A Divine Interruption (Pt.1)

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”-Luke 2:8-12

As I was pondering this passage, I couldn’t help but think about the limited number of ways that news could be communicated in Jesus’ day. It wasn’t like today where we can turn on a television, radio, computer, or cell phone and quickly get up to speed on what is happening; not just in our community, but around the world. 

News in those days traveled slower. Important information had to be communicated in person or by letter. Writing was certainly an avenue for relaying important news and events, but it wasn’t being massed produced. It was painstakingly written down and then passed among the people. 

However, when it came to communicating the birth of our Savior, God used a more unconventional approach: an angelic visitation! That night as the shepherds were settling in for a long evening tending sheep, an angel appeared like a broadcaster breaking into their regularly scheduled lives: “We Interrupt this broadcast with this late breaking news.” 

This caused me to think about how the birth of Christ and the message of Christmas were like a divine interruption. The word interrupt means to stop the continuous progress, or break the continuity of something. It usually carries with it a negative connotation. 

Let’s be honest, none of us like to be interrupted. Whether we are talking with a friend and one of our kids starts pulling on our pant leg to get our attention or we just get into a groove at work and the boss calls for a mandatory meeting. We don’t like having our progress broken or the continuity of our conversations disrupted. 

Yet, the Good News that was proclaimed that night has been interrupting lives since the moment it was broadcast. From the announcement of His birth, it was obvious, that God was going to interrupt some things. One of the things that the Good News of Christ interrupts is our schedules. His birth records numerous people’s lives that were interrupted by His coming. Mary & Joseph certainly had other plans for their lives, when it was announced to them that the child she bore would be the Son of God. 

The shepherds were going through the same routine that they went through every night as they tended sheep. I am sure that some evenings were disrupted by the occasional predator that they had to run off, but nothing could have prepared them for the angelic invasion that broke through into their world that night. Talk about getting off schedule! Every item of the to-do list that night took a backseat to the birth of our Savior. That is the power of the Gospel! It causes us to take a good, long look at the priorities of our lives. 

Think about the Wisemen that visited Jesus. These men’s schedules were in complete upheaval, for weeks; perhaps months after seeing the star that declared the Messiah had been born.These men rearranged their entire worlds just to pursue Jesus.

Receiving the Good News caused a transformation in their schedules. I know from my own personal experience that my life radically changed after hearing the Good News. There were places and things I did with friends that stopped. Church was a new line item in my weekly activities along with daily devotion, worship and prayer. None of which took up any space in my schedule before I heard the Good News about Jesus. Here is a hard truth to accept: If the Good News isn’t interrupting anything it’s not transforming anything! 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

A gift worth giving!

 “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”-Matthew 2:1-2

The Wisemen that travelled from the East were on a mission. A mission to worship. We are not certain how long or how far they travelled, some scholars believe they could have traveled 400-700 miles.  Depending on the conditions, that journey could have taken some 30-60 days to complete. However, regardless of how long it took them; they still came intending to worship! That commitment to worship is what carried them to the very feet of Jesus.

 When the Wisemen arrived, not only had they come intending to worship, they came prepared for worship; each one carrying a specific gift to offer the newborn king. None of them came empty handed. They prepared themselves to meet a King. Each of their gifts was unique, but valuable in it’s own right. 

" 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod."-Matthew 2:11-12 

I am reminded of the Christmas Song- “The Little Drummer Boy”. Although we don’t read of him in the Bible, we glean the sense of the story to be connected with that of the Wisemen. Take out the Rum-Pum-Pum-Pums and you get to the heart of the story: 

Come they told me

A new born king to see

Our finest gifts we bring

To lay before the king

So to honor him

When we come

Little baby

I am a poor boy too

I have no gift to bring

That's fit to give our king

Shall I play for you

on my drum

Mary nodded

The ox and lamb kept time

I played my drum for him

I played my best for him

Then he smiled at me

Me and my drum

The little drummer boy didn’t think he had a gift worth giving. All he had to give was his very best worship, but it made Jesus smile. You may feel like you are too poor to give Jesus anything of value: poor in talent, poor in skills, poor in resources, but none of us are poor in praise.  

