I would like to tell you a story about a group of people who called themselves fishermen. They lived in an area where there were many fish--waters all around them. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes and rivers just filled with fish. And the fish were hungry.
Week after week, month after month, year after year, these people who called themselves fishermen held meetings and talked about their call to be fishermen, the abundance of fish, and they passed along all the latest innovations in fishing. Year after year, they carefully defined what fishing was all about, defended fishing as a noble occupation, and declared that fishing is always the primary task of fishermen.
They constantly searched for new and better methods of fishing, and for new and better definitions of fishing. They loved such slogans as "Fishing is the task of every fisherman." They sponsored special meetings known as "Fisherman's Campaigns." They went on nationwide and even worldwide tours to discuss fishing and promote fishing and hear about all the new developments and technological advances in fishing and new ways of presenting the bait to the fish that made it more attractive and alluring.
They built large, beautiful buildings called "Fishing Headquarters," and selected some of their best fishermen to staff it. They appealed to everyone to become fishermen. There was only one thing they did not do. They didn't fish. Ever.
In addition to organizing and holding regularly scheduled meetings, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other parts of the world where the fish were plentiful. The board appointed various committees and held many meetings to talk about fishing, defend fishing, and develop new strategies for fishing. But the committee members never went fishing.
Large, expensive training centers were built for the purpose of teaching fishermen how to fish. They offered courses on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, dealing with the different generations of fish, the psychological makeup of fish, and how to approach and feed fish. The professors all had degrees in fishology, but none of them ever went fishing. They only taught fishing. After completing the course of study, graduates were given their fishing license and sent out to do full-time fishing, some to distant waters that were filled with fish.
Many who felt the call to be fishermen responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. But like the fishermen back home, they could talk for hours about the need for fishing, and they knew all the current developments in fishing, but they didn't fish. They were too busy doing other things. Some said they really wanted to fish, but since they just didn't have time, they would just furnish fishing equipment for others. Others felt that their job was to establish a good relationship with the fish so that the fish would be more receptive to the fishermen.
After one stirring meeting on "The Necessity for Fishing," one young fellow left the meeting and actually went fishing! He reported the next day that he caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch, and immediately a nationwide tour was scheduled so that he could visit all the big meetings and tell how he did it. So he quit fishing at once in order to have time to tell others about the experience. He was also placed on the Fishermen's General Board, which consumed quite a bit of his time, so much so that he had no time at all for fishing.
Now it's true that many of the fishermen made personal sacrifices and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and had to bear the smell of dead and decaying fish every day. They were ridiculed by some who made fun of their fishermen's clubs and for the fact that, though they claimed to be fishermen, they never fished. They wondered about those people who felt that attending weekly meetings to talk about fishing was a waste of time. After all, were they not following the Master, who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"?
Imagine how hurt they were when one day someone suggested that those who don't catch fish were not really fishermen? After all, can people who never catch any fish really claim to be fishermen? Are you following if you're not fishing?
Monday, February 8, 2010
Fishers of People
The ministry of Jesus took him to the Galilee area where he healed and preached. His message of good news spread to such an extent that crowds gathered and pressed upon him. Imagine such an immense crowd forcing Jesus to get on a boat in order to teach. Imagine people being so eager to hear the word of God.
Jesus chose the boat of Simon for his pulpit on that day and requested Simon take him away from the shore but near enough to be heard. From the boat, Jesus taught the crowd.
When Jesus finished teaching the crowd, he gave a fishing tip to Simon. It was not a new fishing technique, but rather Jesus gave some advice about the location to place the net. But Simon was tired from last evening’s fishing trip and the lack of fish caught in that very spot. Nevertheless, Simon agreed to drop his nets. What a surprise! The nets overflowed to a breaking point. Other fishermen were called to help with the bounty. Both boats became so full they began to sink. Where hours before, there were no fish, now there were plenty. This was plenty upon plenty, grace upon grace.
When Simon Peter witnessed this miracle, he dropped to his knees. He knew he was in the company of a holy man. He confessed, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8 NRSV) At this point, the names of the fisherman who witnessed the miracle were revealed. Peter had been fishing with James and John, sons of Zebedee, but Jesus focuses his attention and his words to Simon. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”
When these three fishermen finally got on shore with their bounty of fish, they left everything and followed Jesus. Their trust and commitment ran deep, perhaps as deep as the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
The fisherman left everything to follow Jesus. EVERYTHING!
There is no doubt our 21st century culture is much different from the first century. The amount of things left behind by the fisherman is nothing in comparison to all that we have in this life. Perhaps we can rationalize that they had the benefit of being an eyewitness to the bounty of fish. Certainly, the fisherman had the advantage of actually hearing the voice of Jesus calling them to follow him. Nevertheless, they left everything!
This passage of the call of the fisherman can be humbling for us to hear. It is easy to forget about the transformation of those early followers. Their lives were turned upside down as they sacrificed to follow Jesus as their master.
The disciples did not just leave their possessions. They also left their jobs. Fishing was not just a hobby or leisure activity, but it was their livelihood.
Jesus calls the fishermen to a new kind of fishing where their nets and buckets are no longer needed. Instead, the fishermen will be partners with Jesus to share God’s good news. They will be asked to go to new areas to fish and seek out deep waters. Their ability to catch people will not be based on their skills or their creativity but on the grace of God.
Jesus chose the boat of Simon for his pulpit on that day and requested Simon take him away from the shore but near enough to be heard. From the boat, Jesus taught the crowd.
When Jesus finished teaching the crowd, he gave a fishing tip to Simon. It was not a new fishing technique, but rather Jesus gave some advice about the location to place the net. But Simon was tired from last evening’s fishing trip and the lack of fish caught in that very spot. Nevertheless, Simon agreed to drop his nets. What a surprise! The nets overflowed to a breaking point. Other fishermen were called to help with the bounty. Both boats became so full they began to sink. Where hours before, there were no fish, now there were plenty. This was plenty upon plenty, grace upon grace.
When Simon Peter witnessed this miracle, he dropped to his knees. He knew he was in the company of a holy man. He confessed, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8 NRSV) At this point, the names of the fisherman who witnessed the miracle were revealed. Peter had been fishing with James and John, sons of Zebedee, but Jesus focuses his attention and his words to Simon. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”
When these three fishermen finally got on shore with their bounty of fish, they left everything and followed Jesus. Their trust and commitment ran deep, perhaps as deep as the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
The fisherman left everything to follow Jesus. EVERYTHING!
There is no doubt our 21st century culture is much different from the first century. The amount of things left behind by the fisherman is nothing in comparison to all that we have in this life. Perhaps we can rationalize that they had the benefit of being an eyewitness to the bounty of fish. Certainly, the fisherman had the advantage of actually hearing the voice of Jesus calling them to follow him. Nevertheless, they left everything!
This passage of the call of the fisherman can be humbling for us to hear. It is easy to forget about the transformation of those early followers. Their lives were turned upside down as they sacrificed to follow Jesus as their master.
The disciples did not just leave their possessions. They also left their jobs. Fishing was not just a hobby or leisure activity, but it was their livelihood.
