Pastor Ron’s Blog

Forgive and Forget

One of the great stories in the Old Testament about forgiveness is the story of Joseph. Here was a man who was able to forgive his brothers who were bent on destroying his very life.

Joseph not only forgave his brothers but he forgot the evil deeds they had committed against him. Notice what Joseph named his first born son in Genesis 41:51: “Joseph named his first born Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The record goes on to say in verse 52, “The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

The New Testament example and the example for all ages is that of Jesus Christ. When enemies turned against our Lord His response was simply, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing…” (Luke 23:34)

How important that Christians reflect a spirit of forgiveness. If Jesus can forgive us who are we to think that we cannot forgive others.

An innovative psychologist said that he considers only one kind of counselee relatively hopeless; that person who blames other people for his or her problems. He says if you can own the mess you in, there is hope for you and help available. As long as you blame others, you will be victim for the rest of your life.”

May the biblical illustrations of Joseph and Jesus motivate each of us to never get into the “blame game” but to daily keep a right relationship with God and others. After all that is just keeping the Great Commandment to love God and others.

September 27, 2009 Pastor Tim Pusey

No written sermon

Special Speaker Deb Weisen - Upward Regional Rep

Pastor Casey’s Blog

Memories

 

This past week, I was able to enjoy something that I have not been able to fully enjoy for the last 2 years.

Our district Pastor and Spouses Retreat. Not to say that I have not enjoyed the retreat the previous two times I have gone, but I am finally able to enjoy bringing my wife and spending the time together. The last few days were great spent up at Trinity Pines. We had a lovely drive up the mountain (with the top down of course) and were able to enjoy great speaking and great fellowship with many pastors/wives we knew (and some we did not).

            One thing I had been thinking about the previous week was how nice it would be to see Victory Cove. Up until Wednesday, I had only heard stories of how great it was and what people remember it for. I had yet to even see it. So Alyssa and I decided in our free time we would go check it out. We rode up there with Pastor Tim and Cindy and hiked through the campgrounds till finally we found where the old campsite was located. We saw the old cabins, the snack shack, the chapel, and even the large rock that Dr. Kratzer and Thelma had to guard in an attempt of keeping teen couples from having too “friendly” of a camp experience (at least that is what I am told). It was obvious the grounds had not been used for 10 years. It reminded me of an old ghost town you only hear stories about, you never experience it for yourself. We began walking around the grounds and I began imagining how it would feel to have a couple hundred kids running around during a typical summer camp. The whole place began reminding me of my old camp ground on the Northwest District. The buildings and the lake all reminded me of some of the memories I have at the camp I went to in high school, where I met Alyssa J.

            All that I had heard about Victory Cove was how great it was for camp, but to be honest, what I saw was far from great. After talking to a few other people, I learned that it wasn’t the camp ground or the cabins or the lake or even the big rock that made it a great camp. What made it great was the memories everyone had from their experiences from being there. Memories are what can get us through tough times, ask my mom. I bet she wishes I was home right now, but I’m not. But I bet she has a few of the most recent pictures out on the fridge so she can remember me from the last time I was home. Isn’t that why we take pictures wherever we go? We want to remember what we did, where we went, who we were with. Looking at pictures are great ways to jog our memory.

In relation to the previous blog, Pastor Paul wrote that if God had a wallet, He would have pictures of all of us in it. God would be reminded of all the good times that we have spent with Him, each time he opened His wallet and saw those pictures. When we see pictures of Jesus, we can remember how He conquered the grave, how He rose from the dead, how He was victorious over all sin. I can be reminded that no matter how tough life gets, how stressful, or busy it may seem; God is BIGGER. I bet God has memories of all of us too. Whether it’s a memory of the day you gave your life to Him at camp, or the day you were obedient when God asked you to do something. His love for you (and everyone else) never changed. Regardless of the good/bad memories you have about friends, family, and/or Victory Cove. God will always remember you as the one He gave is life for. You are the one He will do anything to have back, you are His lost sheep, His lost coin, His lost son. If you don’t have a good memory of God in your life, make a new memory with Him today. Allow God to use you so that others will have memories about how God used you to reach out to them. Then take a picture.

9/20/2009 Pastor Tim Pusey

LOOKING BEYOND OURSELVES
Matthew 28:16-20

I grew up in a home with three boys—of which I was the youngest. My parents were big on assigned chores—so on any given week we’d each be given specific tasks that we were to do—like washing the dishes, drying them, taking the trash out or mowing the lawn. Now I’m a pretty nice guy most of the time, but you better believe that I wasn’t about to do the chores that had been assigned to one of my brothers that week. No sirree! That was his job!

I sometimes wonder if that’s our mentality regarding some aspects of the Christian life—and one thing we likely prefer to consider someone-else’s job is the Great Commission—the label often given to the words of Jesus I just read to you. “Evangelism is someone else’s job!” we think—as we go on our merry little way.

Many of you know that I pastored Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene for nearly six years before coming to Meridian. Some of you may be familiar with the name Dr. Chic Shaver—a man known in many circles as “Mr. Evangelism.” Chic is uniquely gifted in being able to lead people to Jesus Christ. He is an “evangelist” in the truest sense of the word. Chic taught evangelism for many years at Nazarene Theological Seminary and, throughout those years, traveled widely holding revival services and training probably thousands of people in how to share their faith. And, as if he didn’t already have enough to do, he also served part-time on the pastoral staff at First Church, leading their personal evangelism efforts and doing so diligently. He’s a marvelous and gifted man—who has been for many the means by which they came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Now, I hadn’t been at Kansas City First Church long before I began to pick up that there were too many who, in the shadow of such a gifted personal evangelist, conceded that evangelism was Chic’s job! They wouldn’t have said it, but it seemed like they had concluded that they didn’t have to be concerned with the Great Commission—because someone else would do it! The problem with that kind of thinking is that the Great Commission—the words of Jesus that we just read from Matthew 20—weren’t given just to a select few. They were given to us all. They become the marching orders of the whole church—and it can never be accomplished by merely a few. In other words, you and I don’t get to opt out of it. It’s our job as followers of Jesus—the task belongs to all of us.