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”-Hebrews 13:15

 It wasn’t the value of the items brought that was impressive, it was the wisemen’s willingness to open up their treasure chests and give it all to Jesus that causes us to remember them today:

“They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”-Matthew 2:11

Gold, Frankincese, and Myrhh. You and I are the ones who are so fascinated by what was inside. We are the ones who have spent years studying and analyzing what was given. However, the gift was never what was inside. The gift was their willingness to open up and give Jesus their very best!  Are you willing to open up? Are you willing to give Jesus the very best of what’s inside of you? It’s time to open up your treasure chests!

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Stop the funeral (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

“Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”-Luke 7:14

 

Sometimes we are so busy focusing on what’s been lost that we have fail to see what is right in front of us. The widow of Nain was on a collision course with Jesus. When Jesus saw the woman, his heart overflowed with compassion for her and He stopped the funeral! Come on somebody! Jesus stopped the funeral. He put His hand on the coffin as if to say, “That’s far enough”.  He even caused those tasked with carrying the dead boy out to be buried to stop in their tracks. 

 

 Just because you put something in a coffin, doesn’t mean it’s dead, especially if Jesus is in the room. You can try and put 2020 in a coffin, but you can’t call it dead. We need to quit trying to bury things that Jesus still has His hand on! Obviously, Jesus didn’t see a dead body. He saw an opportunity; an opportunity to demonstrate compassion. He was about to breath life and hope into a helpless situation.

 

Some would say, that just like the widow’s son, this year is just too far gone. We’ve lost 345 days of this year already, however can I declare to you that there are still 20 days remaining. How many days does Jesus need to turn things around? Ask Lazarus how long it takes Jesus to breath life back into something. Ask Jairus’ how much time Jesus needed to turn his daughter’s life around? Ask the widow of Nain, just how long it takes for Jesus to radically impact a person’s life.

 

I will agree that we started off 2020 strong and then when Covid hit, we lost momentum, but here is what I feel God wants me to tell you this today: You don’t need momentum, when Jesus can do miracles. We don’t need to recapture our momentum, we need to recapture our compassion for others:

 

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”-Luke 7:13

 

As the body of Christ we’ve been weeping our year away, carrying 2020 around in a coffin, waiting to bury it so we can move on with our lives. 

 

Like everyone else, I’ve suffered loss this year. I’ve battled Covid, I’ve had numerous vacations and trips canceled, and I’ve grieved the loss of a loved one who have passed away. So it’s not that I can’t identify with the loss everyone is experiencing. 

 

However, as the Body of Christ, we can’t allow our weeping to drown out our compassion. People all around us are experiencing loss and if the Body of Christ isn’t going to step up and respond, who is? 

 

I understand the dangers of Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands of people have died, but let me ask you this, how many of them died without knowing Jesus. Who’s job is it to proclaim Christ during a pandemic? Are we to put our mandate to make disciples on hold until the conditions are better? How many of those who died missed heaven because they did not hear or witness a single demonstration of Christ’s compassion, simply because we refused to adapt and find ways of sharing Christ.

            

What do we say to the thousands upon thousands of additional people that will likely die, between now and 2021? “Sorry, we are postponing our mission of winning souls until the beginning of next year.” 

 

No! Do what it takes to mitigate your risk (put on a mask, sanitize your hands, and socially distance), but don’t bury this year thinking next year is going to be better; because I bet someone was thinking that same thing in 2019. 

 

It’s not time for the church to give up, it’s time for us to give back!

 

“Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.”-Luke 7:14-15

 

Jesus gave the widow of Nain more than a son back. He restored her hope. His compassion led to her miracle. Listen, there are things that you and I can’t give back to people. Losses that we are just not able to recapture, but we can give them the hope we have in Jesus Christ. 

 

However, we can’t do it isolated from humanity. We have to find ways of engaging the lost and the hurting. We have to stop the funeral! Stop trying to bury 2020. I believe Jesus wants to resurrect it. I believe He wants to breath life into it. We have a choice. We can squander the next 20 days or we can demonstrate compassion to a world that needs it more than ever. 