Jesus calls the fishermen to a new kind of fishing where their nets and buckets are no longer needed. Instead, the fishermen will be partners with Jesus to share God’s good news. They will be asked to go to new areas to fish and seek out deep waters. Their ability to catch people will not be based on their skills or their creativity but on the grace of God.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Some Gifts We Have--Some We Don't
I would like to conduct a little poll here today consisting of two questions. You have to put your hands in the air to vote. You can raise your hand to indicate your choice.
Question one -- Who would like to hear me really sing out today --- to really let go and put all of myself into a hymn, or better yet, into a solo.... Come on put up your hands if you would like that.
Now - put up your hands if you would rather – Fred or Tim or the Praise and Worship Team or just about anyone else sing.
The reason I conducted this straw poll is to make a point--a point about gifts and about how we regard them and how we regard ourselves.
That point is this - some gifts we have - and some we don't. Wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we have and exercising them, and equally wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we don't have – and encouraging others who do have them to use them.
I sometimes wish - as I am sure some of you wish - that I had the gift of music - that I could sing and play, but I do not. I also wish I had the gift of a photographic memory - but I do not.
At times these wishes have caused me problems. They have focused my mind and my heart on what I do not have. They have led me to feel inferior.
But at other times these wishes have led me in the opposite direction. They have led me to wonder what gifts I do have. They have led me to wonder how God has gifted me. And what it is that God has prepared for me to do.
In the twelfth chapter of the First Letter to The Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks at length about gifts and about how we should regard them. He also discusses how we should regard our own giftedness and the giftedness of others.
It is an important chapter and I want to deal with the first part of it this morning - the part that asserts that there are a variety of gifts and of services and of activities - and that each person is gifted with some assortment of these gifts - and that these gifts are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that is in us - a manifestation that is given for one purpose - and that is for the common good.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uniformed.... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utter of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by
one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. The spirit allots to each one individually, just as the Spirit chooses.
What gifts do you have?
What gifts do you rejoice in - in yourself - and in others?
Is it the gift of praying for others?
The gift are caring?
The gift of service?
The gift of praise?
Some gifts, my friends, are glorious in appearance and dramatic in their effect. They are easy to identify and easy to praise.
Other gifts are more subtle, more ordinary in appearance, and have their impact over the long term rather than in the instant and often they fail to receive the recognition they deserve.
Kathy and I and I were speaking the other day about the gifts we see being exhibited here in our congregation. Many of you have come forward as you have been made aware of some of the financial difficulties we have had over the past several months and have offered your gifts—Thank you! Others of you have come forward and offered your gifts as you have been aware of the challenges to the unity within the body of Christ here in Greenfield.
We have people with the highly visible gifts and we have many quieter people, less visible people, who had different gifts.
Some of you have wrote cards to those who were having birthdays,
others made visits to the elderly and to those who were shut-in.
Some of you have cleaned the Ministry Center
others fixed the copy machine and shoveled out when it snowed.
Some others have baked and cooked for Fellowship Time and other church events.
Some typed and filed,
others built and painted and furnished.
Some prepared minutes and agenda and newsletters to help the congregation,
and others prayed quietly every day for me and the leadership Team
and all the folk of the church.
I know that without all the gifts that are being offered our church will never grow and that the ministry of Christ in our community will never touched the lives of those around us.
Many of you know that our daughter Megan, our son-in-law Justin and our two grandchildren, Riley and Makayla recently spent a week with us. What you may not know is that they also brought their 7 month old white Lab puppy with them. While the puppy is only 7 months old – but being a Lab, he is a good size - he is already 50 lbs. and will end up being about 70 lbs. when he is full grown.
Anyhow, this rather large pup was walking along one day and decided that he had an itch that needed scratching, and that itch was only accessible to her back leg. So, while walking, she
picked up her leg to scratch. And fell over. So, what has that got to do with the gifts that we have, the gifts that God has given us? A great deal actually.
Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church - you and I together-- needs all our legs
- and more - we need those legs to be coordinated, to be in agreement, to work together freely
- gladly - and with unity—without any concern about which is more important or which is less important.
We need the leg of prophetic utterance and the leg of biblical teaching and the leg of inspired prayer and the leg of administration.
We need the leg of letter writing and the leg of woodworking ability and the leg of visitation and the leg of quiet companionship.
We need all the legs
- all the parts that God has made,
- all the gifts that God has distributed among his people.
We need the contribution that each person has been gifted with by God
- and we need that contribution to be offered willingly
- and we need those charged with receiving that contribution in God's name, and that's you and I again, to receive it without questioning it's worthiness.
Each gift is important - and we want our brothers and sisters to give willingly - we need our brothers and sisters to give willingly – for without them - we will fall down!
My friends - when each one of us knows what gift God has granted to us and uses that gift as God wants us to use it
- in the task of walking together - of working together - to do the ministry Christ has called us to
- we will be healthy and whole as both a community and as individuals, and this church will shine with the joy of God's presence
But if we permit ourselves to continue to be distracted
- if we stop doing what we are supposed to be doing and begin to scratch the itches that crop up here and there in our life together,
- if we forget what we are about and whose we are in the first place we will all suffer - as a community - and as individuals - and it will be dark and cold in this place.
We need to claim and celebrate what God has given to us individually, and exercise that expression of God's Spirit within us for the good of all. Do not worry or fret about what others are or are not doing, and about what others may or may not think about our relative importance.
I know that each one of you today has something very special in your hearts - something that has been placed there by God, something that is beautiful and good and precious in his eyes, something that is of vital importance to our church, our community, and our world.
You all have gifts. Claim the gifts - open them up - celebrate them. And then use them - offer them freely - without worrying whether or not your gift is greater than or less than someone else's.
You are worthy - and your gift is worthy - for God has made, and God is the one who gave you, the very thing you have to offer to his praise and his service in this, his church - in this, his world.
Blessed be his name, now and always. Amen
Question one -- Who would like to hear me really sing out today --- to really let go and put all of myself into a hymn, or better yet, into a solo.... Come on put up your hands if you would like that.
Now - put up your hands if you would rather – Fred or Tim or the Praise and Worship Team or just about anyone else sing.
The reason I conducted this straw poll is to make a point--a point about gifts and about how we regard them and how we regard ourselves.
That point is this - some gifts we have - and some we don't. Wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we have and exercising them, and equally wisdom consists of knowing what gifts we don't have – and encouraging others who do have them to use them.
I sometimes wish - as I am sure some of you wish - that I had the gift of music - that I could sing and play, but I do not. I also wish I had the gift of a photographic memory - but I do not.
At times these wishes have caused me problems. They have focused my mind and my heart on what I do not have. They have led me to feel inferior.
But at other times these wishes have led me in the opposite direction. They have led me to wonder what gifts I do have. They have led me to wonder how God has gifted me. And what it is that God has prepared for me to do.
In the twelfth chapter of the First Letter to The Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks at length about gifts and about how we should regard them. He also discusses how we should regard our own giftedness and the giftedness of others.
It is an important chapter and I want to deal with the first part of it this morning - the part that asserts that there are a variety of gifts and of services and of activities - and that each person is gifted with some assortment of these gifts - and that these gifts are a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that is in us - a manifestation that is given for one purpose - and that is for the common good.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uniformed.... To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utter of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by
one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. The spirit allots to each one individually, just as the Spirit chooses.