We’re in the middle of a series of sermons that flow out of Valley Shepherd Church’s mission statement:
PASSION FOR GOD
COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE
We’ve already talked about the way in which we are to carry out that mission together as we respond to the needs of people around us. We’re in this together. We’ve talked about the concept of us living out our passion for God within our fellowship, and we’ve labeled that Discipling. Now we’re going to focus on our Passion for God out in the world. The heart of God is broken over spiritually lost people—people who are not in fellowship with their Heavenly Father and, whether they know it or not, are without God and without hope. Our Heavenly Father loved lost people so very much that He sent His Son to die for them. And He loves them so much today that He sends His Church out to where they are, offering them forgiveness of sin, a fresh start, and an everlasting hope. That’s where we come in—Evangelizing.

Interestingly enough, Christ-followers throughout the ages have struggled to know what to make of Jesus’ words at the close of Matthew’s Gospel. There have been those who brushed aside their responsibility in making disciples of all people by concluding that these words were just for the Early Church—the first century Church. But, thank the Lord, there were those who, several hundred years ago, embraced the challenge and took up the mandate with a seriousness that began to spread the Good News of the Gospel across Europe. It was this passage of scripture and the passionate commitment some made to it that initiated the work of missionaries as we know them today. They did so at great risk to themselves and to their families and many of them gave up their lives in their commitment to take the Gospel to the spiritually lost. And it’s for the cause of Christ and the Great Commission He has entrusted to us that many are placing their lives on the line today.

There’s an underlying premise about this Great Commission that I want to make sure we all understand. The underlying premise of the Great Commission is that every person has the opportunity to become a follower of Jesus. Every person can be saved. Every person can experience the forgiveness of their sins by the grace of God. Every person has the capacity to learn to walk in God’s ways.

And if you’re wondering on whose authority I’m making such a statement, go back with me to the first part of the passion we just read—
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:18-19)
My statement that every person can become a follower of Jesus Christ is based on the authority of Jesus. What I’m saying to you this morning is wonderfully reliable!

And it’s also amazingly inclusive. The American culture has become consumed with “inclusivity.” We’ve taken it to ridiculous extremes—not all of which are blessed by the Lord, I might add. But one thing I will say is that the invitation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has never been discriminating. All are welcomed into this fellowship—all, that is, who are willing to turn from sin in order to follow Jesus.

Now you can first apply that to yourself. You are included in God’s gift of salvation. There’s nothing in your past and nothing in your background that would disqualify you for salvation. One of the most well-known assurances of this comes from Jesus’ words from John 3:16—
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That “whoever” part means you! Don’t let yourself and don’t let anyone else convince you otherwise! That brings hope to each of us—regardless of what our situation is life might be!

But the Great Commission also always gets us looking beyond ourselves!—because this Good News is Good News for everybody! Every person can become a child of God, forgiven by the grace of Jesus Christ. There’s not a person you have ever met or will ever meet that is beyond this invitation. And that truth is a vital premise of Jesus’ words to us today.

I’m not sure where it best fits into my message this morning, but I do want to note a significant part of what Jesus said in the Great Commission. His call for us to make disciples of all nations includes the command to “baptize” them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The making of disciples then is characterized by both baptism and instruction. Baptism is not something the follower of Christ is to take casually. It’s not something to which we can be indifferent.

The New Testament can barely conceive of a disciple who is not baptized. Baptism is a sign of entrance into Christ’s covenant community as well as a pledge of submission to His Lordship over our lives. Baptism is a blessing to which every follower of Jesus is invited. It’s the outward sign of the inner work of God’s redemption—something every follower of Christ finds delight in. And while we don’t believe that we are saved by the act of baptism, it is certainly considered by Jesus to be a significant step for every person who experiences the redemption of their lives by the love and grace of Christ. I guess my question then would be: Why would any genuine follower of Jesus not want to be baptized? Why would we not want to embrace this simple act by which we symbolize the wonderful grace of God we’ve experienced and by which we declare our humble submission to His Lordship? Why?

I’m guessing that if we were to go through this sanctuary this morning and ask who has been baptized, we would discover quite a few who have never taken this step. You may have reasons that seem rational to you, but again I need to ask you, “Why would any genuine follower of Jesus not want to be baptized?” And recognizing that we’re going to have a baptismal service in a just a few weeks, may I suggest to those of you who fall into that category that now would be a marvelous time for you to make that significant step in your spiritual journey! Besides all the other things I’ve just mentioned, it is a wonderful testimony of the breadth of God’s mercy and grace—that every person can become a follower of Jesus.

Based on that premise that every person has the opportunity to become a follower of Jesus, now let me talk with you about the calling we find in the Great Commission—the calling for each of us to “go and make disciples of all nations…” The Great Commission was given to us all. It’s not okay for us to simply assume that someone else is going to do this! It’s not okay to relegate this to the pastor, or to gifted personal evangelists, or those we see as super Christians. God has called you to be part of this Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations! Somehow, we each need to grasp God’s desire and expectation for us to play a part in His effort to save the lost!

I might draw to your attention our church’s long-range plan that commits us to both a Great Commission and a Great Commandment lifestyle, embracing God’s desire for people of all ages to receive Christ as Savior. While the Great Commission comes from the passage we read earlier, the Great Commandment is a passage we focused on a few weeks ago:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and…Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
It’s simply how we’re to live our lives.

I’m guessing there may be those of you who are wondering why I’m not putting this in the context of spiritual gifts—our understanding that God equips each of us in unique ways to be part of His work in our world. And that’s true. I understand that there are those who are particularly gifted by God in reaching people for Jesus Christ—people like Dr. Chic Shaver, who I mentioned a few minutes ago. And I understand that we all must do our part—the part God has uniquely gifted us to do—in order for the Church to function most effectively. And all that’s true. But we all must share in this Great Commission endeavor!

