2025 Camp Meeting: A Summer’s Walk Through the Grove

Have you ever tried to watch a 3D movie without the glasses?  It looks like you’re seeing double.  Every part of the image is offset from a copy of where it should be.  Things don’t make any sense! 

In Romans chapter 12, Paul tells us that we “need a bigger boat” (a quote from the movie Jaws alluding to Jonah and Noah).  Those simple glasses (strips of cardboard with red and blue plastic lenses) make life’s “boat” navigable.  Knowing how life should look in 3D allows us to turn fear into faith.  When approaching the Philistine giant, Goliath, David saw things differently from his fearful countrymen.  David saw through God’s lenses.  He saw with a heart of faith and oneness with the almighty creator.

If we are to see life with the same 3D vision that made David victorious over Goliath, Romans 12 teaches us that there are three things we need to be doing:

1. Give it all to God: day in, day out, minute by minute in every detail, see God by your side.  God is in the ordinary things in life.  He’s not just there on Sunday morning when you go to church; He’s with you on Monday morning as you make your coffee.
2. Transformation.  Verse 2 tells us to transform your thinking…..    Allow God to change you from the inside out.  Just as those 3D glasses transform your vision, God can give you a new way of seeing- and living- everything.  Through the Holy Spirit, God can give you a new understanding of life’s ups and downs, and you can experience the fruits of peace, love, joy (see Galatians 5:16-26).  
3. Be a part of the Body.  Seeing in 3D allows us to see ourselves as part of Christ’s Body (i.e., the “Church”…. i.e., all of those who are faithfully following Jesus).  Life’s purpose and meaning don’t come from being a solo act.  Meaning in life comes from contributing our God-given gifts for a greater cause.  Discipleship is a team effort (just like the production of a movie involves all of those people listed on the never ending list of credits that roll on the screen after the movie).

A life with 3D vision invites God into everything we do.  While driving or making coffee, we realize that everything we do is a gift of God.  Thanksgiving, awe, and wonder can spring out of any routine task.  And as people watch us, they can see something different.  Let Christ shape your vision so that when people see us they see Jesus.  Walk in purpose.  Live in a world of 3D vision.

Rev. Hughes is been in ministry for 53 years!  At a young age, he felt the call into ministry, preaching the Gospel through his talents of music and drama.  He has portrayed many Biblical characters.  He has described the crucifixion through the eyes of Peter, John, and the Roman Centurion.  But tonight he felt compelled to give a different vantage point.  What did the crucifixion look like through the eyes of the Father?

Why did Jesus die on the cross?  There are a lot of good reasons about salvation, justification, and forgiveness.  But the bottom line is that God’s righteousness demanded punishment for sin.  The Cross was the object of God’s wrath.  The Cross is the focal point; nothing in our relationship with God can work without the Cross. 

At the beginning of time, the almighty Father faced a dilemma: how can He be a God of both infinite righteousness and of infinite love at the same time?  From the beginning of the world, God committed Himself to His plan of redemption.

In the garden, Jesus cried out, “Father- is there any way that this cup can be taken from me?”  But the Father had to respond, “No.”  Everything is possible for the Father…. except this.  As much as He was in pain to see His sun suffer and as much as He wanted to remove the cup from Him, He could not.  Every sin- past, present, and future- had to be punished.  But God is infinite in love.  He could not (and can not) turn His back on Adam’s race.  How can He be both just and merciful?  How can judge sins without denying His love and mercy?

God longed for a different way, but there was none.  Jesus became sin for all of us.  The wrath of God was poured on Him and for a time of darkness, the Father forsook the Son.

Isaiah 53:10 tells us that it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer. 

Righteousness and love.  As He hung on the cross, forsaken by His Father, the Son faced the full wrath of a holy God.  Like the scapegoat (described in Leviticus 16), Jesus carried all of our sins.  He was the object of wrath.  And yet, as He willingly drank the cup- extended his hands to accept the nails- Jesus demonstrated His Father’s infinite love.  He is smitten, we are healed… infinite mercy.

When Jesus cried out “It is Finished!” the Father’s wrath and mercy were satisfied.  The plan from the foundations of the world had been completed. 

Is there someone hurting others through their addictions to drugs?

• • • Your debt is paid!

Is there someone pushing others down to raise himself up?

• • • • • Your debt is paid!

Is there someone who lies,  who steals, who is cheating on their spouse?.

• • • • • • • Your debt is paid!

When the Father’s wrath was satisfied, His infinite love tore the Temple curtain that separated us from Him.  Our debt is paid and we can approach the Heavenly Father.  In the midst of our difficulties and darkness, we can go to our Holy and Loving Father, because there is a Savior who bridged the gap between Justice and Love.

Rev. Hughes wrapped up his message by singing the song, “Wonderful Merciful Savior“.

