Kevin Busl 4-13-24 Receive

The main ideas from this information are: - The scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 13, which is known as the love chapter. - The speaker talks about a trip to Ireland and how wonderful it was. - The speaker encourages support for the church school as a form of prevention for children. - The speaker reads a passage from Matthew 24 about the gospel being preached to all nations. - The story of Mary anointing Jesus' feet is mentioned, and it is found in all four gospels. Alright, thank you children for picking up that offering, and thank Ellen for the story. Okay, it's time for the scripture reading. You can turn with me to 1 Corinthians 13, and you can read along or you can just listen, okay? Because Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter, okay? The whole chapter is about the greatest gift. It reads like this, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not pray to itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails, but whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I should know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three. But the greatest of these is love. Good morning again. You know, this picture to my left. The other week we spent a week in Ireland, and we took this picture from this grassy area over here to the cliffs. And you can't see them very well, but there's people out here. There's just little dots. And those cliffs were very impressive. And while we were there, down in the ocean, there was a boat. And along with the boat came a helicopter. And at first we thought someone had gone over the cliff. And there was a search party to find them. But as it turned out, no one had jumped over the cliff that day. But they were doing maneuvers and practicing for tragedy. I mean, I can only imagine. I don't know how tall those three, four hundred foot cliffs. They're just immense. It reminded me of a poem that I heard a long time ago. It's called A Fence or an Ambulance. It was a dangerous cliff, where we freely confessed to walk near its crest was so pleasant, but over the terrible edge their head slipped, a duke and a fulmini peasant. The people said something would have to be done. But their projects did not at all tally. Some said put a fence around the edge of the cliff. Others put an ambulance down the valley. Well, the cry for the ambulance carried the day for spread through the neighboring cities. A fence may be useful or not, it is true. But each heart became brimful of pity for the victims who fell over the terrible cliff. So the dwellers and highways and alleys gave pounding, gave pence, not to put up a fence, but an ambulance down in the valley. For the cliff is all right. If you're careful, they said. And if folks even slip and are dropping, it isn't the slipping that hurts them so much. It's a shock down below as they're stopping. So day after day, these mishaps occurred, quick forth with these rescuers, Sally, to pick up the victims who fell over the cliff, their ambulance down in the valley. And an old sage remarked, it's a marvel to me that people give far more attention to repairing results than stopping the cause. But I'd much better aim at prevention. Let us stop at its source. All this mischief, he cried, come neighbors and friends, let us rally. If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense with the ambulance down in the valley. Oh, he's a fanatic, the others rejoined. Dispense with the ambulance? Never. He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could. No, no, we'll support them forever. Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall? And shall this man dictate to us, shall he? Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence while the ambulance works in the valley? But a sensible few who are practical, too, will not deal with this nonsense much longer. They believe that prevention is better than cure, and their party will soon be the stronger. Encourage them then with your voice, purse, and pen, and while other philanthropists dally, they will stop all pretense and put up a stout fence on the cliff that hangs over the valley. Better guide while the young than reclaim them when old, for the voice of true wisdom is calling to rescue the fallen tis good, but tis best to keep other people from falling. Better close up the source of temptation and crime than deliver from dungeon and galley. Better put a stout fence around the edge of the cliff than an ambulance down in the valley. You know, our God is a God of prevention. And as I saw the cliffs, and I remember that poem, you know, one of the major fences we have for our children is our church school. And so I just encourage us to continue to support the church school. Support putting a fence around the edge of the cliff. The trip to Ireland was wonderful. It rained every day, you know. It was truly a blessing, got to spend time with my three grandchildren and their mom and dad. There was about a hundred and forty people all that went, a choir went, an orchestra went, and they played in numerous cities that we got to visit. And as I looked at the scenery, you know, the thought, how great thou art, came to mind. How great thou art. God is truly, truly wonderful. Well, before we read God's word, I'd just like to have a word of prayer. Oh, Heavenly Father, you are great, you are wonderful, you are amazing. So