How? We participate in the Great Commission when we’re willing to simply tell others what Jesus Christ has done for us and the difference He continues to make in our lives. We do this kind of sharing in our homes, in our family circles, when we’re going about our work, in our greater circle of friends and with people we get to know in the community.

Some of you have laughed about Cindy and my quickness to tell people that we’re having a grandbaby in January. Why do we tell that? Because it’s exciting! Because it’s good news! And I got to wondering: why, then, wouldn’t we be just as quick to tell others about what Jesus has done for us? Some of you are quick to talk about the Boise State game or your latest project or your most recent bargain or the funny thing your child did this week or the worst thing that happened to you this week. Why would we not be as open to talk about the difference Jesus has makes in our lives?

There are many ways we can participate in the Great Commission effort—
• We participate in the Great Commission when we’re open about our faith—not just our church life.
• We participate in the Great Commission when we’re willing to be involved in ministries to children and teens—and when we do so with an openness and willingness to share with them what Christ has done for us.
• We participate in the Great Commission when we visit those in jails and prisons, offering the hope that Christ offers to each of us.
• We participate in the Great Commission when we share with those struggling beneath the loads of life the encouragement and help our relationship with Christ brings. Some of you are natural listeners and encouragers whom other people gravitate to.
• We participate in the Great Commission when we support missionary endeavors going on near and far away—though I might add that we need to be careful that we don’t excuse away any responsibility beyond just “throwing money” at missionary endeavors. For some of us that might be the easy way out, and God may be wanting more from us than just that!

And let’s not forget the influence upon others of how we live our lives—Great Commandment style! The witness of our lives speaks volumes to others—and it will either add credibility to our Great Commission efforts or it will detract from it, depending upon how we are indeed living our lives…how we respond to others, whether our words and our actions match up, the attitudes that reveal the condition of our hearts.

And when Jesus spoke of “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you,” He was not talking about mere dogma steeped in abstract theorizing! The “teaching” part sounds pretty simple to me—“teaching them to obey everything” that Jesus has commanded us. In other words, we’re to teach others how we are to live our lives—and may we never forget that the best teaching method is carried out by what we model before others.

And, honestly, can we just admit that this may all seem a bit overwhelming to us! And it’s even more alarming when we realize that our failure to make disciples of others reveals the inadequacy of our own commitment to Christ. Being a disciple of Jesus means that we’re involved in discipling others!

Now, lest we all become so overwhelmed that we just throw in the towel and write it all off as impossible, let’s go to the very last verse that I read earlier—the last verse of Matthew’s Gospel.
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)
There’s a powerful promise that becomes the icing on the cake of the Great Commission—that Christ will be with us always as we are about His great work in this world! Matthew’s Gospel ends, not with a command, but with a promise. It’s the promise of Jesus’ comforting presence, which, if not made explicitly conditional on the disciples’ obedience to the Great Commission, is at least closely tied to it.

David Livingstone was a pioneer medical missionary who is credited with opening the heart of Africa to Christianity back in the first half of the 1800’s. He eventually died in carrying out his mission, but not before he had made a huge impact upon the lives of many. When asked what had sustained him in all the perils of his pilgrimage in Africa, he answered by quoting the promise from the end of Matthew’s Gospel. It is said that when his wife died in Africa, he helped prepare her body for burial, helped make the coffin, helped lower it in the grave, and helped cover it with earth. Then he opened his New Testament and read this text, following it with words to his African friends, “Jesus Christ is too much of a Gentleman not to keep His word; let us get on with the task.”

Such commitment seems almost foreign to many of us—too demanding for us to embrace…and yet the commitment can be made because of the promise Christ has given us—“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Let’s just admit that the kind of commitment Christ calls for from each of us is counter-culture in our world—it always has been, if that makes you feel any better! The conflicting message to this Great Commission that is propagated today is that we can all believe whatever we want to believe and that it’s all equally valid. We know that’s not true, for it’s surely not what Christ taught and it’s surely not what Scripture teaches. But if we determine to go counter-culture in embracing the Truth Christ taught, then we’re going to need God’s abiding Presence day by day in order to live it out! And the Good News is that God has promised that very thing—to be with us to the very end of the age!

Matthew’s Gospel ends with the expressed expectation of Jesus that we His people will continue His redemptive work in this world. We are to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ! And in a unique kind of way, the Gospel of Matthew is not a closed book, for the final chapter is being written even now in the “going” and teaching efforts of Jesus’ disciples today. In that sense, we are part of the writing of the 29th chapter of Matthew!

I’ve been trying to think through where this Great Commission work begins in our lives—and how God’s Spirit nurtures it and how we can feed it. And I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Certainly it finds it foundation and motivation in our love for God—our “passion for God,” if you will. But when we look at the big picture, it’s perhaps our compassion for people and the awareness of their lostness that will stir us into action.

And it seemed to me that if I, as your pastor, could get you to begin to pray for the salvation of at least a few specific individuals, that God will then guide you regarding your role in helping them to see their need for Jesus. That’s why we’ve put two cards in your bulletins this morning—one for you to keep as a reminder for you to pray and the other for you to lay upon this altar, signifying your commitment to the Lord to pray for these individuals, and also giving to me and to our staff the names of people for whom we can join you in prayer…

Pastor Paul’s Blog

This past Friday I was privileged to have one of those “father” experiences that I will never, ever forget. It actually began on Thursday morning when I received a call in the middle of the day from my oldest daughter Emily(16). “Dad, I’m the princess” came the excited voice on the other end of the line. My heart nearly burst with pride. But that wasn’t all; she wanted me, her father, to escort her onto the field. I was instantly updating my facebook status and telling everyone I came in contact with, “My daughter is the Junior Class Princess for her high school’s homecoming.” Wow! What an exhilarating feeling. The fact of the matter is I’m married to a princess and have another 14 year old prince and 10 year old princess living in my home. God has truly blessed me beyond what I would have ever imagined.