What gifts do you have?
What gifts do you rejoice in - in yourself - and in others?
Is it the gift of praying for others?
The gift are caring?
The gift of service?
The gift of praise?
Some gifts, my friends, are glorious in appearance and dramatic in their effect. They are easy to identify and easy to praise.
Other gifts are more subtle, more ordinary in appearance, and have their impact over the long term rather than in the instant and often they fail to receive the recognition they deserve.
Kathy and I and I were speaking the other day about the gifts we see being exhibited here in our congregation. Many of you have come forward as you have been made aware of some of the financial difficulties we have had over the past several months and have offered your gifts—Thank you! Others of you have come forward and offered your gifts as you have been aware of the challenges to the unity within the body of Christ here in Greenfield.
We have people with the highly visible gifts and we have many quieter people, less visible people, who had different gifts.
Some of you have wrote cards to those who were having birthdays,
others made visits to the elderly and to those who were shut-in.
Some of you have cleaned the Ministry Center
others fixed the copy machine and shoveled out when it snowed.
Some others have baked and cooked for Fellowship Time and other church events.
Some typed and filed,
others built and painted and furnished.
Some prepared minutes and agenda and newsletters to help the congregation,
and others prayed quietly every day for me and the leadership Team
and all the folk of the church.
I know that without all the gifts that are being offered our church will never grow and that the ministry of Christ in our community will never touched the lives of those around us.
Many of you know that our daughter Megan, our son-in-law Justin and our two grandchildren, Riley and Makayla recently spent a week with us. What you may not know is that they also brought their 7 month old white Lab puppy with them. While the puppy is only 7 months old – but being a Lab, he is a good size - he is already 50 lbs. and will end up being about 70 lbs. when he is full grown.
Anyhow, this rather large pup was walking along one day and decided that he had an itch that needed scratching, and that itch was only accessible to her back leg. So, while walking, she
picked up her leg to scratch. And fell over. So, what has that got to do with the gifts that we have, the gifts that God has given us? A great deal actually.
Greenfield Congregational Covenant Church - you and I together-- needs all our legs
- and more - we need those legs to be coordinated, to be in agreement, to work together freely
- gladly - and with unity—without any concern about which is more important or which is less important.
We need the leg of prophetic utterance and the leg of biblical teaching and the leg of inspired prayer and the leg of administration.
We need the leg of letter writing and the leg of woodworking ability and the leg of visitation and the leg of quiet companionship.
We need all the legs
- all the parts that God has made,
- all the gifts that God has distributed among his people.
We need the contribution that each person has been gifted with by God
- and we need that contribution to be offered willingly
- and we need those charged with receiving that contribution in God's name, and that's you and I again, to receive it without questioning it's worthiness.
Each gift is important - and we want our brothers and sisters to give willingly - we need our brothers and sisters to give willingly – for without them - we will fall down!
My friends - when each one of us knows what gift God has granted to us and uses that gift as God wants us to use it
- in the task of walking together - of working together - to do the ministry Christ has called us to
- we will be healthy and whole as both a community and as individuals, and this church will shine with the joy of God's presence
But if we permit ourselves to continue to be distracted
- if we stop doing what we are supposed to be doing and begin to scratch the itches that crop up here and there in our life together,
- if we forget what we are about and whose we are in the first place we will all suffer - as a community - and as individuals - and it will be dark and cold in this place.
We need to claim and celebrate what God has given to us individually, and exercise that expression of God's Spirit within us for the good of all. Do not worry or fret about what others are or are not doing, and about what others may or may not think about our relative importance.
I know that each one of you today has something very special in your hearts - something that has been placed there by God, something that is beautiful and good and precious in his eyes, something that is of vital importance to our church, our community, and our world.
You all have gifts. Claim the gifts - open them up - celebrate them. And then use them - offer them freely - without worrying whether or not your gift is greater than or less than someone else's.
You are worthy - and your gift is worthy - for God has made, and God is the one who gave you, the very thing you have to offer to his praise and his service in this, his church - in this, his world.
Blessed be his name, now and always. Amen
Sunday, January 24, 2010
THE CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST
In 1985, William R. Greer performed an in-depth chemical analysis of the human body and its mineral properties. His conclusions were published in the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. Greer claimed that the average human body contained 5 pounds of calcium, 9 ounces of potassium, 1½ pounds of phosphorus, 6 ounces of sodium, 6 ounces of sulfur, 1 ounce of magnesium, and trace amounts of iron, iodine, and copper. According to a professor at the Illinois Medical School, the total value of these minerals is just a little over $8.00. So the value of the human body is roughly equal to the price of a movie ticket in most major cities. (1) Makes you feel good, doesn't it?
Our Bible passage for today is about the church being the body of Christ. Why do you think the apostle Paul used the image of a body to symbolize the church? Our bodies are strange, and wonderful, and complex, and awesome, and awkward things. Our bodies are capable of amazing physical feats--just think back to last year's Olympic Games. Those athletes gave the world a picture of the body at its healthiest and strongest. But our bodies are also capable of being weak, sluggish, and creaky. Picture yourself crawling out of bed after too little sleep. Some of you know what I'm talking about.
An out-of-shape teenager was discussing his tennis game with a friend. "When my opponent hits the ball to me, my brain immediately barks out a command to my body: 'Race up to the net,' it says. 'Slam a blistering drive to the far corner of the court, jump back into the position to return the next volley.' Then my body says, 'Who . . . me?' " That's our usual reaction when we think about our bodies. Most of us don't think our bodies are all that special or strong. Unfortunately, churches can also develop that "who . . . me?" attitude.
"Okay, pastor," you may say. "Let's get this straight. You want us to go out into the whole world and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, help the prisoner, take care of widows and orphans, heal physical diseases, cast out demons, and be a place of worship and joy for all people? Who . . . us?"
Throughout the Bible, there are word-pictures about what the church should be. Any church that wants to understand its true purpose would do itself a favor and study these passages. In 1 Corinthians 3, the church is compared to a field and to a building. In Ephesians 5, the church is compared to a bride. In each of these comparisons, the church is "like" this, or "like" that. But then, in this passage, Paul says the church is the body of Christ. Not "like" the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ. A field is made of many grains of soil. But the body is one piece. There aren't separate parts. It is one. (3) With this imagery, Paul is giving us a new blueprint for the church.
THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS UNITY--ALL THE PARTS WORKING TOGETHER FOR ONE PURPOSE.
Verse 12 says, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." Throughout the New Testament we can find constant warnings against letting ourselves be distracted by arguments and dissension.
It's as if the apostles are saying, "Come on, can't we all just get along? Is what you're arguing about going to bring people to Christ? If not, then it's just not worth it." The apostles had only one mind, the mind of Christ, to guide everything they did. They had only one purpose in life, to spread the good news of Christ. Funny how when you identify your greatest priority in life, lots of little details fall by the wayside. They're not important anymore. Until the church has one mind and one purpose, then we will continue to get distracted by trivial matters. The best way for us to destroy the image of Christ is to keep arguing among ourselves.
