Terry Scheuffele

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

Hearing Vs. Fruit Bearing

We all have experienced the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. What can we do when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives?

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) Self care; (2) Spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) A refocused vision of the future.

Paul warned the Galatians not to Return to Slavery — religious legalism, perfectionism, or traditionalism. His remedy? 1) Stand firm in your freedom; 2) Trust Jesus alone for your righteousness, and 3) Keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

The church at Ephesus had Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’. Known for their good works, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

The church at Laodicea suffered from ignorance and apathy. They were self deluded in their retched state and were lukewarm in their relationship with God (I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care). Jesus commanded them to 1) Seek true spiritual wealth; 2) Repent, and accept his chastisement; and 3) Open the door to Jesus and a renewed relationship with him.

Sunday, my lesson will be taken from Matthew 13. What we have called “The Parable of the Sower” gives us tremendous insight in how hearing the word of God relates to fruit bearing and how fruit bearing relates to our Christian joy.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care

How can we deal with the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy? It is devastating when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

In Psalm 51, David lost his joy due to un-repented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem); the solution was repentance, ministry, and worship.

Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues revealed three principles that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Paul’s warning in Galatians of a Return to Slavery has a modern analog, i.e., Christian freedom vs. religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism. These three threaten our joy. Paul encourages us to 1) stand firm in our freedom; 2) trust Jesus alone for our righteousness, and 3) keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

In Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus they had “forsaken your first love” (You Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’). This describes a church that was known for their good works and perseverance. In all their hard work, religious polemic, and righteous endurance, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love. Jesus explains what they had to do: 1) Remember what it was like when their love was new; 2) Change the dynamics of their behavior; and 3) Do the things they did at first.

Sunday, we will look at another church Jesus addressed in Revelation.

The church at Laodicea was described as “lukewarm– neither hot nor cold.” Their first problem was apathy. On a love/hate continuum of their relationship with God, their response was “meh.” Again, using the analogy of marriage, this is the death-knell—you just don’t care anymore. It’s easy to see how this would lead to a joyless faith.

Their second problem was ignorance. Or perhaps, more accurately expressed, self-delusion. In their material prosperity, they believed they were in need of nothing or no one. Perhaps, this is the root cause of their apathy toward God.

Jesus has some very harsh things to say to them about their condition.

You might legitimately ask why those who were so apathetic would care about having no Christian joy. Maybe the issue was that, in their ignorance, they thought their wealth brought them joy. Unfortunately, such dependence upon circumstances will eventually lead to the wretchedness Jesus described.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

You Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’

In Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation we are discussing the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. How tragic it is when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

We’ve discussed Psalm 51 and David’s loss of joy due to unrepented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem) and the solution: repentance, ministry, and worship.

We’ve examined Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues and distilled three principles from his story that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Galatians 5:1-6 gave us insight into an ancient problem that has a modern analog, i.e., Christian freedom vs. religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism. These three form a deadly trifecta that threaten a Return to Slavery of law (the Torah and Stoichea) and thus threaten our joy. Galatians encourages us to 1) stand firm in our freedom; 2) trust Jesus alone for our righteousness, and 3) keep in step with the Holy Spirit to avoid the sinful nature.

Sunday, we will be studying the letter to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7,

Immediately, in the text we are confronted with Jesus’ knowledge of his church and followers, “I know your deeds, hard work and perseverance.” It is both scary and comforting to know that Jesus is intimately aware of the details of our life and ministry. Ephesus is a working church; he knows their hard work and sacrifice.

Jesus knows their intolerance for wicked, false teachers and prophets and that they have tested them. They have been faithful to contend earnestly for the true faith.

Jesus knows how they suffered and endured hardships for his name and not grown weary.

With all of those praises, you would think the report would be all positive, but it is not. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. In all their hard work, religious polemic, and righteous endurance, they had lost the one thing that really mattered, love.

At the beginning of our faith we possessed an incredible joy tied to our wholehearted love for God, but like Israel something happened. Our joy waned and our love began to grow cold.

Jeremiah 2:2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: “‘I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown. “

How can we bring back that lovin’ feelin’?

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

A Return to Slavery

In our new lesson series Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation we are discussing the waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. How difficult it is when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives!

We’ve discussed Psalm 51 and David’s loss of joy due to unrepented sin (Well, There’s Your Problem) and the solution: repentance, ministry, and worship.

We’ve examined Elijah’s Mount Carmel Blues due to his disillusionment after the great victory for Yahweh at Mt. Carmel. Elijah saw the culmination of his life’s work as Yahweh proved definitively to Israel that he was God and not Baal. What a spiritual high! It is no surprise that this was followed by a spiritual low when he learned that those in power were not persuaded — Jezebel sought his life. We distilled three principles from his story that can help us when we hit lows following spiritual highs: (1) self care; (2) spiritual grounding in the character and work of God; and (3) a refocused vision of the future.