This all got me to thinking about a devotional that we Upwards coaches were asked to share in our practices last year. The main point of it being that; if God had a wallet your picture would be in it. In today’s culture, it may be more fitting to say that if God had an iphone or a blackberry your picture would be on it. And I don’t mean that your picture would be in some file somewhere on his cell phone, but it would be the picture that shows up every time he looks at his phone, or anytime he opens his wallet. You are His princess! You are His prince! Take a moment and let that sink in. If you were to look at God’s status on facebook it would simply say “I Love You!” If you were following him on twitter you would constantly get the update “I Love (insert your name here).”

This past week in our small group we were discussing the minor prophet Zephaniah. About 2 years ago I discovered one of my new favorite verses in the Bible and it is found in Zephaniah of all places. Let these words sink in. “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17. As a music minister the last part of that verse really gets me, “ . . he will rejoice over you with singing.” Really?, the Lord himself loves me so much He’s singing over me? Amazing!! Take a moment and let His love amaze you. Stop for just a minute and think about how much he loves you. Romans 8:17 proclaims “Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,” If you have received Christ you are a child of the King. You are loved.

09-13-2009 Pastor Tim Pusey

GROW UP!
Colossians 2:6-8

One of the greatest joys that Cindy and I have experienced in life has been the privilege of raising three children. Having gone through a season when we feared we might not be able to have children, we were so thrilled when Cindy became pregnant with our first child and ecstatic when our son Justin was born! And then our blessings seemed to quickly multiply when, 20 months later, our twin daughters, Krista and Kara, were born.

You know, I think we’ve enjoyed every stage of our kids’ lives.
• They didn’t stay babies long—which was a good thing, because we had far too many diapers to change for a while there!
• It wasn’t long before they had their first day at kindergarten, and we enjoyed their elementary years! Our lives were full as our kids carved their way through schoolwork and ballgames and music lessons and church activities and summer camps and family vacations. We had a blast!
• And before we knew it their teen years had arrived and life seemed busier than ever—and they weren’t as anxious to have us at teen camps as they had been to have us at children’s camps, and they went away on mission trips, and they started driving and it seemed that they spent a lot of time with friends on Friday and Saturday evenings. And it seemed like we were watching them grow up before our very eyes—and we shared a lot of laughter and a lot of good times through those years.
• And it wasn’t long before Cindy and I found ourselves saying tearful goodbyes as we turned and walked away, leaving them to begin their college days on campuses far away from home. We’d look forward to holidays and spring breaks and summer-times when they’d be home again—and our house was always more full of joy when they were around!
• We made it through the college days and then have enjoyed watching as they’ve launched into careers and married life partners and now are beginning to have children!
I guess the fun has only begun!

Sure, there are melancholic moments when we long for “the good old days,” but, honestly, it would have been disappointing if our kids had had the capacity to grow up and didn’t! We have cherished memories of their childhood days, but we’ve known all along that it’s God’s design for children to grow up—for children to emerge into adulthood!

In the evangelical church world, we have made much of the point at which people accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—and are, as scripture called it, “born again.” Jesus spoke of the miracle of the new spiritual birth—when we become “new creatures in Christ.” It’s a great moment when, by faith, we accept God’s forgiveness of our sins and when we launch into a great journey of faith. Paul described it in 2 Corinthians 5:17 in this way—
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
And just as we marvel at the newborn baby, we rejoice in the life of the new believer in Christ! The day we make our first steps as a true follower of Jesus Christ is a significant day indeed!

But just as God designed for children to grow up and become adults, so He has designed that we “grow up” in our faith, too—and reach toward maturity as Christians. Scripture speaks of this in many ways. The Apostle Paul often wrote of it, challenging the new believers to grow spiritually.

I particularly want us to look at a passage from the pen of Paul found in the book of Colossians. Paul was in prison far away in Rome. Epaphras had gotten word to Paul about the crisis of faith and practice with which the Colossians were wrestling. This quickened Paul’s mind and his heart ached for them. His letter to them went far beyond the sentiments of, “I’ve been thinking about you.” This is a letter reflecting deep intercession—energy-consuming and emotionally-draining intercession, the kind of praying that is a channel for the mysterious but awesome working of God in people’s lives.

What was Paul praying for? Paul was praying for the Christians in Colosse to grow up spiritually—and allow the Lord to develop mature characteristics of increasing Christlikeness in their lives. What we read in Colossians is Paul’s heart-cry for their spiritual development. Look with me at the beginning of chapter one and let me quickly take you through it—
COL 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints– 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth…
COL 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins…
COL 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation– 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel…
COL 2:1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now look with me at Colossians 2, verses 6-8—

Let’s look at another passage from Paul’s writings. It’s in Ephesians 4—
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work… (Ephesians 4:11-16)

And let’s bring one other image to the table, as we consider the words of Peter in 1 Peter 2—
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3)

May I put this all in the context of the long-range plan of our church? We have embraced as our mission—
PASSION FOR GOD
COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE
We have understood that we are to carry out that mission from the blessed vantage point of together being Christ’s Church and, as a united body of believers, we are sent out into the world to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with those who do not know Him. One important dimension of this whole picture is the challenge of—
DISCIPLING
We as a church have accepted the challenge to develop ministries by which we teach, train and model growth in Christlikeness in each of our lives. We understand that “Christlikeness” is the essence of “holiness” and that God has called each of us to live holy lives. We also recognize that, on our own, we’re incapable of living up to that standard—but, by the grace and power of the Lord poured out over the lives of the fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit works in powerful ways within us to mold and shape us to be more and more like Jesus. It’s a journey that won’t be completed until this life is over and we’ve come into the Presence of the Lord where we will be forever—but it’s a journey to which we must commit ourselves throughout the days of our lives. We are “to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in [our] faith.” We are to grow up spiritually!