The various cells of the human body--muscle cells, blood cells, organ cells, bone cells, and all the other cells--are designed to work together to enhance the health and life of the entire body. But occasionally, a cell can begin growing and functioning out of sync with the other cells. It begins growing for its own purposes, and no longer follows the same blueprint as the other cells. This type of cell is called a mutagen, and mutagens are the cells that create a cancer in the body. People can have a cancerous effect on a church. If we, as the body of Christ, would realize that we share one mind and one purpose, if nothing else in life mattered to us as much as sharing the good news of Jesus, we could transform our whole world.
THE SECOND CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EQUALITY.
A healthy body of Christ values all members equally. Listen to verses 22-25: ". . . those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor . . . But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." As the pastor of this church, I have the honor of standing before you each week. But my importance to this church is no greater than any other member of the body of Christ. Every last one of us, from the youngest to the oldest member, is equally valuable and important in the body of Christ.
Have you ever felt like you're just not good enough to be valuable to the world? Author Max Lucado believes a society that doesn't believe in God sees no inherent value in human beings. What makes us different from a rock or an old sock? And if we have no inherent, inborn value as human beings, then we must create our own criteria to measure value. So we tend to value people either for their appearance or their performance. If you're good-looking, smart, athletic, or if you earn a lot of money, then you are valuable. If you don't fit that criteria, you're just taking up space. But check out Jesus' value system. He loved the outcast, the poor, the handicapped, the unclean, the sinner. Why? Lucado writes, "Jesus' love does not depend on what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Listen to that again: "In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Makes us all sit up a little straighter, doesn't it? At your job, you may feel like just another number on a time card. In your other relationships you may feel like you are not being heard and recognized. But in the church, you are of infinite value. You have skills, abilities, and life experiences that other people need. You may have seen those signs out in front of churches that read: What's missing in our ch--ch? U R. Yes, I know those signs are corny, but the sentiment is true. You are important to the body of Christ. This is a corny way to put it, but we can't spell unity or equality without U!
The best place to see a picture of a truly alive, healthy body of Christ is in the book of Acts. In Acts 2: 42-47 and in Acts 4: 32-37 we see there were no barriers between the believers there. Rich and poor Christians, men and women, educated and uneducated believers lived and worked and ate side by side. In fact, the wealthier believers sold many of their possessions in order to provide for the needs of the poorer members so that there would be equality among them. And what was the result of this unity and equality? According to Acts 2, verse 47, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Their lifestyle was having an impact on the society around them. People were coming to Christ because of the example of these early Christian believers.
THE FINAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EMPATHY--THE BELIEVERS SHARE ONE ANOTHER'S JOYS AND SORROWS.
As I Corinthians 12: 26 says, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." This is a little hard for us to understand. We tend to value rugged individualism. "I'm a self-made man (or woman). I don't ask for help. I can do it all alone. I did it my way." Empathy, that quality of sharing our lives with one another, even the most heartfelt moments, is kind of uncomfortable for us. That's why we present such a nice facade to one another in the church.
No matter what is going on in our lives, no matter what emotions are tearing us apart, we come to church with smiles on our faces and every hair in place.
"See, I'm living the victorious Christian life. I'm okay, you're okay," we say through clenched teeth. But we're not okay. None of us is okay. If there's one thing I've learned with each passing year it's that none of us has "got it all together."
That's what a healthy body of Christ does: we walk alongside one another and share one another's pain. I'm not trying to embarrass anybody, but I want everybody to take a moment and look at the people around you. Just look around you for a moment. Whether you know it or not, there are people on all sides of you whose hearts are breaking. People who are confused, angry, lost, scared, broken in spirit. They need you. You need them. That's what the church is all about. You don't have to go it alone.
In his song, "If This Is Not a Place," singer and songwriter Ken Medema questions the true purpose of the church. If we are not the body of Christ in the world, he asks, then what good are we? "If this is not a place where tears are understood," he writes, "Then where shall I go to cry?" "And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Then where shall I go to fly?" (8)
Before Christ ascended to heaven, he left us with an awesome responsibility: to convince the world that God is alive and that God loves every person on this Earth and is available right here, right now to change lives. Christ's Holy Spirit fills our world and inspires so much of what we do. But it is his body that an unbelieving world needs to see. They need to see us working together in unity, equality, and empathy, not for our own selfish goals, but for the cause of Jesus and the good of one another. I challenge you this week to reflect on this question: what would my church be like if every member were just like me? Would this church be doing better or worse? Because it is only through the body of Christ that this world will come to know Jesus.
Our Bible passage for today is about the church being the body of Christ. Why do you think the apostle Paul used the image of a body to symbolize the church? Our bodies are strange, and wonderful, and complex, and awesome, and awkward things. Our bodies are capable of amazing physical feats--just think back to last year's Olympic Games. Those athletes gave the world a picture of the body at its healthiest and strongest. But our bodies are also capable of being weak, sluggish, and creaky. Picture yourself crawling out of bed after too little sleep. Some of you know what I'm talking about.
An out-of-shape teenager was discussing his tennis game with a friend. "When my opponent hits the ball to me, my brain immediately barks out a command to my body: 'Race up to the net,' it says. 'Slam a blistering drive to the far corner of the court, jump back into the position to return the next volley.' Then my body says, 'Who . . . me?' " That's our usual reaction when we think about our bodies. Most of us don't think our bodies are all that special or strong. Unfortunately, churches can also develop that "who . . . me?" attitude.
"Okay, pastor," you may say. "Let's get this straight. You want us to go out into the whole world and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, help the prisoner, take care of widows and orphans, heal physical diseases, cast out demons, and be a place of worship and joy for all people? Who . . . us?"
Throughout the Bible, there are word-pictures about what the church should be. Any church that wants to understand its true purpose would do itself a favor and study these passages. In 1 Corinthians 3, the church is compared to a field and to a building. In Ephesians 5, the church is compared to a bride. In each of these comparisons, the church is "like" this, or "like" that. But then, in this passage, Paul says the church is the body of Christ. Not "like" the body of Christ. We are the body of Christ. A field is made of many grains of soil. But the body is one piece. There aren't separate parts. It is one. (3) With this imagery, Paul is giving us a new blueprint for the church.
THE FIRST CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS UNITY--ALL THE PARTS WORKING TOGETHER FOR ONE PURPOSE.
Verse 12 says, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." Throughout the New Testament we can find constant warnings against letting ourselves be distracted by arguments and dissension.
It's as if the apostles are saying, "Come on, can't we all just get along? Is what you're arguing about going to bring people to Christ? If not, then it's just not worth it." The apostles had only one mind, the mind of Christ, to guide everything they did. They had only one purpose in life, to spread the good news of Christ. Funny how when you identify your greatest priority in life, lots of little details fall by the wayside. They're not important anymore. Until the church has one mind and one purpose, then we will continue to get distracted by trivial matters. The best way for us to destroy the image of Christ is to keep arguing among ourselves.