 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Stop the funeral (Pt. 1)

Part 1

 

“11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.”-Luke 7:11-17

 

After miraculously healing a Roman Officer’s servant, Jesus traveled to a village called Nain. As he is approaching the town the first thing he encounters is funeral procession carrying a widow’s only son. Interestingly enough, the word Nain: means pleasantness. A name which seems completely contrary to what Jesus was walking into. He was walking into grief, mourning, despair and death. There was nothing pleasant about that at all. 

 

As I thought about this passage, the Lord rehearsed in my mind the hopes, plans, and dreams that we had for 2020. We looked at 2020 with great anticipation and expectation. However, like Nain, our encounter with 2020 hasn’t been as pleasant as we had thought it would be. We were introduced to Covid-19, an economic recession, a government shut-down, social unrest, followed by deep political division. How many would agree that this wasn’t at all what we thought 2020 would be like?

 

Along with everything else, the events of 2020 have created a mental health crisis in our country and around the world. Like the widow of Nain we are grieving a loss. Not just the tragic loss of loved ones, but job losses, health setbacks, vacations canceled, savings accounts depleted, weddings postponed, and graduations and proms rescinded. Couple that with the regular tragedies that we’ve been accustomed to all our lives: like drug overdoses, heart disease, wildfires, hurricanes, cancer, and automobile accidents and you can see why it has caused so many to want to escape 2020. 

 

 It has caused many of us to declare things like this: “I am so done with 2020!”, “I will be so glad when 2020 is over.”, “Can we just fast forward to Christmas! In many of our hearts and minds we do not see anything redeeming ahead for this year and have already moved it over into the loss column.

Just like the widow of Nain, she counted her son as dead and was moving towards burying him along with her hope, provision, and future. In like manner, many of you have declared this year officially dead and are moving towards burying it, but I want to declare to you today “It ain’t over yet!!” 

 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The calm inside the storm (Pt.3)

(Part 3 of 3) 

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?””-Mark 4:39-40

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Jesus isn’t going to deliver you out of every storm. He isn’t going to step in and rebuke the wind and waves each time you face difficult conditions. Instead, he showed us that we don’t have to let the storm on the outside create a storm on the inside of us.

What if that is the real miracle of the passage. It wouldn’t be the first time that Jesus used a powerful external miracle to convey a deeper spiritual one. Take some time to read the story of the paralytic brought in on a mat by his friends in Luke 5:17-26. Jesus used his healing to confirm His ability to forgive sins. 

When Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, he turned to His disciples and asked them “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” I don’t think he was questioning why they didn’t just believe for him to stand up and rebuke the wind. Let’s be honest, we serve a shallow God if we believe that He is only interested in improving our external conditions. No, I think he was questioning why they allowed the storm around them to become the storm inside of them, instead of allowing the calm in Him to become the calm in them. 

They missed it because they were amazed that the wind and waves obeyed him but not amazed that Jesus was able to remain calm when it seemed the whole world was crashing around them. The problem that most of us face is that we are more moved by our conditions than we want to admit. 

The disciples had Jesus with them in the boat, but their response for awhile was to act like he wasn’t even there, which led them into believing that He wasn’t even concerned about them. They misread Him (not the situation). Truth is, He was there with them the whole time. He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. He’s in the boat. 

Hebrews 12:2 instructs us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, not our conditions. The atmosphere inside of you is created by what you fix your eyes on. Peter walked on water when he had his eyes fixed on Jesus, but sank at the sight of the wind and waves. 

We’ve misread miracles because we have believed that the way to be more like Jesus is to rebuke the wind and waves around us. Sometimes that is the answer. However, if the wind doesn’t die down. Sometimes being like Jesus is resting in who He is and trusting that if He isn’t panicked neither will I be. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church

The calm inside the storm (Pt. 2)

Part 2

 Mark 4:38:“The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’”

There were two types of calm displayed in this passage.  Jesus calmed the wind and waves, but additionally Jesus himself was demonstrating a whole new level of calm when he fell asleep in the midst of the storm. The disciples, however, interpreted these two calming moments very differently. When he rebuked the wind and waves. They were terrified, perplexed and amazed that even the wind and waves obeyed Him. However, they interpreted his sleeping in the stern much differently. They mistook his calm for a lack of concern. 