What does it mean to grow up spiritually? I suppose simply speaking, we’re not to keep acting like children! I will confess that there have been many times as a pastor that I’ve observed some of the conflicts and struggles with which people were engaged and have wished for them to simply “grow up” spiritually—knowing that their lack of spiritual maturity was the source of their problems and the problems they were creating. Growing up spiritually impacts our attitudes and our actions; it shapes our whole perspective on life—just as the eyes of adulthood bring a whole different perspective to things that seemed so important to us when we were children.

I read something in my personal devotions this past week that hit the nail on the head in this matter. I had read from Luke chapter 6 the words of Jesus—
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. (Luke 6:20-22)
Then I read the words of Rick Warren reflecting on this passage—
God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. (Rick Warren)
Warren went on to say that God wants us to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. God wants us to develop the kind of character described in the beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of Spirit, Paul’s great chapter on love and other New Testament lists of the characteristics of an effective and productive life. Every time we forget that character is one of God’s purposes for our lives, we become frustrated by our circumstances. We get to wondering, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” And what Rick Warren was reminding me—and now us—is that one significant answer to those gut-wrenching questions is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what makes us to grow.

It is not nor was it ever God’s plan for us to remain immature in our faith. Our son is now a key figure in managing a fairly large hospital in Palmdale, California. He’s had to grow up in order to handle the responsibilities that he now has. Just as our kids have needed to grow up in order to carry out the challenges in life that are now before them, so it’s vital for the child of God to grow up in matters of faith so that we are not shaken and destroyed by the circumstances and challenges of life—so that we’re able to handle life effectively, reflecting the light and the love of Jesus as we do. And we have a responsibility within the church family to prompt and nurture and encourage that kind of “growing up” in all of our lives!

There are those who assume they’re mature in their faith simply because they’ve been Christians a long time. I don’t think we can back up that assumption scripturally. In fact, it would seem to me that much of the New Testament is written at correcting such a false assumption and the problems that had arisen in the Early Church because of people who assumed they were mature in their faith and weren’t! What we’re all called to do is to humbly submit ourselves to the Lord and to His continual work in our lives so that we in ever-increasing ways reflect His holy character in and through our lives. We dare not become smug or overly comfortable with where we are, but recognize the further work that God has to do in us—and allow God to stretch us toward that, regardless of how painful that process may seem at times.

In the Colossians passage, Paul deals with the matter of distractions along the way—
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

Karl Valletin of Munich, Germany, was a master among the performing artists we call clowns. The scene for which he is best remembered took place on a darkened stage illumined only by a solitary circle of light. Valletin, with long-drawn face and deeply worried expression, walks around and around this circle of light, desperately looking for something. A policeman enters the scene and asks, “What have you lost?” “The key to my house,” replies the clown. The policeman then joins the search, but they find nothing. After a while the policeman inquires, “Are you sure that you lost it here?” “No,” says the clown, pointing to a dark corner of the stage, “over there.” “Then why on earth are you looking for it here?” asks the policeman. The reply was simply, “There is no light over there.”

Here’s a great lesson taught to us by none less than a clown. The clown’s scene is a picture of the snare in which we become entangled. We go to whatever promise of light is available. Not unlike the Colossians, we respond to explanations that appeal to rational thought, to offers of salvation that put us and our efforts in the center, to any philosophy that defines clearly and closes all the gaps of mystery. So Paul gave us strong warning here not to be drawn into the deception of hollow philosophies depending on human tradition. And what I believe he is most saying to us is this: the secret to life is in a Person, not in philosophy—and that person is Jesus Christ. The solution to our greatest challenges in life are found not within ourselves—not within our human capabilities—but the solution is found in Christ. Paul said,
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught… (Colossians 2:6-7)

As important as knowledge is, knowledge is not the answer to meaning in life! We can’t think our way through to reality. An experiential relationship with Jesus Christ is the foundation for the Christian life. This doesn’t mean that we can be sloppy in our thinking and our reason—for God gave us minds and He expects us to use them, and we must use them if we’re going to communicate the Gospel to a huge segment of the world today. But right thinking doesn’t make us holy—it’s only by the grace of God that we can ever responsibly respond to God’s call for us to live holy lives. Paul isn’t demeaning philosophy or learning or intellectual growth—he’s simply warning us against putting human reason above God’s desire to cultivate true Christlikeness in our lives and specifically in our character.

We find our purpose and meaning “in Christ”—in Christ alone. And honestly, my own experience has been that it was those times when I came to the end of myself and the end of my own resources that I discovered the mysterious sufficiency of simply being “in Christ.” It seems like that’s somehow when we get ourselves out of the way and humbly recognize how much we still need the powerful hand of the Lord to work in us! And it’s only “in Christ” that we experience inner peace. And, amazingly enough, those are the times to which we can look back and see most clearly the development of Christlikeness in our lives as we go through the growing pains of maturing spiritually.

Do you remember that Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). Wasn’t Jesus proclaiming for all who will hear that He is all that we’ll ever need in life? Wasn’t He trying to help us understand that we find our fulfillment and our peace and our purpose in Him—in Him alone?

This morning, we have the opportunity to share in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper—in which Jesus took bread and broke it and gave it to His disciples to eat, saying, “This is my body which is broken for you.” Don’t you suppose that their minds went back to His words, “I am the bread of life”?

May I remind you as you prepare your hearts and minds for communion that just as we received Christ Jesus as Lord, we are to continue our lives in Him. As we become firmly established in Him, we are to grow up in matters of faith and trust, learning to depend upon Him more and more…

Pastor Tim’s Blog

THE BLESSINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

I’ve been caught up today in my awareness of the many blessings God has brought into my life as I have served Him. Admittedly, there are some days when I could as easily get caught up in how hard it is to live the Christian life…but we’ll save that for another blog! There’s an old song (admittedly only old people know old songs!) that proclaims, “It pays to serve Jesus; it pays every day. It pays every step of the way.” And you know what? It really does! My grandparents and the other old saints of the church used to tell us that—now I know from experience that it’s true!