The various cells of the human body--muscle cells, blood cells, organ cells, bone cells, and all the other cells--are designed to work together to enhance the health and life of the entire body. But occasionally, a cell can begin growing and functioning out of sync with the other cells. It begins growing for its own purposes, and no longer follows the same blueprint as the other cells. This type of cell is called a mutagen, and mutagens are the cells that create a cancer in the body. People can have a cancerous effect on a church. If we, as the body of Christ, would realize that we share one mind and one purpose, if nothing else in life mattered to us as much as sharing the good news of Jesus, we could transform our whole world.
THE SECOND CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EQUALITY.
A healthy body of Christ values all members equally. Listen to verses 22-25: ". . . those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor . . . But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." As the pastor of this church, I have the honor of standing before you each week. But my importance to this church is no greater than any other member of the body of Christ. Every last one of us, from the youngest to the oldest member, is equally valuable and important in the body of Christ.
Have you ever felt like you're just not good enough to be valuable to the world? Author Max Lucado believes a society that doesn't believe in God sees no inherent value in human beings. What makes us different from a rock or an old sock? And if we have no inherent, inborn value as human beings, then we must create our own criteria to measure value. So we tend to value people either for their appearance or their performance. If you're good-looking, smart, athletic, or if you earn a lot of money, then you are valuable. If you don't fit that criteria, you're just taking up space. But check out Jesus' value system. He loved the outcast, the poor, the handicapped, the unclean, the sinner. Why? Lucado writes, "Jesus' love does not depend on what we do for him. Not at all. In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Listen to that again: "In the eyes of the King, you have value simply because you are." Makes us all sit up a little straighter, doesn't it? At your job, you may feel like just another number on a time card. In your other relationships you may feel like you are not being heard and recognized. But in the church, you are of infinite value. You have skills, abilities, and life experiences that other people need. You may have seen those signs out in front of churches that read: What's missing in our ch--ch? U R. Yes, I know those signs are corny, but the sentiment is true. You are important to the body of Christ. This is a corny way to put it, but we can't spell unity or equality without U!
The best place to see a picture of a truly alive, healthy body of Christ is in the book of Acts. In Acts 2: 42-47 and in Acts 4: 32-37 we see there were no barriers between the believers there. Rich and poor Christians, men and women, educated and uneducated believers lived and worked and ate side by side. In fact, the wealthier believers sold many of their possessions in order to provide for the needs of the poorer members so that there would be equality among them. And what was the result of this unity and equality? According to Acts 2, verse 47, "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Their lifestyle was having an impact on the society around them. People were coming to Christ because of the example of these early Christian believers.
THE FINAL CHARACTERISTIC OF A HEALTHY BODY OF CHRIST IS EMPATHY--THE BELIEVERS SHARE ONE ANOTHER'S JOYS AND SORROWS.
As I Corinthians 12: 26 says, "If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." This is a little hard for us to understand. We tend to value rugged individualism. "I'm a self-made man (or woman). I don't ask for help. I can do it all alone. I did it my way." Empathy, that quality of sharing our lives with one another, even the most heartfelt moments, is kind of uncomfortable for us. That's why we present such a nice facade to one another in the church.
No matter what is going on in our lives, no matter what emotions are tearing us apart, we come to church with smiles on our faces and every hair in place.
"See, I'm living the victorious Christian life. I'm okay, you're okay," we say through clenched teeth. But we're not okay. None of us is okay. If there's one thing I've learned with each passing year it's that none of us has "got it all together."
That's what a healthy body of Christ does: we walk alongside one another and share one another's pain. I'm not trying to embarrass anybody, but I want everybody to take a moment and look at the people around you. Just look around you for a moment. Whether you know it or not, there are people on all sides of you whose hearts are breaking. People who are confused, angry, lost, scared, broken in spirit. They need you. You need them. That's what the church is all about. You don't have to go it alone.
In his song, "If This Is Not a Place," singer and songwriter Ken Medema questions the true purpose of the church. If we are not the body of Christ in the world, he asks, then what good are we? "If this is not a place where tears are understood," he writes, "Then where shall I go to cry?" "And if this is not a place where my spirit can take wings, Then where shall I go to fly?" (8)
Before Christ ascended to heaven, he left us with an awesome responsibility: to convince the world that God is alive and that God loves every person on this Earth and is available right here, right now to change lives. Christ's Holy Spirit fills our world and inspires so much of what we do. But it is his body that an unbelieving world needs to see. They need to see us working together in unity, equality, and empathy, not for our own selfish goals, but for the cause of Jesus and the good of one another. I challenge you this week to reflect on this question: what would my church be like if every member were just like me? Would this church be doing better or worse? Because it is only through the body of Christ that this world will come to know Jesus.
Reaffirmation of Faith and Baptismal Covenant
Today I’ll be inviting us to reaffirm our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Today I’m inviting us to reconsider the promises made at baptism. Baptism, be it that of an infant or an adult, is always a sign of new beginnings. Today I’m inviting you to consider a new beginning.
Our Scripture reading from Acts 19, gave us an intriguing story of Paul, on one of his missionary journeys, encountering a group of believers in God in Ephesus, who had been baptized by John the Baptist, but had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit nor fully accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.
At first Paul seems confused. They were doing all the things church folk were meant to do. They were disciples. Meeting together. Sharing. Praying. They believed in God, no doubts about it. But as he talks with them he realizes that their experience with Christianity was minimal. They start discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in religious life and these folk are saying, “Holy Spirit? Nobody told us about the Holy Spirit?”
Paul quizzes them some more. “But I thought you said you’d been baptized? How did that happen?” “Well,” they explain, “There was this man of God called John who taught us how to turn our lives around. We went down into the waters with him and have committed ourselves to following the Lord’s leading as we look for the One John said was to come.”
“I’m with you now,” Paul seems to say. Filling in the gaps we can presume that these folks just hadn’t got the message that Jesus had come! They were out in Ephesus, a very different place to Jerusalem. So Paul explains what has been going on and they break through to a new level of understanding.
In the story of the book of Acts the significance of their acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Acts tells the story of the spread of Christianity “in Jerusalem, in Samaria (that is amongst the Gentiles) and to the ends of the earth.” At each significant advance the spread of the gospel to a new area is marked by Pentecostal signs. The acceptance and baptism in the Holy Spirit of twelve disciples in territory beyond Jerusalem marked another milestone in the advance of Christianity.
The story reminds us that though we may be believers, there still needs to be moments and times when we refocus and reaffirm what we believe. These disciples had been baptized and they were people seeking to be God's people. God honored their search by granting them a fuller and deeper revelation of His love, filling them with the knowledge of Jesus as their Savior and empowering them for service through the Holy Spirit.
Today, our need is to come to God through our words and our prayers, to seek for a deeper and fuller revelation of Jesus Christ to dawn upon us, and to seek to be empowered by the same Holy Spirit that has been the life of the church since its foundation.
We still stand near the dawn of a New Year, and we can choose what forces are going to shape our lives in this new age. We like to think of ourselves as free agents. What a devilish lie! Our lives, our thoughts, our values, our spirituality, our whole outlook on life are something that is shaped by the forces around us and our reaction to them.
Admittedly, we can, like the folk in Ephesus that Paul came across, not always be in possession of all the facts, or aware of the full story. But as God reveals the way of discipleship to us there remains a decision to make as to how we will respond.