Pastor Mike has a passion for music.  He appreciates full orchestrations, traditional hymns, contemporary Praise Music, and even Rock ‘n Roll.  He writes his own music too.  Any music that leads your attention to Jesus is worth listening to.  The style doesn’t matter. What matters is Jesus.  It’s a good thing to be a “Jesus Freak!”

When we worship on Sunday, the music style, the Liturgy style, and the Bible Translation don’t matter that much.  So, what is worship?

It was a hot mid-summer’s night in the Grove Auditorium.  We left the comfort of our air conditioned homes and cars to attend a worship service in the heat and humidity.  Over 150 years ago, people from all over came to the Pitman Grove to attend the Camp Meeting.  Why?  People, then and now, need to hear the Name of Jesus!  God can use any environment or worship style to draw our hearts to Him if we are desperate to hear Him.

Worship isn’t a ritual, an order of events, printed prayers or songs out of a hymnal.  The Sunday morning things help us focus on Jesus, but at the heart of worship, there’s more to it than the stuff we do on Sunday mornings.  What is (and isn’t) true worship?

Worship is NOT a Star-Studded Church Service…

Entertainment and celebrity mega preachers sometimes draw more attention to themselves than to Jesus.  True worship always puts the focus on Jesus.  When we worship, we must be aware of the things that distract us from honest reflection, prayer, and a heart-felt outburst of thanking God for all He’s done and for all He is.

True worship has nothing to do with how beautifully the music is performed or how well the message is spoken.  Praise from the heart, even it it’s woefully off-tune, sounds better to God than a perfect performance. 

Worship is a Holy Sacrifice…

A worship service might be held on Sunday, but true worship occurs on Monday through Saturday.  Throughout the week, we can worship God by telling others about Him.  Witness- what does Jesus mean to you?  How has your relationship with God given you hope, peace and joy?  When we live that out and tell others, we are worshiping.  Obedience is worship.  When we donate food, help to repair homes, or visit shut-ins, we are giving a Holy Sacrifice.  Showing God’s love through our service is worship.

Worship is Surrender…

We may have a heart like David’s (“a man after God’s own heart“), but we can still mess up.  David sure did.  At the foundation of worship is a heart-attitude that is honest and authentic.  We can gain honesty and authenticity when we admit our shortcomings.  When we go to Jesus and say “I messed up!-  Lord, change me!”  As it says in Romans 12:2, plead with God to “transform your mind”… so that we don’t “conform to the world.”  It takes faith to allow God to change you.  But the highest form of worship comes when we surrender to God.

Worship is Genuine…

Nobody is perfect, and people really don’t expect perfection from you.  But they do want you to be honest. Deep inside, everyone is looking for God. They might put on a self-sufficient face, but people are looking for people who are genuine about their faith and failings.  When our heart lines up with our actions, we can be trusted, and that trust allows us to share the source of our authenticity.  Say the Name of Jesus- it is Jesus who has transformed me and made my life authentic.  In all of our ordinary day to day events, God is calling us to represent Jesus.   

~   ~   ~

Pastor Mike ended his sermon with a song he wrote: “Say the Name”…

There is a name that turns the dark to light,  There’s a name that changes everything, There’s a Name that saves. I speak without shame: It’s the name of  Jesus

There is a name that takes away the grave,  There’s a name that calms the raging sea,

There’s a Name that saves. I speak without shame: It’s the name of  Jesus

There is a name that breaks addictions free, There’s a name that’s above all other names.               

There’s a Name that saves. I speak without shame: It’s the name of  Jesus

There is a name that breaks the captive free, There’s a name that heals our broken hearts,

There’s a Name that saves. I speak without shame: It’s the name of  Jesus

Say His name and chains will break.  Just say His name: Jesus. 

Say His Name the mountains shake.  Just say His name: Jesus

The motto is stamped on our coins and printed on our currency: “In God We Trust”.  But as we look around in the world, we’re surrounded by bad things: floods, wars, famine, broken hearts. There’s a lot of pain in the world, and yet God calls us to trust in Him.  When everything else fails us, we are called to trust in God.

Paul told the Ephesians to “put on the full armor of God“. We can’t face the world by ourselves.  There is something going on that pulls us away from God and pushes us to the fallacy of trying to trust in our own strength.  It’s the LORD and His mighty power that gives us strength. 

We can’t produce justice by ourselves.  If we take revenge it often falls back on ourselves. The first disciples’ lives were always at risk.  They could have escaped the problems in their own power by recanting their faith, but they didn’t.  They could have fought back and taken revenge,, but they didn’t.  Instead, they trusted in God.

How can I get by today?  Trust God- We don’t know the full story.

What if things don’t go according to my plans?  Trust God- His plan is better.

What if I want to give up?  Trust God-  He will help you get through it.