Why do we associate being calm with a lack of concern? Jesus was the only one in the boat not panicking. He wasn’t bailing water and he wasn’t wringing his hands and fretting. He wasn’t reacting the way they were reacting, so they misread him. They confused his calm with a lack of concern. 

Have you ever felt that. Felt as though Jesus didn’t respond to your situation with the urgency you expected. Ever wonder why it’s so pressing to you, yet seems so unimportant to Jesus. Ever think, if there was ever a time for a miracle it’s now:

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”-Mark 4:39-40

When we talk about the miracles Jesus performed, this miracle certainly ranks in the top ten. He commanded the winds and waves to stop and they did. His power over natural elements was just one way that Jesus confirmed that He was who he claimed to be. 

However, is it possible that we’ve misread the real miracle in this story. Is it possible that like the disciples we are waiting on him to change the conditions swirling around us. We are waiting on Jesus to stand up and rebuke the wind and waves in our lives. 

Jesus was experiencing the same external influences as the disciples, but he wasn’t experiencing them on the inside. The physical storm surrounding the disciples created a storm inside of them. So that the storm on the inside was a reflection of the storm on the outside. What if we misread the miracle and the miracle wasn’t Jesus showing us that he had the power to command the wind and waves to stop, but rather it was showing us how to remain calm when the the storm around us seems overwhelming. What if the miracle was showing us how to keep the storm surrounding us from becoming the storm within us. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The calm inside the storm (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’41 They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’-Mark 4:35-41

All of us are familiar with storms. Live long enough and you may experience the fiercest of what mother nature has to offer. From the 140 tornadoes that touched down Easter weekend spanning the south to the devastating Hurricane Laura that blasted Texas and Louisiana; we are all susceptible to experiencing storms of various sizes and intensities. 

A storm is defined as a violent disturbance in the atmosphere usually accompanied by strong winds. Mark 4:37 provides us a description of the storm that the disciples found themselves in:

“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.”

There are three significant variables that characterized this storm: 

First, a furious squall came up- meaning it came up quickly and unexpectedly. 

Secondly, waves broke over the boat- meaning it breached what made them feel safe.  

Finally, it nearly swamped them- meaning it was so overwhelming that they couldn’t seem to bail themselves out of it, no matter how hard they tried.  

However, not all the storms that we face are on the outside. Some are on the inside. Many people battle depression, anxiety, the inability to forgive, low self-worth, and fear on a daily basis. Those internal storms carry the very same variables as an external storm: they often come on us quickly and unexpectedly, they breach what makes us feel safe, and overwhelms us so that we can’t seem to bail ourselves out. Our internal atmosphere gets disrupted. 

Just as there is an external atmosphere that can become disrupted, there is an internal one that can be disrupted as well. It is in the midst of this disruption that we are challenged to look for the calm inside the storm. 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

 

 

 

 

The Narrow Door (Pt. 3)

Part 3 of 3

Salvation isn’t just about choosing the right door but staying on the right road. The highway to hell is broad, but he road to life is narrow. Receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior gets us on the right path, but the journey doesn’t end there. Even the question we asked at the beginning of this series is flawed: “Is there more than one way to get to heaven?” The goal of salvation isn’t to make heaven, but to be reconciled with the Father. It isn’t about escaping the wickedness of this fallen world or reuniting with our loved ones.

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.-Isaiah 59:2. 

Our sins had separated us from God. Our relationship with him was broken. Christ coming and dying on the cross was to reconcile us to God, not just secure us a reservation in heaven: 

 “18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.”-2 Corinthians 5:18 (NKJV) 

We’ve made salvation about reaching a desired destination, rather than the work of reconciliation. Although, I believe that heaven and hell are real places, we’ve somehow disassociated Heaven with being reconciled to God and Hell as being eternally separated from Him because of sin. That is why so many no longer see the need for repentance. They no longer see the need to live righteous and holy lives. It’s because they no longer see reconciling with God as necessary to make heaven: 

“12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”-Philippians 2:12. 

