The Messenger - April 21, 2010 - Appearances

Pastor's Corner

When Seeing is NOT Believing

Have you seen that clever video on Utube that shows a group of young people "cooking" pop corn with their cell phones? They put a handful of kernels in the center of a table, then they point the antennae of 4 cell phones at those kernels while making each cell phone ring. Within seconds, the kernels "pop", causing each of these young people to laugh hysterically.

When I saw that video, I didn't laugh--I gasped. I had never worried about my cell phone in the past, and I had read about their safety on a number of "legitimate" web sites. But "seeing is believing"--so I stopped holding my cell phone handset to my ear--using only my "Bluetooth" ear piece instead.

Later, I learned that the video I had seen was actually made by Bluetooth as a form of "viral marketing." They wanted folks like me to buy their ear pieces, so they made a phony video by dropping pre-popped corn on a table while 4 cell phones rang. Then, they digitally removed the original kernels from the table to make it look like they had "popped." I was aghast.

When questioned on CNN, the Bluetooth marketing director insisted that their video was never meant to be taken seriously--that's why the young people in it chose to laugh. But I took it seriously--I was totally convinced! And I would have believed that video forever if one of my neighbors had not challenged me to investigate.

According to the Apostle Paul, many people in this world have chosen to create a beautiful but deceptive image. They pretend to be very moral--almost perfect in every way--and they often express indignation at those who aren't. But, if you scratch the surface of this finely crafted image, you find a moral absess full of sin. Paul lambasts this kind of hypocrisy in Romans (chapter 2), but he doesn't stop there. He goes on to claim that all of us have sinned:

There is no one righteous, not even one: there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless." (Romans 3:10-12)

This is a very bleak picture--perhaps the bleakest in the whole New Testament. But it leads to one of the brightest promises that you have ever heard.
The bad news is that there are no exceptions: "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
And the good news is that there are no exceptions: "all are freely justified by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24)

I'll be preaching on that text this Sunday morning. Whether your sins are obvious or carefully obscured, I hope you'll join us.

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Weekly Calendar
Apr. 22
Thursday	7:30 PM			Chancel Choir
Friday	6:00 PM			Youth Praise Band
	7:30 PM			Youth Hang-Out
Saturday	1:00 PM			Women's Tea
	4:00 PM			Volleyball
	6:00 PM			Outrigger Cruise
	6:00 PM			Fun Fellowship
Sunday	8:30 AM			Adult Sunday School
	9:30 AM			Worship
				Scripture: Romans 2:1-4; 3:9-13,21-30
				Sermon: "No Exceptions"
				Preacher: Pastor Neal
	11:00 AM			Worship and Music Meeting
Monday	7:00 PM			Women's Bible Study
	7:00 PM			Calendar Planning Meeting
	7:30 PM			Nar-anon
Tuesday	7:00 PM			Cell Tower Meeting
Wednesday	7:00 AM			Bible Study at Carrow's
	1:00 PM			Women's Bible Study
	4:00 PM			Gospel Gang
	4:00 PM			AWANA for Children
	4:30 PM			Cherub Choir
	5:00 PM			Angel Choir
	5:30 PM			King's Chorus
	6:30 PM			Boy Scouts
	6:30 PM			JR High Fellowship
	6:30 PM			SonLight Singers
	7:00 PM			Chapel Bells
	7:00 PM			Prayer Group