I can’t do what God has called me to do.  Don’t trust in your own abilities; God doesn’t call us to failure.  Trust God!

The next time you feel a coin in your pocket, pull it out and take a look at the motto:  In God We Trust.  Let it be a reminder of where our strength comes from.  Trust God.

Our lives have mountains and valleys, easy times and rough times.  But through it all we are called to one purpose in God- Trust Him. Love Him, Depend on Him.  If we trust and believe, we can give out the truth, feed the hungry, and stop injustice.  By trusting in God’s power (instead of our own abilities), we can be the Church that Jesus needs us to be.

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey.“

There’s an old hymn called “Whisper a Prayer”  (by Scott Lawrence).  It was written in 1922 but its advice is as true today as it was over 100 years ago.  It says:

The Bible gives many examples of prayer and shows over and over again how God hears our prayers and answers them.  He may not answer them in the way we expect or want, but God does hear and answer according to His perfect will. 

Here are three examples of prayers in the morning, noontime, and evening…

Morning (Mark 16:1-4)…

Early in the morning, as soon as the Sabbath ended, three women were on their way to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body.  Guards had been stationed at the tomb and a big heavy stone had bee rolled across it.  This didn’t stop their resolve to anoint their Lord’s body, but as they made their way to the tomb, they kept wondering how they would gain access to it.  Who would roll the stone away?  What about the guards? 

The Bible doesn’t specifically say, but along the way in the early morning, these devout women surely must have prayed.  Their “wondering” was a “whispered prayer.”  This entire Passover Sabbath must have been a painful and confusing one for them.  They lost their Lord and best friend. He was humiliated and treated like a criminal.  They needed to give Him a respectful burial, and yet they must have been confused about how they would do it.  So they must have prayed.  And God answered: the guards had fled away in fear, and an angel (or earthquake, or something) had rolled the stone away.  God had answered their prayers and He made a way.

Noon ( Acts 10:9-20)…

Answering the Spirit’s call, Peter traveled throughout the region healing and preaching.  He ended up in Jappa and stayed with Simon (a tanner).  Meanwhile, God was giving Cornelius (a Roman soldier… a Gentile), a vision compelling him to send for Peter.  The next day, miles away in Joppa, Peter went up on the roof for his noontime prayers.  God gave him a vision about clean and unclean food.  Jesus had fulfilled the Law and salvation no longer demanded strict adherence to the Law: “What the Lord has made clean, you must not call profane.” 

“Coincidentally” (no such thing!) , as soon as Petter’s vision ended, the men that Cornelius had sent showed up.  The devout Jew came face to face with the Gentiles.  Through the vision, and in response to prayer, God had instructed Peter that He was also the God of the Gentiles.  Salvation through Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit was available to the Gentiles too.  God answered Peter’s whispered noontime prayer, and in a way that Peter could have never imagined.

Evening (Acts 12:6-16 )…

Things were getting difficult for the Christians in Jerusalem.  James was killed and then Peter was thrown into jail and was going to be executed the next day.  That night, the believers gathered together to pray.  In their terror and confusion about the persecution, they prayed for Peter’s deliverance. 

As they were whispering their evening prayers, a knock cam on the door.  A servant girl named Rhoda answered the door and was shocked to see Peter standing there.  In her confusion and joy, she slammed the door closed without letting him in, and then she told everyone that Peter was at the gate.  They thought she was nuts, or that she was seeing a ghost.  But when they came to their senses, they opened the door and learned how God had answered their prayers by miraculously  freeing Peter from the jail and saving his life.  A whispered evening prayer was answered.

Usually preachers read the scripture lesson and then preach their message.  But Jeff began his message by preaching a very short sermon.  It was a three-sentence reminder:

“Jesus Christ is really, really good. 

We don’t need to look anywhere else. 

He is more than enough.”

Mark 6:30-44  gives the account of how Jesus fed 5000 men (+women and children) using only five loaves of bread and two fish. Interestingly, this is the only miracle that is contained in all four Gospels (in addition to the resurrection).

The crowd had a need: it was late in the day and they were hungry.  So Jesus met that need.  In fact, He EXCEEDED it (there were 12 baskets of leftovers).  There was a lot of food, but the crowd didn’t have to do anything to prepare it.  They didn’t have to go into town and buy it.  The only thing they did was to give the little they had and then trust in Jesus to do the rest.  They didn’t have to do anything other than believe and receive what Jesus gave them.

We see the same generosity and all-sufficiency from God throughout the Bible.  During the Exodus, God provided manna every day.  And if that wasn’t enough, God provided quail every evening.  The people had all they needed (Exodus 16:10-18).  In John 6:35, Jesus told the people that He was the “Bread of Life.”  If you believe in Him you will never go thirsty.  In fact, “rivers of living water will flow from within you.“

Jesus Christ is really, REALLY, good….