The Apostle Paul understood it. He declared that we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. He understood that the result of our salvation is more than securing a spot in heaven, but it’s demonstrated by our obedience to God. Living in obedience to God is not easy, that is why Jesus said that the road is difficult. We can’t claim a place in heaven while living in disobedience to Christ and His word here on earth. We must live out our reconciliation daily by living according to God’s Word.  Salvation is a daily decision to follow Christ. 

The question is not…Are you confident that if Christ came today that you’d make heaven?  No, the real question is…Are you confident that you are reconciled to God? Have you received Christ as your Lord and Savior. He is the Door! He is the only access to the Father. Some of you keep hanging around the door, but have never made that step of faith. I want to caution you that if you are banking on Jesus recognizing you and letting you in, you are going to miss your salvation. Remember Luke 13:25-28:

25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’ 28 “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.-Luke 13:25-28

Some of you think Jesus is going to just let you in because you hung around church some, or you flirted with reading your Bible a little, or you posted a few memes about faith on your Facebook page. The scriptures say that they ate and drank with him. They confused their proximity to Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. In essence they were crying out, Jesus, don’t you recognize us? However, it isn’t about him recognizing you, it’s about Him knowing you. That only happens when we step though the door and commit to living a life of faith and obedience. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The Narrow Door (Pt.2)

One of the best ways to learn what a scripture means is to let scripture interpret scripture. In John 10:1-9, Jesus clearly defines what/or in this case who the door is that leads to the Kingdom of God:

 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

Again, Jesus declares in John 14:6- “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I am not sure why nearly 60% of Christians believe that there is more than one way to heaven. When, Jesus clearly taught that access to God was through Him alone. 

Perhaps, only few find it, because they fail to recognize that Christ alone is our only hope of salvation. Jesus calls those who try access the Kingdom of God, some other way, thieves and robbers. The door is narrow (not in size) but in scope. Jesus is the only door. There is only one way to enter and that is through Christ. 

We pride ourselves in this country as being inclusive, that is why the exclusiveness of salvation through Christ is so hard for us to embrace sometimes. We can’t fathom the idea of people we know and love spending eternity in hell, so we try and convince ourselves that perhaps God is more inclusive than He says He is. Or perhaps, He makes exceptions for good people or people who are truly genuine about their faith, although they reject Jesus as their savior. We do this because we cannot reconcile in our hearts and minds people’s choosing to reject Christ, knowing that the alternative is hell. 

The reason the door is narrow is because only one man laid down his life, took the penalty of our sin upon himself, taking our place on the cross. There is no accommodations for those who reject Jesus in the Kingdom of God. We do our friends and family an injustice when we even allude that there is possibly another way to heaven, apart from Jesus. 

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”-Acts 4:12 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The Narrow Door (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”-Matthew 7:13-14

I am a huge fan of the Sermon on the Mount. This collection of mini-sermons by Jesus, also known as the Beatitudes, are all amazing and life-changing. However, one of them is designed to settle a question that is still imposing itself on the minds of men still today. 

Is there more than one way to get to heaven? 

Surprisingly, nearly sixty percent of evangelical Christians have grown to believe that there is. Listen to this statement taken from a Time Magazine article from 2008 entitled: No one Path to Salvation:

“The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last year surveyed 35,000 Americans, and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation, since most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me.”

However, Jesus could not have made himself any clearer here in Matthew 7:13-14. 

First, Jesus affirmed the existence of two eternal destinations: heaven and hell. Everyone reading this column is going to end up in one of those two places.

Second, He affirmed that each of us choose the road we wish to travel. God doesn’t assign anyone to heaven or to hell. We each choose which path we will take. 

Lastly, Jesus describes each of these paths for us: The one that leads to the Kingdom of God has a narrow gate, is difficult to travel, and few find it. The one that leads to hell has a wide gate, a broad road, and is chosen by many. 

Let’s talk about the narrow gate. Jesus, while teaching another large crowd of people, doubled down on this point:

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.”-Luke 13:22-24

What is this narrow door that Jesus is talking about and why will only a few enter it? 