please, Lord, be with us as we look into your word. Please give us understanding and give us a willingness to be changed. We ask in Jesus' name, amen. Matthew 24, 14 reads, and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come. Today we're going to look and ponder a story that Jesus says, Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial for her. Jesus has placed a special spotlight upon this event. This event is mentioned in the gospel of Matthew chapter 26. This event is mentioned in the gospel of Mark in chapter 14. This event is mentioned in the gospel of Luke in chapter 7. And this event is mentioned in the gospel of John in chapter 12. Matthew, when he gives the story, he gives a first-hand event. And also John gives a first-hand event. They were there, they witnessed it, and they tell about it. Now Mark is also known as John Mark. He was a companion that worked alongside Peter and Paul. It was in John Mark's home, in the Bible where it mentions there in the upper room, that was at John Mark's home where they met. It was the place where the disciples retreated after the crucifixion and the ascension. So the early apostles found a home there. Luke, the physician, was largely schooled by Paul. So I'm not sure where Luke heard this story, but Luke is also credited with writing the book of Acts. And so it's in all four gospels, this story. Luke was also a physician. Matthew and Mark tell what happened after this event. After this event, and Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Jesus. So right after this, that's what happened. John 12 recalls how the priests consulted that they might put to death Lazarus also. Now we know who Lazarus was, right? Lazarus died. He was in the tomb for four days. Jesus came and he went to the tomb and he says, Lazarus, come forth. Four days in the tomb, Lazarus was brought back to life. And the priests were plotting to kill him. He was such a testimony to the power of Christ that they wanted to kill Lazarus and they were plotting to kill Jesus. Luke refers to Simon. Now Simon was a leper, that Jesus had healed from leprosy. That was a dreaded disease. I don't know much about leprosy, but I know that it's a disease that actually eats the flesh. And so as a disease progresses, one would lose fingers, toes, lose their digits. Terrible disease. And Simon was also a Pharisee. So Jesus healed him. All the Gospels, who do all the Gospels mention here? Who's the story about? All the Gospels mention this. The story is about Mary. The story is about Mary. All the Gospels mention Mary anointing the feet of Jesus. Here we have present the twelve disciples, including Judas, who at this time decides to betray Christ. We have Lazarus, who was laid in the grave four days. We have Simon, who Jesus cured of prophecy. We have Mary, who was caught in adultery. We have many Jews present during this time, because it was just six days to the Passover. So I'm going to pick up in Luke chapter 7. This is at Simon's home. Luke chapter 7. We'll start in verse 36 and read through 39. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet. Simon made a feast for Jesus to thank him for his cure, for curing him from leprosy. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went to the Pharisee's house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in a city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus was at meet at the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment. And she stood at his feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee, which had bidden him, saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner. Simon identifies Mary as a sinner. Thus himself he identifies not as a sinner. And by deduction, he viewed himself as righteous. Simon was a Pharisee, and this notion of being righteous seems to be a trait among them. Over in Luke 18, we'll look at verses 11 and 12. Same book, Luke 18. Verses 11 and 12. This is another Pharisee, I don't think this is Simon, but who knows, it could have been Simon. We'll start in verse 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a Republican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, and even as this Republican. So that's how the Pharisee prayed. Folks, how do we assess others? How do we assess ourselves? Do I somehow view myself as righteous and others as sinners? Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, we have only one type of people on this earth, one type of person on this earth. What might describe that type of person? Sinner. That's the only type of person left on earth since Jesus ascended, are sinners. We read Paul's statement, after many years of service to Christ, in 1 Timothy 15, he says this, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. After many years of service, Paul identifies himself as the chief of sinners. You know, if you attended an AA meeting, we all know what an AA meeting is, you know, if you attended an AA meeting, you might hear something like this at the beginning of the meeting, Hi, my name's Kevin, I'm an alcoholic. The guy next to Kevin would say, my name is Tom, and I'm an alcoholic. And it would progress around the room, each one stating their name and confessing that they were an alcoholic. Now, chances are that Kevin and Tom haven't practiced drinking for a long time, for a long time. They've abstained from alcohol, but they still