keep the lies to themselves and not go around spreading gossip.

Finally he takes his own advice and puts his trust in the Lord. The result is a finale of praise. "You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound." And finally he can sleep: "In peace I will both lie down and sleep;" Why can he sleep? "For you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety."

So, you may wonder, am I having trouble sleeping? Not literally, but in the sense of finding peace I would have to say yes. Like the psalmist it worries me that people believe the lies that world tells them. I am concerned that because they have not accepted Jesus, that they will not find eternal rest in God. It worries me that people are dying, literally dying, around us because they don't know the love of God. And sometimes these worries weigh heavily upon me and I pray as I try to find some rest. Sometimes like the psalmist I lie awake bearing my soul to God.

A couple weeks ago I was here at the church at a committee meeting. And as often happens we got off the subject of the meeting and began talking about youth and how we could minister to them. At about the same time that evening a young man put a gun to his head and shot himself. It may have been an accident that the gun went off. But at the very least it reminds us that many young people shoot themselves on purpose, Or take unnecessary risks, or poison themselves with drugs. It's not that we don't care. We do care! We hurt for the young people who think they have nothing to live for. We hurt for the old people who are alone and sick. Our hearts go our to families that are torn apart and broken; for the homeless and the unemployed.

It's not that we don't care, because we do. It's that so often we don't know what to do? How do we reach the young and tell them that there is a reason to live: Jesus? How do we share the love of God with people who often don't want to be bothered by strangers? How do we take the light of Christ into a dark and dying world? And our lack of knowing what to do makes us even more anxious.

I believe there are two important lessons to learn from this psalmist. First of all, there would be a problem if we were not disturbed. It is good that the world around us makes us uneasy. It is good that we can see the evil and feel the pain of our neighbor. It is good that our peace is disturbed by the lost-ness and the darkness of this world.

If we were not disturbed by the world as it is then we would really have a trouble. It is those who are beyond being disturbed by the evil that are really dead. They are nothing more than the walking dead because their souls have lost all sensitivity. The people who are at peace with the turmoil of our world are not resting like one who sleep but like one who is dead.

The fact that we do care, that we are disturbed is a sign that we are alive. It's evidence that God is at work in our lives. It shows us that God's love is in our hearts making them hurt and break for the lost souls. It is Christ alive in us that gives our spirits the ability to be disturbed. It's good that we lose a little sleep over the people we care for.

The second lesson I learn from the psalmist is this: Only God can give true peace and rest. He prayed, "for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety." God is the one who gives us the sensitivity to be disturbed by our world. God is also the one who can give us peace and rest.

So, if you can't sleep at night, if you have trouble resting, if worries keep you awake, take this psalmist's advice. "Put your trust in the Lord."

When you are disturbed by the problems of our world and your helplessness in the face of them. Turn to the one who is not helpless. And God will give you peace. Not a peace like the world gives; for that is nothing more than a cold numbness. But God will make you lie down in peace for God alone will make you lie down in safety.

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