Scott Burr 

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt 3)

Part 3

“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful”-Mark 4:18-19

 

Other seed was sown and fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so they did not bear grain. This soil is reflective of those who receive the word, but receive it into a field where they have allowed other things to be planted. Things like the worries of life, deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things. Soon these take root alongside of God’s Word. Each of these dilute and distract us from the harvest God intends for us to reap as the Word gets over taken by the weeds.  

 

I am reminded of a parable that Jesus told about wheat and tares. A farmer planted seed and when it began to spring up there were tares found among the wheat. The servants asked, “Didn’t you plant good seed” He said, yes, this is the work of my enemy.” They enemy had sown bad seed among the good seed. 

 

You better be careful who you allow to sow in your field. God sows good seed. Everything else is a tare. Why is bad seed called a tare, because it will ‘tare’ your life apart. It will literally choke out the good seed sown in your life. According to the passage, you will grow but you will be unfruitful. Meaning that you may grow, but you won’t mature. The harvest God had housed in that seed for you will be choked out and you won’t experience the full harvest stored in that seed. There is, however, one other kind of soil:

 

 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’”-Mark 4:20

 

Jesus makes it clear, how we ought to receive God’s word each time we are exposed to it. Hear it. Receive it. Apply it. The harvest will vary, some 30, 60, 100 fold. It doesn’t appear that we have control over the amount of harvest, just whether or not we will have one. It doesn’t say anything about what steps need to be taken to get a 30 or a 60 or 100; instead it focuses on what type of soil will rob you of the potential harvest found in every seed; even today.

 

There is a harvest in the word that you are receiving today! Some will reap a harvest from it, some will not. Some of you need to plow up  some fallowed ground. You’ve been hurt and walked on. Your heart is hard toward God and His word. You need to plow up it up. You need to repent and turn back to God. He will take that heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. A heart that can receive His word. 

 

Others need to let the word of God take root in your life. You receive it with joy, but you don’t let it take root. Your field is shallow because God’s Word isn’t the authority in your life. When trouble comes you abandon the word. 

 

Still others, need to do stop letting the enemy sow seed in your field. Seeds of worry, hunger for wealth, and the desire for other things. It’s choking out your harvest. 

 

If you are only picking up your Bible on Sunday or barely touching it during the week; your heart has either become hard, your soil is shallow or you’re allowing the cares of this life to choke the word out. 

Each day that we brush aside the word of God, we are brushing off the harvest He has in store for us. 

 

It’s time to do some soil searching today! 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt.2)

Part 2

“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that sown in them.”-Mark 4:15

 A well worn path, one that has been well traveled, compacted, and pressed down, isn’t very receptive to receiving seed.  People have walked all over it and it has become hard. When seed lands on it, it doesn’t go down into the soil, it lays on top and becomes susceptible to being eaten by the birds. 

The hard soil reflects the hardness of some people’s hearts towards God Word. These are, often, the hardest people to reach for Christ. They don’t value God’s Word, so they don’t protect it. In fact, many have hardened their hearts against it. They refuse to receive it and so Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown. 

Yet, even though, the path is hard, the farmer in his grace still sows seed on it. We have a God that is not willing that any should perish. He sows seed on even the hardest ground, because he knows the power housed within each seed has the potential change people’s lives.Let me ask you something, if the Word of God doesn’t have the potential to change people’s lives, why would Satan bother to come and steal it from us. Satan understands the potential housed in that seed and doesn’t want to take the risk of you deciding to receive it and experience the harvest within. 

We also learn from Mark 4:5 that some of the seed fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow, but when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall quickly fall away. Jesus explain it this way:

“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.-Mark 4:16-17

Those whose seed is sown on the rocky ground are those that receive the seed with joy and begin to experience some growth. Unfortunately, however, they never experience the full potential of that seed, because they fall away when they realize that it isn’t popular or easy to live according to God’s Word. When trouble or persecution comes, because of it, they quickly fall away. Their hearts are shallow. They don’t allow the Word of God to truly take root in them. They have an appreciation for God’s Word, but don’t see it as an authoritative rule of faith for their lives. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Soil Searching (Pt.1)

(Part 1) 

“13 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.’-Mark 4:13-20

Romans 10:17 tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Our faith is directly impacted by what we do with God’s Word. Our passion for or our indifference towards God’s Word determines whether we will live faith-filled lives or faithless lives. If you grow and how quickly you grow in your faith is directly tied to this passage. Jesus said if you don’t understand this parable, how will you understand any of them.