identify themselves as an alcoholic. You know, I'm a sinner. I might be termed, I could say I'm a sin-a-holic. Hi, my name's Kevin, and I'm a sinner. Each one of us could go around this room introducing ourselves in such a fashion. But that doesn't mean I'm practicing sin, does it? But it means I'm a sinner. Through God's grace, the participants in AA find grace and they don't drink. And me as a sinner, by God's grace, I can refrain from practicing sin. It may be helpful for us to understand who we really are. You know, I think sometimes we're a little confused about who we really are. Often we might think better of ourselves than is profitable. There's a few quotes in the Bible. I've got to turn this on somewhere. A few quotes in the Bible and a few quotes from a favorite author of mine. Jeremiah says it this way, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? It's talking about the human heart. Jeremiah goes on to say, can an Ethiopian change his skin? Or the leopard his spots? Then ye also, then how can ye also do good that are accustomed to doing evil? All we like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his own way. Behold, David says, behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin. Did my mother conceive me? You know, when two saints get married and they have children, they're not blessed with a little saint. They're blessed with a little sinner. For I know, Paul says, that in me, that is in my flesh dwells how much good? This is the condition of our fallen humanity. But we don't always experience this, do we? We experience through the grace of God, we experience something else. From Review and Herald, 1882, when man sinned, his nature became evil and he was in harmony and not at variance with Satan. The heart of man by nature is cold, dark, and unloving. Whenever, whenever one manifests the spirit of mercy and forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the influence of the Divine Spirit, moving upon his heart. How am I capable of doing good? How are you capable of doing good? Only by the Divine influence moving upon our hearts. In and of ourselves, we do not have the capacity to have any kindness emanate from us. Any love would be completely foreign, except for the Divine agency working upon our hearts. Sometimes it does good for us to know our true condition. But somebody has paid an infinite price to give us the option to be different than how we were born. Romans 12, 3 reads, For I say, through the grace of God given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought. Any goodness in humanity does not originate with humanity. Right? Any goodness in humanity doesn't originate in humanity. It's the Divine influence that's working upon our minds that gives us a capability of being different than we were born. That's why probably in the Bible, it speaks of the new birth. Right? You must, you must be born again. Let's continue reading from verse 40 through 43. You know, Jesus read the thoughts of Simon. You know, the Holy Spirit gave Jesus the capacity to read Simon's thoughts. Simon's saying, you know, if this guy was a real prophet, he would know what kind of woman this was that touches him. If he was a real prophet, he wouldn't allow that to happen. Because he's a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon. You know, it's interesting, it says, And Jesus answering him said unto him, Simon. Simon was just thinking this. He didn't say anything. But Christ reads his mind and answers the question of his mind. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon. I have somewhat to say unto thee, and he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed 500 pence and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Two debtors. You get the picture. In this transaction, I begin with a debt and move on to the debt being forgiven by the creditor. And the debtor accepting the forgiveness. In accepting the forgiveness, a change takes place, right? In accepting the forgiveness, a change takes place in the heart. Somebody is instigated, it says, to love. Who's going to love the creditor most? Right? The amount of forgiveness received by me decides how much love is created in me. The amount of forgiveness received by me decides how much love is created in me. The more forgiveness received, the more change takes place in the heart. So I just want to examine the concept, the power of forgiveness. It is by receiving, not by doing, that love grows. We need to receive, we need to receive forgiveness. Let's read on, it'll become a little clearer. I'll read on through verse 48. And he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman, since I came in, hath ceased not to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore, I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. Seems to be a correlation with forgiveness and the capacity to love. If we can understand more of what Christ has done for us, the debt he's paid for us, our appreciation, our affection can grow for Christ. If I don't understand who I am, where I came from, I don't have a true conception of what Christ has done in my behalf. The more I understand, the more I can love. The more we're forgiven. See, if I understand that I'm forgiven, it gives me the capacity to love more. If I don't understand it, it's almost like, sometimes like children. Children don't understand all that the