Sunday’s lesson is not narratively based. It originates in Galatians—a wordy, deep, argument against embracing again the slavery of the Torah. Paul’s audience was struggling with those who would impose the burden of circumcision upon gentile Christians.

For the sake of clarity, let’s overlay another narrative (a true story) that might help us understand what Paul is saying in this text.

There once was a woman married to a very harsh, hyper-critical man. Nothing she did would please him. Every day, when he left for work, he would give her a list of things she must do that day, exactly as he specified. She felt like a slave. Her life was miserable. She had no joy. What love she had for the man was slowly being destroyed by the way he treated her.

In the course of time, her hyper-critical, demanding husband died and she eventually remarried. Her new husband was the polar opposite of the first. He treated her with grace. He was active and expressive with his love. When she failed, as all humans do, he was forgiving and supportive. Her life was so different now with joy, fulfillment, acceptance, and love.

One day she ran across one of her first husband’s lists. She felt an immediate reminder of the pain he had caused and her previous feelings of not measuring up. However, as she read over the list, she was startled; she was still doing everything on the list, only with joy. Everything that had made her feel like an unappreciated slave, she  was now doing out of love and appreciation for her new, loving husband.

Well, if you can forgive a slightly sexist (but true) illustration, you can understand Paul’s argument to the Galatians and the point I’m making about losing our joy due to religious legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism.

Galatians 5:1-6 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

We lose our joy when we allow others to enslave us again to legalism, perfectionism, and traditionalism.

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey 

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

The Mount Carmel Blues

This week we continue my new lesson series entitled, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation. Most all of us have experienced a waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. It is a miserable feeling when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives.

The phrase, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation, comes from Psalm 51. This is David’s lament after Nathan had convicted him of the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah he Hittite. David’s problem was unrepented sin. There is no wonder he had lost his joy. We discussed the solution taken from the Psalm itself: repentance, ministry, and worship.

This week we turn to another servant of God who was struggling with a loss of joy. Elijah, the prophet, ministered in the early part of the 9th century BC. He prophesied to/(against) Ahab and Ahaziah (Ahab’s son), both kings of Israel. Ahab and Jezebel had led Israel astray through worshipping the local Canaanite storm God, Baal, and the fertility goddess, Asherah. Most of Elijah’s ministry was championing Yahweh as the one true God over Baal. In fact, that is even expressed in his name itself, Eli (God), Jah (Yahweh) which literally means Yahweh is God.

In 1 Kings 17, he challenged the power of the storm/rain god, Baa by declaring Yahweh would would not send rain or dew for years (3.5 according to James (James 5:17-18). This directly challenged Baal’s presumed power over the weather. 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Rain did not fall again until Elijah prayed at God’s command. 1 Kings 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”

During that time, God miraculously took care of him. 1 Kings 17:4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

When the brook dried up, God took care of him through a widow’s generosity. 1 Kings 17:9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” Her staples were miraculously replenished. 1 Kings 17:14 ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'”

When the widow’s son died, Elijah raised him by God’s power. 1 Kings 17:21-22 “LORD, “O LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.

Perhaps Elijah’s greatest victory was the challenge to Baal and his prophets to send down fire to consume a sacrifice. They failed where Yahweh demonstrated his power. 1 Kings 18:38-39 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD– he is God! The LORD– he is God!”

Elijah experienced win after win from the hand of God. Yet when threatened by Jezebel, he folded like a house of cards. 1 Kings 19:3-4 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life… He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

What happened? Where is his faith? Where is his joy in the Lord?

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation:

Well, There’s Your Problem!

Sunday, I’m beginning a new series entitled, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation. Most all of us have experienced a waning, if not an occasional loss, of our Christian joy. It is a miserable feeling when we can no longer find peace or celebrate what once was the greatest joy of our lives. I know I’ve been there!

There are many reasons we may feel this way. Life has a way of beating us down and in our pain, we grow frustrated with God and our expectations of what life was supposed to be. Sometimes, our brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint us by their behavior or hurt us by their actions. Other times our Christian enthusiasm is dampened by the distractions of man-made religion—legalism, traditionalism, perfectionism, criticism, and the like.

It is my prayer that these messages will help you recognize the reasons behind your waning joy and equip you to partner with the Holy Spirit to restore it.

The phrase, Restore to Me the Joy of Your Salvation, comes from Psalm 51. This is David’s lament after Nathan had convicted him of the sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah he Hittite. Psalm 51 is David’s public prayer of repentance.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in

your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak

and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time

my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and

renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or

take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me

a willing spirit, to sustain me.

….

In David’s case, his loss of joy was obvious; it was the result of un-repented sin —Well, There’s Your Problem!

I’ll say more in my lesson, Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

Choose for Yourselves this Day

As our study of Joshua comes to a close, it is fitting that we end with the closing moments of Joshua’s life. The last chapter of this encouraging book records his farewell address and death. As you remember, the book began with a death – the death of Moses. Joshua, his apprentice, was selected to follow him as leader of Israel. This was a tremendous task. This is why God encouraged him to be “strong and courageous.” Joshua was able to rise to this occasion because God had promised he would never leave him or forsake him and, indeed, he did not throughout Joshua’s whole life.