Some of you reading this column need to do some soil searching. Did you notice my little play on words? It sounds like soul searching and in a way it is. Soul searching is an honest evaluation of your feelings and motives. Soil searching is an honest evaluation of how you prepare for and receive God’s Word in your life. So let’s look at the parable:

“ The farmer sows the word.”-Mark 4:14 

This passage could not be any clearer. The seed that is being sown is the Word of God. Here are a few observations that I made about the seed. First, the farmer knows that there is no harvest if the seed isn’t sown. So, he is diligent to make certain that the seed gets scattered. In fact, the one constant in this passage is the seed. 

Secondly, all the soils are all different, but they all received the same seed. Do you know what is so amazing about that? 

God’s Word (seed) always has a harvest in it. Every time we read God’s Word or listen to a message; the Word that comes to us already has a potential harvest inside of it.  So if you are not reaping a harvest of faith in your life, what we will learn over the next few couple of weeks is this: It’s never a problem with the seed that God is sowing. God’s seed is never the issue, it's a soil problem. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Learning contentment in the midst of crisis (Pt.2)

( Part 2)

 “6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich (not satisfied) fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”-1 Timothy 6:6-10

In Paul’s letter to his spiritual son Timothy, Paul echoed the same sentiment about contentment that we read in Philippians 4. True biblical contentment cannot be separated from our relationship and trust in God. It is that relationship that makes us rich beyond measure. That is how Paul learned to be content. He prioritized the value of His relationship with Christ. Sometimes he had more. Sometimes he had less, but he always had Christ.  

 Although, we all ought to learn what it means to be content. We should not let that curb our generosity. 

4 Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:14-19

Although contentment is what we practice in our own hearts, generosity is what we should practice towards others. Paul recognized that God rewards kindness and generosity towards others. Rather than adopt a “People should just be content with what they have” attitude, we should embrace a “Let’s sow seeds to meet needs” mentality. 

Our giving isn’t going to make anyone more or less content. If Christ isn’t their source, then having more could be more crippling than not having anything. 

Generosity is rooted in being content with what we have been given and trusting that as we are generous in helping others, He will continuously be our source. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Learning contentment in the midst of crisis (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”-Philippians 4:10-13

As we conclude this book in our Prison Letters series, I find it fitting that the last topic of discussion to the church in Philippi is focused on contentment. Here is a man, imprisoned and isolated, teaching on how to have contentment in the midst of a crisis.

Our culture would define Contentment as a feeling of happiness or satisfaction; a satisfaction rooted in having our “needs” adequately met. In our minds that may mean a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, clothes on our backs, or decent transportation. The list, however, becomes exhaustive dependent upon what it takes to “satisfy” a person. 

However, Paul makes an interesting observation about contentment. He said he learned to be content with “whatever he had”-with much or with nothing and he learned to be content in every situation-good or bad. 

What Paul is teaching us is contentment has nothing to do with your material possessions or the circumstances that surround you, contentment is knowing Christ. Paul was declaring: I am content with little as long as I have Jesus. I am content with much as long as I have Jesus. I am content in good times as long as I have Jesus and I am content in difficulty as long as I have Jesus.

The common denominator in learning contentment begins with knowing God and trusting in His provision. Author William Barcley wrote that contentment comes from knowing God and delighting in His sovereign goodness and fatherly care. 

 The key is vs. 13: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Paul states that he knew how to live on almost nothing and with everything. Each of these states requires a certain amount of grace and discipline. Knowing how to live under both conditions requires us to trust in God for strength, wisdom, and grace in different ways. It would be easy having little to drift into self-dependency or with much to trust in our resources. 

 We tend to think that contentment means having more. I read an article recently that stated that 70 percent of lottery winners end up bankrupt in just a few years after receiving a large financial windfall. Why? More doesn’t always satisfy us. Perfect conditions don’t always satisfy us. 