Sometimes I consider briefly where I’d be if it wasn’t for the Lord in my life. I don’t think about it long or hard, because it’s too painful! But long ago, God forgave my childish sins and welcomed me into his family as His son. It’s been a great journey, overflowing with one blessing in life after another! Despite my human frailties (and the fact that I’ve occasionally messed things up), God has been so gracious to me—the perfect Heavenly Father!

I’ve been reminded today of several blessings via email. The Lord brought an old saint to my mind early this morning as I was driving to the church. I hadn’t heard from him in a while, and I got to wondering if he was doing okay. When I got to the office, I had an email from him—and he explained some major transitions going on in their lives right now. It explained the long silence. I felt compelled to reply to his email and tell him what a blessing he’s been in my life.

Then later this morning I took a few minutes to respond to an email full of questions from a young friend of mine. He and my son were buddies during their junior high and high school years. I hadn’t had any contact with him in nearly ten years. He was a good Lutheran kid from a nice family—and, to my amazement, I recently learned that he’s now a seminary grad looking for a church where he can serve. He came to know the Lord in a personal way during his college days at Ohio State and responded to God’s call into ministry. I had no idea! It’s such a blessing to learn how the Lord has been at work in his life!

Every day brings new blessings! Scripture says that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning–
”Great is your faithfulness!” Oh, yea…there are challenges along the way too, but God’s been there all along to help us make our way through those. Giving my heart and my life to the Lord was the best decision I ever made in life. It really does pay to serve the Lord!

Pastor Tim Pusey

September 6, 2009 Pastor Tim Pusey

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Matthew 22:34-40

The word “worship” has taken on all kinds of new meanings and connotations in recent years. And while I understand that it’s generally been in the effort to make the worship experience more meaningful to people—which is a lofty goal—I fear it has too often moved the target of our worship away from the Lord and onto the pleasing of people. It hit me this week that we have turned the word “worship” from being a verb to being an adjective—from “we worship God” to things like “worship pastor,” “worship center” and even “worship wars.” Sometimes I wonder if the Lord isn’t shaking His head in amazement that we humans have taken yet one more thing and messed it up! Other times I’m convinced that God’s just downright brokenhearted over us missing the point altogether and maybe even angry that we still don’t “get it”!

This morning I want us to narrow in on just what “worship” is about. We’re going to do that in the context of this being the first in a series of five sermons built around our mission as a church. Our “mission” is why we exist. It’s what we are about—continually, always! It’s our reason for existence! It’s that which motivates us and keeps us on track!

Turn in your Bibles to Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 22. Here we have an interesting scene from the life and ministry of Jesus—part of the teaching that He did in His final days. Jesus was under attack from the Jewish religious leaders who clearly didn’t like him and clearly felt threatened by Jesus’ popularity among the people. While there were two schools of thought—Pharisees and Sadducees—who normally didn’t agree on much, the one thing they seemed to unite around was their efforts in trying to get rid of Jesus. Jesus had just won a round with some Sadducees, so the Pharisees got together to try to come at Him from yet another angle. That’s what prompted what Jesus said in these verses. Let’s begin reading at Matthew 22, verse 34—
[Read Matthew 22:34-40, NIV]
I like how the paraphrase of scripture called The Message says that these two commandments are the pegs on which everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hang. So, if we want to get at the heart of what the follower of Jesus Christ is to be about, this is it!

This is one of those times when I wish we had an audio recording from New Testament times so we could hear the tone of voice of the Pharisee who posed the question to Jesus that day. Because we don’t know what his tone of voice was, it’s hard to figure out if he was coming to Jesus out of respect or sarcasm. It would seem most likely that the Pharisee approached Jesus with a bit of arrogance and sarcasm, for they clearly did not see Jesus on par with them—and it bugged the daylights out of them that crowds of people were following Jesus around and hanging on every word He said!

In responding to this good Jew, Jesus referred back to that which was incredibly significant to the Jewish people—what is called the “Shema.” Jesus quoted part of the Jewish confession of faith that is recited by pious Jews every morning and evening—from a few key passages in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). Its message is clear: God is to be loved completely and totally because He—and He alone—is God and because He has made a covenant of love with His people. In this covenant, God gives Himself totally in love to His people; therefore He expects His people to give themselves totally in love to Him—“with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

And then Jesus brought the other critical component together with the first—“Love your neighbor as yourself.” He was saying again that love for others is a natural and logical outgrowth from our love of God. These two commandments belong together. They really can’t be separated.

My premise this morning is that we are called first and foremost to get the core of our lives right—centered on God. That’s where we must always begin—centering in on God in worship. That’s why we encourage our people to start each week off right—in worship—on the first day of the week!

By the way, I’m calling this series “Our Best Life Now.” Some of you will recognize that our title sounds a lot like a similar title by popular author and preacher named Joel Osteen. And while I don’t agree with everything he says and while I know I can’t physically smile as big a smile as the guy always seems to have on his face, I do like the idea that God’s ways are the pathway for us to experience life—here and now—at its best! But I also want to emphasize the “corporateness” of this journey—“Our Best Life Now”—that God has called us to journey together, that it’s by His design, and that we experience life at its best when we’re in relationship with one another, sharing in God’s mission in our world today!

The words of Jesus to us today are the words from which flows our church’s mission statement:
Passion for God
Compassion for People
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”—that’s our “Passion for God.” And “Love your neighbor as yourself”—that our “Compassion for People.”