Here at the end, Joshua challenges and charges the people to choose and obey God.

Joshua 24:14-15   14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

These words, however, are just the “call to action” portion of the speech. He begins by reminding them of all the Lord had done for them. Their salvation history was to be the motivation behind their obedience. In the Bible, the indicative always comes before the imperative. In other words, God acts in our behalf before he expects anything of us. The ultimate example is the Cross. “We love because he first loved us.” For Israel, their salvation history included the promises given to Abraham, the deliverance from Egypt, provision in the wilderness, and the conquest of the Promised Land.

Joshua 24:3, 5, 8, 11, 13 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants…. I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out…. I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands…. Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands… So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.

Now, as Joshua passes, it is imperative that they do not forget the Lord. Joshua calls them to decision. Choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve. He doesn’t mince words! He calls for a decision (choose) – no more fence straddling. He calls for a personal decision (for yourselves) – no one could make it for them. He calls for an immediate decision (today) – this was the only time they had or were promised. He calls for a clear decision (whom you will serve: God or idols) – the Lord will not tolerate divided loyalty. He calls for a fateful decision. He continues in the text to warn them that their continued well-being in the land was dependent upon their choice made that day. What was Israel’s decision? Joshua 24:21 We will serve the LORD.” May we have the same strength and courage!

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

The LORD Gave them Rest

The book of Joshua is the story of Israel’s conquest of Canaan by the power of God under the leadership of Joshua. Possession of Canaan was the fulfillment of promises made to Abraham and his descendants. Joshua and Israel were prepared through forty years in the wilderness to accomplish this task. They were taught dependence on the LORD. Through the mighty power of God and Joshua’s capable leadership, they took the land and it was divided among the tribes as their inheritance. Joshua 21 gives a summary of these events and God’s faithfulness.

Joshua 21:43-45 43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. 45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

We, Christians, have incorporated this language into our theology to describe our journey toward heaven. The Hebrew writer spoke God’s rest still being available. In Revelation, a heavenly voice promises rest from our labors.

Hebrews 4:8-11 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Jesus spoke of a place being prepared. Peter calls it our inheritance.

John 14:1-3  Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you,

Paul speaks of Christ overcoming all His (and our) enemies.

1 Corinthians 15:25-26 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

God has promised us an inheritance, victory over our enemies, and rest from our labors. Can we trust him?

Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

Be Strong and Courageous:

Give Me This Hill Country!

In our last lesson we learned that God gave Israel a great victory against Adoni-Zedek and the coalition of Kings he had organized. Israel routed them thanks to the supernatural help from God sending hail (or meteorites) upon their armies as they fled allowing Israel to pursue them as well as making the sun stand still to  ensure a complete victory. God’s promise was fulfilled,

Joshua 10:8. 14 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” …Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!

God fulfills his promises to us as well and works mightily in our lives. Our lesson today spotlights an individual Israelite who was emboldened by God’s provision to ask for an even greater challenge as he was given his inheritance.

Caleb begins his request by rehearsing the events at Kadesh Barnea forty-five years before and his faithfulness in bringing back a positive report on the land.

Joshua 14:5-8 So the Israelites divided the land, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.

Through Moses, the Lord had promised Caleb he would live to inherit the land and he affirms that not only was he still around to inherit, but he was still strong and vigorous for battle.

Joshua 14:9-11 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’ 10 Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.

Even at eighty-five, Caleb was eager for a new challenge. He asked for Hebron, the hill country, a land full of large, fortified cities and giants! Joshua granted his request.

Joshua 14:12-13 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

Why is Caleb so enthusiastic? I’ll say more in my lesson.

Be Strong and Courageous! Joey

A Father’s Wisdom and Love

WELCOME!

It is an honor for my very first Father’s Day, as an expecting dad, to give the lesson this morning. Preparing for today brought back memories of working alongside my father in our family restaurant. I can still hear him warning me, “Be careful grabbing those pots— they can burn you.” Sure enough, one day I learned that lesson the hard way. I burned my hand so badly that I ended up sitting in the walk-in freezer for ten minutes, pressing my blistered hand against the icy walls. I had always known pots could get hot—but after that, I really knew.  There’s a big difference between simply knowing something and truly understanding it through experience.

In the same way, we often sing “Jesus loves me” in worship. But do we really know what that means—not just in our minds, but deep in our hearts? 1 John 4:7-21 paints a powerful picture of what God’s love looks like, and what kind of people we become when we truly grasp that we are loved by Him. In today’s lesson, we are going to explore what pure love really looks like and attributes that come with knowing we are loved by God. My hope is that this message renews your joy and strengthens your assurance in God’s love—a love that is complete, constant, and absolutely certain.

– Adam Gomez