Psalm 14, verse one declares, "The fool says in their heart that there is no god." That verse means a whole lot more than just saying there is no Divine Being out there somewhere. It is a denial of any absolute standards.
The fool says that there is no right or wrong, good or evil, that such things are open to negotiation. The fool says that what goes around isn't going to come around. The fool says that what we welcome into our lives today has no relation to the welcome we should expect in eternity. The fool says life is a matter of how we feel not how we act.
At a time of recommitment we are asked to make a choice between living like a fool or living in the power of God's Spirit. We are called to renounce evil, to recognize that there are dark forces in the world that seek to have dominion over us; to make a distinction between living only for ourselves and living the way God would have us live.
We are not all basically good or basically bad. We are a complex mix of emotions and desires, often in conflict with others and with ourselves. We are conditioned by our culture and our upbringing and our expectations. We are miserable sinners who wouldn't recognize an act of God if it came to us wrapped in box that said, "God was here." Yet, at the same time we are glorious, possibility laden, miraculous, unique, creations of a loving God, and full of destiny, purpose and meaning.
I bid you to make a choice. Choose to have your life molded not by the passing fads and philosophy of today, but by the eternal, time tested wisdom of the Holy Scriptures. Choose not to be satisfied by the spirit of this world, full of promise but never actually delivering; but be filled with the Holy Spirit, be baptized in faith and hope and love, in goodness and self control, and in kindness and with patience.
Pray that this church may be a place where God's glory is known, where God's Spirit flows, and where the name of Jesus is lifted high
Our Scripture reading from Acts 19, gave us an intriguing story of Paul, on one of his missionary journeys, encountering a group of believers in God in Ephesus, who had been baptized by John the Baptist, but had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit nor fully accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.
At first Paul seems confused. They were doing all the things church folk were meant to do. They were disciples. Meeting together. Sharing. Praying. They believed in God, no doubts about it. But as he talks with them he realizes that their experience with Christianity was minimal. They start discussing the role of the Holy Spirit in religious life and these folk are saying, “Holy Spirit? Nobody told us about the Holy Spirit?”
Paul quizzes them some more. “But I thought you said you’d been baptized? How did that happen?” “Well,” they explain, “There was this man of God called John who taught us how to turn our lives around. We went down into the waters with him and have committed ourselves to following the Lord’s leading as we look for the One John said was to come.”
“I’m with you now,” Paul seems to say. Filling in the gaps we can presume that these folks just hadn’t got the message that Jesus had come! They were out in Ephesus, a very different place to Jerusalem. So Paul explains what has been going on and they break through to a new level of understanding.
In the story of the book of Acts the significance of their acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that Acts tells the story of the spread of Christianity “in Jerusalem, in Samaria (that is amongst the Gentiles) and to the ends of the earth.” At each significant advance the spread of the gospel to a new area is marked by Pentecostal signs. The acceptance and baptism in the Holy Spirit of twelve disciples in territory beyond Jerusalem marked another milestone in the advance of Christianity.
The story reminds us that though we may be believers, there still needs to be moments and times when we refocus and reaffirm what we believe. These disciples had been baptized and they were people seeking to be God's people. God honored their search by granting them a fuller and deeper revelation of His love, filling them with the knowledge of Jesus as their Savior and empowering them for service through the Holy Spirit.
Today, our need is to come to God through our words and our prayers, to seek for a deeper and fuller revelation of Jesus Christ to dawn upon us, and to seek to be empowered by the same Holy Spirit that has been the life of the church since its foundation.
We still stand near the dawn of a New Year, and we can choose what forces are going to shape our lives in this new age. We like to think of ourselves as free agents. What a devilish lie! Our lives, our thoughts, our values, our spirituality, our whole outlook on life are something that is shaped by the forces around us and our reaction to them.
Admittedly, we can, like the folk in Ephesus that Paul came across, not always be in possession of all the facts, or aware of the full story. But as God reveals the way of discipleship to us there remains a decision to make as to how we will respond.
Psalm 14, verse one declares, "The fool says in their heart that there is no god." That verse means a whole lot more than just saying there is no Divine Being out there somewhere. It is a denial of any absolute standards.
The fool says that there is no right or wrong, good or evil, that such things are open to negotiation. The fool says that what goes around isn't going to come around. The fool says that what we welcome into our lives today has no relation to the welcome we should expect in eternity. The fool says life is a matter of how we feel not how we act.
At a time of recommitment we are asked to make a choice between living like a fool or living in the power of God's Spirit. We are called to renounce evil, to recognize that there are dark forces in the world that seek to have dominion over us; to make a distinction between living only for ourselves and living the way God would have us live.
We are not all basically good or basically bad. We are a complex mix of emotions and desires, often in conflict with others and with ourselves. We are conditioned by our culture and our upbringing and our expectations. We are miserable sinners who wouldn't recognize an act of God if it came to us wrapped in box that said, "God was here." Yet, at the same time we are glorious, possibility laden, miraculous, unique, creations of a loving God, and full of destiny, purpose and meaning.
I bid you to make a choice. Choose to have your life molded not by the passing fads and philosophy of today, but by the eternal, time tested wisdom of the Holy Scriptures. Choose not to be satisfied by the spirit of this world, full of promise but never actually delivering; but be filled with the Holy Spirit, be baptized in faith and hope and love, in goodness and self control, and in kindness and with patience.
Pray that this church may be a place where God's glory is known, where God's Spirit flows, and where the name of Jesus is lifted high
Monday, November 30, 2009
Our Promise-Keeping God
Promises are so important! We know, for example, that when we make a child a promise, we must keep it at all costs, or the child will lose all trust in us and our word. We also know that if we do not keep a promise to a friend, we may lose that friendship.
Certainly we make promises through all our life. One of the most important ones is made when we stand before a pastor to be married. There we promise to love and comfort, to honor and keep our spouse, in sickness and in health. And we promise that we will forsake all others and be faithful to that marital partner as long as we both shall live.
Sometimes we keep our promises, but sometimes we do not. And often times, we live in regret and guilt that we have not kept some spoken word. We think a person who keeps his or her word is a person to be honored and trusted, and we regret the times when we fail to be trustworthy.
The passage in Jeremiah is written by the prophet when things looked real bad for his people. About 600 years before Jesus, they are about to be taken away from their Promised Land because for generations they have been not relying on the promise-giver, but on any other sort of promise. Everything that has given them meaning and identity, it all looks like it will be destroyed. And right then, Jeremiah, says that one will rise up – a Messiah – another David, who will restore Jerusalem to justice and righteousness. It is said that He, himself, will be our righteousness.
God is a promise-keeper, whose word is good forever. Therefore on this first Sunday of Advent, we eagerly await the day when we may celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of this age-old promise of a Davidic ruler. Certainly Christ is a righteous Branch of David, fulfilling perfectly the will of God. Bound up with his person and sharing by trust in his righteousness, we are counted pure in the eyes of God. This is a righteous King who makes us righteous as well. And certainly too, Jesus Christ is just, in his life on this earth, bringing God's justice and order to the poor and oppressed, condemning the wicked, and setting right the relationships among human beings. Still today the risen Christ by his Spirit guides us in justice for all, and gives us the power to love one another.