He gives us all that we need; He gives us more than we need.  But we tend to look elsewhere for Joy, Peace and Rest.  Instead of going to the source, we try to create our own supplies.  Through the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 2:13), God accuses the Israelites of two sins:  First they rejected God (the source of living water), and then they tried to build their own cisterns (broken containers that couldn’t hold any water). 

Reject and Replace.  Don’t we do the same thing?  We want Joy, Peace, and Rest.  We need purpose in life.  God offers that to us.  But we turn to “worthless idols”: things like wealth, possessions, accomplishments.  We keep ignoring God and building broken cisterns.

But Jesus is the source of all we need.  Through His death on the cross He took away our sin nature and replaced it with His own sinless nature.  If we accept that gift, our relationship with God is restored and we’ll have more than we need.

In the prayer Jesus taught us (the one we call “The Lord’s Prayer”, see Matthew 6:9-15), Jesus outlined what our relationship with God should be.  He showed us how to move from our broken cisterns and return to the “stream of living water.”   Here’s a paraphrase of these familiar words:

I exist for Your glory.  It’s not about what I want to do.  Do whatever YOU need so I can work with You. 

I only need a bit of bread each day; just enough to survive.  I don’t need a lot of stuff.  In fact, don’t give me a lot of worldly goods, otherwise I’ll start trusting in them instead of You. 

Keep granting me fresh forgiveness; I mess up and I need your forgiveness all the time.  Set me free from myself.  Help me to forgive others and to keep evil from me.  It all belongs to You, and it all comes from You.

Jesus is good.  Really, REALLY good.  We don’t need to look anywhere else.

How do you know if you’re “Born Again”? If you can’t remember the exact time and place where you encountered this new birth, are you really born again?  In John 3:3, Jesus said that nobody can see the Kingdom of God unless they’re born again.  Nobody has memories of the moment they were born.  But we know we were born; we’re here!  We use senses like touch, sight, hearing, and taste.  We can engage with our surroundings, so we must have been born.  If we have a sense of our sin and a hunger to grow closer to God, God put it there.  A dead person can’t revive himself.  If we have a taste of the Kingdom, God’s prevenient grace has awakened us.

But without God’s gift of grace, we are born dead in sin.  We never have to teach a child how to lie or to be selfish.  When Adam and Eve ate the apple (from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), they wanted to have things their own way and to get God out of their way (see Genesis 3:1-7). They wanted to choose for themselves what is right and wrong. Instead of trusting the eternal God to guide them into paths of righteousness and to give them joy, peace and purpose, they decided to reject God and figure it out for themselves.  They were spiritually dead and needed to be born again. 

And we are just like them.  We are Adam’s seed, and the apple never lands far from the tree.  Sin is within us, and we are spiritually dead.

But God…

But God in His grace provided a way for us to “wake up.”  In Ephesians 2:5 Paul tells us that God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”   God made us alive.  We didn’t (and can’t) do anything to make ourselves alive.  All of it is a gift that we don’t deserve.  As Paul puts it (in verses 8-9), “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

But God…

Things look pretty bleak for human-kind, But God… God in His love and grace gives us a fresh chance.

Jesus is the only human to ever walk the earth who had no sin. But, it’s sin that causes death.  In order for Jesus to die on the cross, He had to “borrow” our own sin (yours and mine). 

This sin that we carry separates us from God.  In verse 13, Paul writes: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”  It’s the blood of Christ (not our own efforts) that brings us back to God.   If we could earn our salvation by doing good things, we’d take credit for it and even boast about how much better we are than “those other people.”  But God’s gift of salvation is available to anyone.  If we could save ourselves by being good, than Jesus died for nothing.

But Jesus did die on a cross and God’s justice was satisfied.  Our sinfulness was paid for.  And God proved it by raising Jesus from the dead.  In verse 6 Paul writes, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” 

But God….

Sin is paid for, and when God sees us He sees Jesus.

Salvation, being “born again” and “seeing the Kingdom” is all about God.  We can’t buy this relationship, but God gave it for us. 

If it’s all a gift and it we’re saved by faith, than can’t we just say “hey, I’m heaven bound and I’ll just go on living the way I want”?  No- that faith that saved us compels us to constantly see the Kingdom of God; to always grow closer to God.  In verse 10, Paul tells us that “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“

Once we’re born again and catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven, we don’t want a second bite out of that apple.  We see God’s love, justice, and grace and we entrust everything to Him.  God knows better, so being born again means that you want to walk in the good works that God prepared for us instead of the pleasures that we invent.

We’re always tempted by the “apples” in life, but God gives us a way to escape from that sin and to see the Kingdom.  We can’t do it on our own strength.  All we have to do is to accept that gift and allow God to make us alive.