About a year ago, our church leaders set out to flesh out what it will mean for us to live out our Mission in these next few years. While we ended up setting our sights on some specific actions to which we’ve committed, along the way we came upon some primary concepts which helped us get handles on how we were going to live out our mission in the world today. The longer we looked at it, the more we gravitated toward a quadrant model that helps us visualize what we’re to be about—

We recognized that we are called to live out our Passion for God and our Compassion for People both among ourselves as a church family but also out in the world.
• Our Passion for God within the church family is Discipling—teaching, training and modeling growth in Christlikeness.
• Our Passion for God beyond the walls of this church is Evangelizing—embracing God’s desire for people of all ages to receive Christ as Savior.
• Our Compassion for People within the church family is Caring—fostering the biblical model of love and support for one another.
• Our Compassion for People beyond our church is Serving—letting our lights shine in our community and around the world by serving the needs of people.

But if that was the whole of what we did, it would be pretty shallow, for what’s missing is the motivation and heart for doing those things. At the center of our model is the matter of Worship. Worship occupies the center of our quadrant because it’s at the core, the heart, of all we do. We are called upon to “Love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] mind.” When we get things right at the center, then it bursts outward in acts of love and compassion for others, in discipling, evangelizing, caring and serving.

Failing to get things right at the center is to miss the whole point of everything altogether. Even if we tried to carry out that which flows from the center, it would miss the heart of what’s at the center and would in no way be as effective. It would be like inviting a bunch of people to your home for a special meal and getting so sidetracked with the decorations that you forgot to fix the food! It would be like a football team practicing and preparing for the big game and then running aimlessly when they got out on the field. It would be like a couple getting all caught up in the big preparations for their wedding day and totally neglecting one another and their relationship in the process. We’ve got to get things right at the core of what we’re doing!

As Christians, we embrace the call to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. That’s why we do the rest of what we do! We don’t do what we do in order to earn God’s favor or His blessings. We don’t do what we do just in order to be “good people.” We don’t do what we do in order to draw attention to ourselves. At its best, what we do flows out of our total worship of the Lord—our commitment to Him and our determination to honor Him in all that we do! It’s so important that we keep coming back to that!

Otherwise, it’s awful easy to get distracted and to head down the wrong path.
• If we think we’re discipling or evangelizing or caring or serving in order to get God’s blessing for ourselves, then we get angry at God when things don’t work out for us as we thought they were supposed to. What’s motivating us is the hope of getting something for ourselves—and God wants us to be motivated by a pure and total love for Him.
• If we’re doing what we’re doing in some vain attempt to impress others at how good we are—or even if we become somehow enamored with others thinking well of us—then we lose the power and the force of what we’re to be doing in partnership with God and we fail to be effective.

The story is told of a dog-food company whose sales were wavering long before the economy hit the doldrums. Their new line of dog-food had been marketed in the spotlight and they’d spent millions of dollars getting the word out on their new product. But the dog-food wasn’t selling. The management had long and tedious meetings trying to figure out why their dog-food wasn’t selling. Heads began to roll as the marketing and sales people were called to account for their apparent ineptness. The president and the executive board of the company were pulling their hair out, trying to figure out what was wrong. Finally a rather meek but brave young salesman spoke up and said what others had been afraid to say. He told them simply, “Dogs don’t like our dog-food.” You see, they had missed the point of what they were doing. They had gotten sidetracked into big business and forgotten that what was to stir their business was simply providing appealing and nutritional food to dogs!

As a church, we can build a beautiful building and run weekly programs and hire staff and even draw big crowds on Sunday—but if we miss the point of why we exist and do what we do out of any motivation other than a true love for God with all our hearts, souls and minds, then all of what we do can never accomplish what God wants for us to accomplish—and the true needs of people will go unmet.

Let me bring two other passages of scripture before us this morning. The first comes from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, chapter 10—
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

And I believe this is what God would say to teenagers and children today who are trying to figure out this whole Christianity thing. And I believe it’s what He’d say to young adults who are trying to get handles on their whole personal faith as they are making their way in a world that seems so far from what we speak of as God’s intent in our world. I believe it’s what He’d say to those of you who are consumed with problems and challenges in your daily lives, often physically and emotionally depleted in putting one foot before the other day after day. I also believe it’s what He’d say to those who are experiencing great success in all their human endeavors right now, especially if all their accomplishments are still missing the point of why God created them to begin with. I believe it’s what He’d say to those of you who are trying your very best to live lives that please and honor God.
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)
It’s what is at the core of God’s plan for us and our mission in this world!

And the other passage that seems to relate to this is found in Romans 12:1-2—a passage that has meant much to me for many years.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2)
In these words, the Apostle Paul makes clear what worship is. It’s not merely going through the motions of a worship service—as important as that can be to us. The heart of worship is offering our total selves to God—loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s the heart of worship! It’s about surrender to the Lord. Worship that’s done to please us misses the point! Worship is our effort to honor God.

And, as Jesus made clear in the words we first read from His teachings in Matthew 22, true love for God—true worship of God—springs forth in genuine love for others, expressed in genuine acts of love and care for one another, in serving the real needs of people (wherever they are), caring enough about people to bring them to the Savior who can address their deepest need for forgiveness, and loving them enough that we walk with them as they become established in their faith. Love for God and love for others go hand in hand. Jesus said it’s hard to separate them. But let us never forget that we’ve got to get first things first—we must first center our attention on loving God with our total selves!

So, having said all of that…what is worship? It’s the act of centering our lives on Him, making Him our foundation and embracing His template for how we are going to live our lives. Worship has nothing to do with pleasing people. I get so frustrated when we make the concept of worship consumer-oriented, as if worship is designed to please me. Some of the nastiest and most vicious battles in the church have revolved around our concept of worship—and surely God is grieved that we’re so missing the point! Who would have figured that we could take the vest best of things and make it into a tool of the Enemy?!

Worship styles have become the most divisive issue in the church—and people flit around from church to church trying to find a worship style that fits them. Could it be that worship has nothing to do with styles fitting people but that worship is far more about us learning to please God? Could it be that people need to quit flitting around trying to find the perfect church and rather determine to honor God wherever it is that He plants them?