But has this ancient promise been fully fulfilled? Do Judah and Jerusalem and, indeed, all the nations of the earth including ours, live in safety and security? Are our streets so safe now that we walk them at night? Are our children surrounded by a society of decency and peace? Can all of us enjoy an abundant life, free of violence and wrong, fear and upheaval? Or do the wicked still prowl through our society and world, and are countless millions still faced with the threat of death? Obviously, this promise in our text of safety and security has not yet fully been realized. The fulfillment of the total promise still awaits its time "in the days that are coming," when God brings it all to pass.
But remember! God is a promise-keeper. He began to fulfill this promise by sending us his own Son in the birth of that babe of Bethlehem. He has always kept his word in the past; the whole history of Israel testifies to that faithfulness. So we now know that God will also keep his word -- his full word -- in the future.
The evil and violence, the sin and suffering that surround us on every side are not the last word. On this first Sunday of Advent, the church not only looks back to the birth of Christ, but it also looks forward to Christ's Second Coming, when he will come to set up his kingdom. Then in fact, safety and security and blessed life will be present for all people, and God will rule over all. God is a promise-keeper whose word will come to pass.
Certainly we make promises through all our life. One of the most important ones is made when we stand before a pastor to be married. There we promise to love and comfort, to honor and keep our spouse, in sickness and in health. And we promise that we will forsake all others and be faithful to that marital partner as long as we both shall live.
Sometimes we keep our promises, but sometimes we do not. And often times, we live in regret and guilt that we have not kept some spoken word. We think a person who keeps his or her word is a person to be honored and trusted, and we regret the times when we fail to be trustworthy.
The passage in Jeremiah is written by the prophet when things looked real bad for his people. About 600 years before Jesus, they are about to be taken away from their Promised Land because for generations they have been not relying on the promise-giver, but on any other sort of promise. Everything that has given them meaning and identity, it all looks like it will be destroyed. And right then, Jeremiah, says that one will rise up – a Messiah – another David, who will restore Jerusalem to justice and righteousness. It is said that He, himself, will be our righteousness.
God is a promise-keeper, whose word is good forever. Therefore on this first Sunday of Advent, we eagerly await the day when we may celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of this age-old promise of a Davidic ruler. Certainly Christ is a righteous Branch of David, fulfilling perfectly the will of God. Bound up with his person and sharing by trust in his righteousness, we are counted pure in the eyes of God. This is a righteous King who makes us righteous as well. And certainly too, Jesus Christ is just, in his life on this earth, bringing God's justice and order to the poor and oppressed, condemning the wicked, and setting right the relationships among human beings. Still today the risen Christ by his Spirit guides us in justice for all, and gives us the power to love one another.
But has this ancient promise been fully fulfilled? Do Judah and Jerusalem and, indeed, all the nations of the earth including ours, live in safety and security? Are our streets so safe now that we walk them at night? Are our children surrounded by a society of decency and peace? Can all of us enjoy an abundant life, free of violence and wrong, fear and upheaval? Or do the wicked still prowl through our society and world, and are countless millions still faced with the threat of death? Obviously, this promise in our text of safety and security has not yet fully been realized. The fulfillment of the total promise still awaits its time "in the days that are coming," when God brings it all to pass.
But remember! God is a promise-keeper. He began to fulfill this promise by sending us his own Son in the birth of that babe of Bethlehem. He has always kept his word in the past; the whole history of Israel testifies to that faithfulness. So we now know that God will also keep his word -- his full word -- in the future.
The evil and violence, the sin and suffering that surround us on every side are not the last word. On this first Sunday of Advent, the church not only looks back to the birth of Christ, but it also looks forward to Christ's Second Coming, when he will come to set up his kingdom. Then in fact, safety and security and blessed life will be present for all people, and God will rule over all. God is a promise-keeper whose word will come to pass.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Giving Our All to God
There was a man who called at the church and asked if he could speak to the Head Hog. The secretary said, "Who?" Then she gathered herself and said "Sir, if you mean our pastor you will have to treat him with more respect than that and ask for the Reverend' or The Pastor.' But certainly you cannot refer to him as the Head Hog." The man said, "I understand. I was calling because I have $10,000 I was thinking about donating to the building fund." She said, "Hold on for just a moment-I think the big pig just walked in the door."
Now I am sure that Del wouldn't treat me like that, some of youy lay folks perhaprhaps but not the secretary! But we all are subject to changing our tune when substantial amounts of money are offered.
It is a mild Sabbath morning in the Palestinian City of Jerusalem. The sun has not yet risen to full strength, and yet people are already lined up all the way down the dusty road which leads to the Holy Temple. Smoke is in the air because of the animals that have already been sacrificed and burned on the altar. And in that slow moving line, there are rich and poor alike, carrying with them the offerings that are to be presented for the Lord God Jehovah.
The line leads to a small square room lined with metal collection boxes. The boxes have metal horns extending out of them, to receive the offerings of the people. As you can imagine, the coins make a constant clanging noise as they are cast into the receptacles.
Most of the people shuffling along, quickly make their donation, and move on. But one person, who has already given His offering, stands over in the corner with His disciples. And notice that it DOES NOT SAY that Jesus is watching WHAT everyone is giving but rather “HOW the people put money into the treasury.”
Of course, also in the room, supervising the money boxes, are several priests. As the wealthy citizens pass by and make loud clanging noises by virtue of their many coins, they seem to draw favored glances. Many seem quite impressed at the generosity of those who cast an abundance of big, heavy coins into the boxes.
And it is not surprise that no one pays particular attention to one frail, little lady who enters the room. Only one person sees her, and that is the One who sees all. But she nonetheless stops at the collection terminal. She then reaches into a tiny sachet and carefully draws out 2 rather insignificant coins -- mites, the smallest currency used by the Romans. She tosses both of these lightweight coins into the big metal box, but their faint click is drowned out by the heavy clanking of more substantial coins made by the wealthy patrons. So, no one notices her. After all, what difference would her two tiny coins make?
But Jesus is impressed. He is so impressed that he singles this woman out to all those there and tells them that her offering is more important than the offering made by any one else.
“Why was Jesus so impressed with the widow who gave her two mites?” What was it that caused him to stop and single her out of the crowd? Why did he honor her tiny gift so publicly?
Because this widow was willing to give from the heart. Her love of God knew no bounds. She gave even though she couldn’t afford it. She gave because she wanted to give. She was not compelled by guilt, or fear, or reward, she gave because she was in love, in love with God. She gave because she felt a deep commitment to God. She gave because this was one way she could respond to God’s blessings in her life. She gave sacrificially. She gave in humble respect for God. She gave quietly with no fanfare, no noise, but it was the small noise of her sacrifice that drown out all the noise in Jesus’ ears, The noise of the big givers who gave so that all would see their righteousness. This noise of two small coins was heard above the show, the fanfare of the Pharisees giving so everyone would know they were up-holding the law. This widow gave from her heart and it was the noise of love which stirred Jesus to say, "This poor widow has put in more than. all....out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living,"
Jesus recognizes the level of our sacrifice. It's like the Sunday school teacher who asked her class if they would give $1,000,000 to the missionaries. "YES!" they all screamed!! "Would you give $1,000?" Again they shouted, "YES!" "How about $100?" "Oh, YES we would!" they all agreed!! "Would you give just a dollar to the missionaries?" she asked. The children exclaimed "YES!" just as before except for one little boy named Johnny. "Johnny," the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, "why didn't you say 'YES' this time?" "Well," he stammered, "I HAVE a dollar."