Basically, what Paul is saying that he learned to be content by filtering whatever he had or whatever circumstances he was facing through His relationship with Christ. I can do everything (live in poverty, live in abundance, live in freedom, live in captivity) through Christ. He will give me the strength to do it. 

Scott Burr 

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Don't worry about anything

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need & thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts & minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers & sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true & honorable & right & pure & lovely & admirable. Think about things that are excellent & worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned & received from me - everything you heard from me & saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”- Philippians 4:6-9 (NLT)

Paul’s final appeal ends with a reminder to the church of the importance of surrendering our worries and anxieties to God.  Let’s remember that Paul is writing this letter from prison.  I’m not sure about you, but if I were sitting in a prison cell; I would likely be struggling with some level of anxiety.  Stop to consider Paul’s history and how he, before his conversion to Christ, had persecuted the church.  The same things he did to punish believers are now his reality.  However, Paul has a new and living faith that helps him to find contentment in all circumstances, including imprisonment.

Paul points to prayer as the key component to experiencing God’s peace in all our circumstances. When we pray we focus our hearts and minds on God’s truth and invite the will of God into our situations. Worry is very similar to prayer. Worrying is focusing our hearts and minds on all the bad things we imagine could happen, thus inviting fear into our situation. Both worry and prayer require our participation. They both require our time, energy and focus. That means that we choose whether we will pray or worry when faced with a challenging circumstance. 

We can choose to fix our thoughts on what is noble, right, honorable, lovely and true or we can choose to entertain every anxious thought that occupies our minds. 

The Apostle Paul in a separate letter to the church at Corinth wrote:

“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought  and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.”-2 Corinthians 10:5 

Each time we choose prayer we are taking captive those deceptive thoughts and arrogant attitudes that stand in opposition to the knowledge of God. However, in a very real sense, when we worry we are taking our prayer life captive. The time and energy we could expend inviting God into our situation, we waste on rehearsing every negative scenario that our mind can create. Paul understood that prayer ushers God’s peace into your difficult situations, where worry invites anxiety. 

What is concerning you today? What difficulties are you facing? You have a choice today. You can pray and invite God into your situation or you can worry and invite anxiety. The choice is yours. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Prison Letters: Division keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose!

(Philippians 4:1-5)

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”-Philippians 4:1-5

As we continue our Prison Letter series, we want to look at an admonition that Paul gives to two people who are apparently at odds with one another. Word has gotten back to him that two women, Euodia and Syntyche, both believers and obviously faithful in their service to God, have had some kind of falling out. 

Paul is obviously distressed enough over it to include it in this letter to the church at Philippi. He appeals to them and the church to help them settle their disagreement, because of the ramifications that such division can have on a local body. Paul understood that division within a church diminishes productivity and cripples evangelism. 

Paul points out that we have been given the task of reconciling people. Of course, unbelievers to God, but also believers with one another. We cheapen reconciliation when we see people reconciled to God, only to come into the church and see people at odds with each other. The Bible is filled with instruction regarding the necessity of maintaining good relations within the body:  

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.”-Matthew 18:15

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.”-Matthew 5:23-24

Disunity promotes division rather than unite us to a common purpose. It is impossible for us to work together as one body if we pulled apart by divisions and disagreements that go unresolved. That is why unity was a common theme among early church writers: 

“Finally all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each others. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.” -1 Peter 3:8

In fact, unity was one of the last things Jesus prayed for us, before He returned to the Father. Reconciliation has far reaching implications. Paul reminds them of the soon return of Christ. He is imploring them to reconcile in light of the Lord’s coming. 

How many people are failing to come to Christ because of our division/disunity? 

If there was ever a time that the world needs to see a united church, it is now. If there was ever a time that we need to be focused as one united body on the mission and purpose of evangelism it is now. 

The church not being able to meet in a building should never minimize our effectiveness in reaching the lost, rather it should mobilize us. Amazing things are happening right now. Thousands of people are stepping into the kingdom of God that have not yet stepped inside the church door. 

Here is a thought to ponder this week, perhaps God needs to fix some things in the church and in us, before He allows these new believers into our churches. Why would God want to bring a new believer into a divided, disengaged church that is adrift with no real mission or purpose?

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church