I understand that we’re all different and we all have our favorite way of doing things. I understand that there are many different approaches to authentic worship, and that driven purely by our own personalities and life experiences that we may be drawn to different approaches to worship. But the American Church today seems to have let our differences get way out of hand! And while I desire that what we do when we gather together to worship on Sunday mornings be effective in drawing others into the experience of worship, I always want to make sure that ultimately what we do honors and pleases God—and if we let the tools of worship be instruments of division, then it seems to me that somehow we miss the point of worship altogether!

So…what am I saying? I’m saying that we need to get first things first—in our personal lives as well as in our life together. And I’m saying that what must be at the center of all we do—at the core, first and foremost in our lives—is our love for God. And it must be a “total love” for Him—with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind! Everything else we do as individuals and as a church must flow out from that which is at the center!

And regardless of what distractions come our way, we’ve got to keep first things first. The cares of life easily distract us from what is at the core of our lives—and we dare not give the cares of life that power over us! Our best way of dealing with the cares of life is to keep first things first—keep our love and devotion to God at the core of all we do!

We sometimes get so caught up in doing the right things—in caring for others, and serving them and even reaching out to them in hopes of drawing them to Jesus—that we neglect the core of our lives, our love for the God who cares for us all. I suppose this is where hard-working church-folk can get distracted—in trying so hard to do all the right things and the expected things that we somehow forget along the way why we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place. Then we get worn out and frazzled and lose heart in serving. Sometimes we get frustrated when others don’t agree with our way of carrying it out, or when we don’t get the recognition or affirmation we long for and think we deserve. May I encourage all of us to make sure we keep first things first—at the center of all we do?!

God wants us to throw our whole lives into our worship of Him—to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength! And, because of our consuming love for Him, He wants that love to spring outward then in loving others, but without ever forgetting what’s at the core!

So, when we come together for worship, as Scripture encourages us to do, I hope you’ll sing your heart out when we sing—even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket! The Psalmist said, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!” Let’s throw ourselves totally into worshipping God and honoring Him. Make He help us to keep that central in all that we do! And then, as we’ll be exploring in upcoming weeks, let’s allow our love for the Lord to burst out in love and care for others—a Passion for God that truly stirs Compassion for People.

Pastor Tyler’s Blog

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Do you ever remember playing that childhood game, Follow the Leader? It was a simple game where you would pick the leader, line up behind the leader and do whatever the leader did. The game never lasted very long when I played it. Seemed there would come a point in the game that those following would get tired of following and want to become the new leader. Of course the leader never wanted to relinquish that role and sure enough fighting would take place and the game would end with everyone wanting to be the leader and no one wanting to follow.

Isn’t it amazing that as much as we strive to become the leader we do a lot of following? For example, we’ll follow a football team as a fan; we’ll follow along with the characters in our favorite tv show; we follow a hostess as she takes us to our table; we become followers of our friends on twitter or facebook; we follow hygiene expectations; we follow directions; we follow a calendar, and I’m sure there’s more examples of the many ways we become followers. Yet, there is something innate in us that calls us to handle things ourselves; something that calls us to take charge and manage our own circumstances and life.

We want to make our own decisions, set forth our plans, make a name for our self, and become our own bosses. We want to be able to take care of our self. We want to be unique and individual, yet in our efforts to become those unique individuals, we manage to become just like everyone else in the pursuit of ONE-ness.

I often wonder if the reason we don’t like to follow, is that most of the time we don’t trust the person leading us. Think of how often we question our leaders, whether they be in the church or sitting in the white house, or sitting in our own living room? We find reason to doubt and therefore, the only one that can take care of you…is…well you.

If we have learned the habit of questioning our leaders, is it possible we have also allowed ourselves to question the one we have been CALLED to follow? Is it possible we have heard Jesus say, “Come, FOLLOW me,” and yet we find that some of the things He’s asking us to do, don’t make a lot of sense? To become strong, you have to become weak. To become rich, you must become poor. To become great, you have to become small. The list goes on, and yet Jesus said, “I am the WAY.” He says to us, “Follow me. Trust me. Learn to be like me.”

Maybe if we knew for sure where God was leading us, it would make it easier for us to follow? I mean if I’m going to follow after Him, I want to know what the catch is. What do I get? What’s in it for me?

God has been in the habit of calling for followers well before Jesus came to earth. He told Moses, “Follow me to Egypt.” He gave instructions for Noah to build the ark. He told Joshua, “Follow my commands, and you will be blessed.” He gave the command to Abram, “Leave your country and FOLLOW me to a land that I’m going to show you. (Gen 12:1)” Ok, it actually reads, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.” But doesn’t that sound a lot like, “Follow me over here, I want to show you something that I want to give you.”

I would suggest we do a really good job of following for awhile, until it requires us doing something that makes us uncomfortable. Like leaving what’s comfortable, leaving my home, going somewhere foreign, talking to someone I don’t really like, or standing up for my faith.

Jesus said in Luke 14:27, “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” The dictionary defines following as such, “1 : to go, proceed, or come after 2 a : to engage in as a calling or way of life : PURSUE b : to walk or proceed along 3 a : to be or act in accordance with b : to accept as authority : OBEY. We’ve learned to be great followers, but of what? Of whom? Do we really know the direction we’re being led?

Jesus said, In John 10:27, “MY sheep listen to MY voice; I know them and they FOLLOW me.” Do you know His voice? Do you really, truly KNOW His voice? Many of us have become acquainted with Jesus as our personal savior…but is that all we know Him to be? Do we really trust that He can lead us? Are we willing to be led to a destination unknown, simply because we’ve been promised to be taken there? Many of us have committed to following Jesus, is it possible that we find ourselves getting restless with the following and fight for “our turn to lead.” If so, the game of following the Leader, becomes just that, a game.

Pastor Tyler