She, out of her poverty, Jesus said, put in everything-all she had to live on. We all dream about giving large sums of money to cure the world's ills. But you have a dollar. Right now, in your pocket, you have a dollar. Start there. Right now, you have a skill, apply that. Right now, you have a talent. Start there. You have a dollar. Start there.
Do you recall Jesus' words: He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.
Have you ever been absolutely, totally dependent upon God? You need to be! Have you ever known incredible sacrifice, then you have never known what it means to depend on God. And if
you have never known what it means to depend on God, you don’t know what it means to be a disciple! Listen to His words in Luke 14:33: “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Read it AGAIN!)
The truth is, everything we have, and everything we are belongs to God. Then He allows us to be stewards over these things.
A wealthy Christian, a lawyer, Join a mission trip to Korea. When in Korea, as he and the other Christians who were traveling with him saw in a field a boy pulling a crude plow, while an old man held the handles.. The lawyer was amused, and took a picture.
Commenting to the mission guide, he said,” That is an unusual sight. I suppose they are very poor." "Yes," came the answer. "They are poor. When the church was being established in this area they were excited to give something to help it along, but they had no money so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are taking turns pulling the plow themselves." The lawyer said thoughtfully, "That must have been a real sacrifice”. The guide said, "They did not call it that." They thought it was fortunate they had an ox to sell.".
The lawyer was real quiet after that event. When he reached home, the lawyer went to visit his pastor and he took the picture with him. As he sat down in the pastor’s study he said,” I want to double my pledge to the church. And please give me some plow work to do. I have never known what sacrifice for the church meant. A converted Korean taught me. I am ashamed to say I have never yet given anything to my church that cost me anything."
Now I am sure that Del wouldn't treat me like that, some of youy lay folks perhaprhaps but not the secretary! But we all are subject to changing our tune when substantial amounts of money are offered.
It is a mild Sabbath morning in the Palestinian City of Jerusalem. The sun has not yet risen to full strength, and yet people are already lined up all the way down the dusty road which leads to the Holy Temple. Smoke is in the air because of the animals that have already been sacrificed and burned on the altar. And in that slow moving line, there are rich and poor alike, carrying with them the offerings that are to be presented for the Lord God Jehovah.
The line leads to a small square room lined with metal collection boxes. The boxes have metal horns extending out of them, to receive the offerings of the people. As you can imagine, the coins make a constant clanging noise as they are cast into the receptacles.
Most of the people shuffling along, quickly make their donation, and move on. But one person, who has already given His offering, stands over in the corner with His disciples. And notice that it DOES NOT SAY that Jesus is watching WHAT everyone is giving but rather “HOW the people put money into the treasury.”
Of course, also in the room, supervising the money boxes, are several priests. As the wealthy citizens pass by and make loud clanging noises by virtue of their many coins, they seem to draw favored glances. Many seem quite impressed at the generosity of those who cast an abundance of big, heavy coins into the boxes.
And it is not surprise that no one pays particular attention to one frail, little lady who enters the room. Only one person sees her, and that is the One who sees all. But she nonetheless stops at the collection terminal. She then reaches into a tiny sachet and carefully draws out 2 rather insignificant coins -- mites, the smallest currency used by the Romans. She tosses both of these lightweight coins into the big metal box, but their faint click is drowned out by the heavy clanking of more substantial coins made by the wealthy patrons. So, no one notices her. After all, what difference would her two tiny coins make?
But Jesus is impressed. He is so impressed that he singles this woman out to all those there and tells them that her offering is more important than the offering made by any one else.
“Why was Jesus so impressed with the widow who gave her two mites?” What was it that caused him to stop and single her out of the crowd? Why did he honor her tiny gift so publicly?
Because this widow was willing to give from the heart. Her love of God knew no bounds. She gave even though she couldn’t afford it. She gave because she wanted to give. She was not compelled by guilt, or fear, or reward, she gave because she was in love, in love with God. She gave because she felt a deep commitment to God. She gave because this was one way she could respond to God’s blessings in her life. She gave sacrificially. She gave in humble respect for God. She gave quietly with no fanfare, no noise, but it was the small noise of her sacrifice that drown out all the noise in Jesus’ ears, The noise of the big givers who gave so that all would see their righteousness. This noise of two small coins was heard above the show, the fanfare of the Pharisees giving so everyone would know they were up-holding the law. This widow gave from her heart and it was the noise of love which stirred Jesus to say, "This poor widow has put in more than. all....out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living,"
Jesus recognizes the level of our sacrifice. It's like the Sunday school teacher who asked her class if they would give $1,000,000 to the missionaries. "YES!" they all screamed!! "Would you give $1,000?" Again they shouted, "YES!" "How about $100?" "Oh, YES we would!" they all agreed!! "Would you give just a dollar to the missionaries?" she asked. The children exclaimed "YES!" just as before except for one little boy named Johnny. "Johnny," the teacher said as she noticed the boy clutching his pocket, "why didn't you say 'YES' this time?" "Well," he stammered, "I HAVE a dollar."
She, out of her poverty, Jesus said, put in everything-all she had to live on. We all dream about giving large sums of money to cure the world's ills. But you have a dollar. Right now, in your pocket, you have a dollar. Start there. Right now, you have a skill, apply that. Right now, you have a talent. Start there. You have a dollar. Start there.
Do you recall Jesus' words: He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.
Have you ever been absolutely, totally dependent upon God? You need to be! Have you ever known incredible sacrifice, then you have never known what it means to depend on God. And if
you have never known what it means to depend on God, you don’t know what it means to be a disciple! Listen to His words in Luke 14:33: “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Read it AGAIN!)
The truth is, everything we have, and everything we are belongs to God. Then He allows us to be stewards over these things.
A wealthy Christian, a lawyer, Join a mission trip to Korea. When in Korea, as he and the other Christians who were traveling with him saw in a field a boy pulling a crude plow, while an old man held the handles.. The lawyer was amused, and took a picture.
Commenting to the mission guide, he said,” That is an unusual sight. I suppose they are very poor." "Yes," came the answer. "They are poor. When the church was being established in this area they were excited to give something to help it along, but they had no money so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are taking turns pulling the plow themselves." The lawyer said thoughtfully, "That must have been a real sacrifice”. The guide said, "They did not call it that." They thought it was fortunate they had an ox to sell.".
The lawyer was real quiet after that event. When he reached home, the lawyer went to visit his pastor and he took the picture with him. As he sat down in the pastor’s study he said,” I want to double my pledge to the church. And please give me some plow work to do. I have never known what sacrifice for the church meant. A converted Korean taught me. I am ashamed to say I have never yet given anything to my church that cost me anything."
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