parents sacrifice for them, do they? You know, it's just not in their capacity to understand that, especially as a young child. But as time goes on, they start to realize how much mom sacrificed, how much dad sacrificed, how much of their living was wrapped up in them, how much they didn't do for their sake. When we understand what's been done in our behalf, our capacity to appreciate and love increases. And so we've got the two debtors, and I'm kind of thinking that in this story, Jesus is thinking that Simon, the leper, is one of the debtors, and Mary is one of the debtors. And I have a little trouble figuring out who owes the biggest debt, although it seems to be explained that he that, Wherefore, I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. So who loved little in this story? Was it Simon or was it Mary? Who loved little? Simon, right? So Simon wasn't forgiven that much, but Mary was forgiven much. Now listen, Jesus healed Simon of leprosy, a dreaded, dreaded disease. Mary received far more from Jesus than did Simon. Simon received merely physical healing from leprosy. Mary received spiritual healing. She received forgiveness of sin, which changed her heart. What are we receiving? What are we receiving from Jesus? If we but receive our physical needs, we love him but little. If we will confess our sins, we will receive a spiritual healing that brings with it a new heart and a new and mighty capacity to love much. We might ask ourselves, do we love much? Can we love more? In closing, I'd like to share a few thoughts from the book Desire of Ages. It's in chapter 62, and there's about 11 pages to the chapter called The Feast at Simon's House. A lot of insights are shared. I encourage you all to read that as you go home, either later today or throughout the week. This is on page 568. When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities of good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities. And in Mary, these possibilities were to be realized. Through his grace, she became a partaker of divine nature. The one who had fallen and whose mind had been the habitation of demons was brought very near to the Savior in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at his feet and learned of him. It was Mary who poured upon his head the precious anointing oil and bathed his feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross and followed him to the supplicor. Mary was first at the tomb after the resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed the risen Savior. Jesus knows the circumstance of every soul. You may say, I am a sinful. I am very sinful. You may be. But the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that he might reveal, but he bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely he will pardon all who come to him for forgiveness and restoration. Jesus is a wonderful Savior. You know, the more we're forgiven, the more we give over to Jesus, the more love we can inhabit. You know, the way Jesus loves us is he reveals ourself. He reveals ourself to ourself. That's what he does. It says when the Holy Spirit comes, he'll convict of sin. Anyone here convicted of sin? When you do something wrong, do you hear a little voice behind you? You know, hey. And we have opportunity to go with it or to shun it. The Holy Spirit is faithful. He'll convict us of sin. Jesus says in Revelation, he says, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. You know, isn't that interesting? As many as I love. How does he love us? How does he love me? He rebukes me and chastens me. That's how he loves me. And when I see my filthiness, I confess my sin. I receive forgiveness. And with that forgiveness comes a new capacity to love. That's what happens. When we ask, give forgiveness, we gain a new capacity to be more like Jesus. Isaiah 61 says it this way. Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the spirit of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that we might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord. God wants to exchange, I got ashes. He wants to give me beauty for my ashes. I'd say that's a fair trade. I mean, it's a good trade on my part. Maybe it's not a fair trade, but it's a good trade. Nothing that the Holy Spirit convicts us of is for our good. Nothing is good. Nothing is good. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin. It goes on to say He convicts of righteousness. So the Holy Spirit, does anybody here know when they do right? You know, hey, that was a good thing I did. You know, you help somebody out. The Holy Spirit lets you know when you do the right thing. The Holy Spirit lets you know when we do the wrong thing. And we need to listen to that still, small voice. But anyway, from this study I did, I have a desire. I have a new desire to grow in love. And how I become more loving is by asking for forgiveness as the Holy Spirit points it out. And I can grow in love and in grace and in knowledge of God. But if I refuse to confess and to ask for forgiveness, I'll be stuck in the same old place I've been for a while. And by this shall all men know that you're my disciples. That we have love one for another. And so I just encourage us to continue to listen to that still, small voice. And to yield to that still, small voice. And to allow ourselves to be changed day by day, more and more, into the image of our Savior.