In a sermon series by Pastor Carter Goolsby of Mechanicsville Christrian Center (the church where I spent the last 17 years prior to coming to Newport News) the concept of community was championed as an essential part of our church experience. For most of us who consider ourselves already part of a local church, talk of community resonates with us because we have experienced the fulfillment that comes from “knowing others and being known, loving others and being loved, celebrating others and being celebrated, and serving others and being served.”
This sermon series not only reminded me why being a committed part of a local faith community is so vital, it also caused me to remember all the years I refused to embrace God and rejected His direction and friendship to guide my existence this side of eternity. In this blog and the next two, I would like to share some of the causes that impeded me from running with open arms and willful heart to a life whose foundation was a relationship with God.
First was, without question, a misunderstanding of God and His intentions towards me. My life revolved around what Rick Warren calls the P’s of life: pleasure, possessions, and prestige. I saw God has as someone who wanted to keep me from pursuing these things which I was convinced held the keys to me feeling fulfilled. My concept of the nature of God was that He represented a lot of rules that would stand in the way of a fun filled life.
One of the most telling places in the Bible that speaks to the true nature of God is in the first line of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father…” Think of all the ways God could have chosen to be the primary way He wants us to think of Him, like Creator or Ruler. Certainly Father has en element of authority to it but even more importantly it says, “I will always have your best interest at heart.” Father is full of affection and endearing love. Being a father myself, I will always want what is best for my children. So when I sensed God was challenging my focus on the P’s of life, I understood it was not because God sadistically found satisfaction in robbing me of fun. It was not because He existed to enforce rules for the reason of depleting the fun tanks of people’s lives! His father’s heart longed for me to experience life to the fullest, and He wanted to teach me that my treasures were misplaced thus robbing me of the fulfillment I was seeking.
Now that my perception of God was changing, I realized my preoccupation with the P’s of life was not something to be defended and protected if it stood in the way of my relationship with God growing deeper. This is not to say that all pleasure, possessions, and even prestige are bad. They should just be pursuits in the context of God’s value system. For example, there is certainly physical pleasure in marriage. Possessions also enable us to care for ourselves and even serve others. Prestige can be important when we use our influence to advance noble causes and aid others. These are just a few examples of how the P’s of life can be good things. But when they become our only things, our primary pursuits, or life’s preoccupation, they displace the one thing that God teaches us leads to ultimate fulfillment – intimacy with Him.
Think of a life that only enables us to see in black and white and only in one dimension, no color or depth. Then, one day, depth and color come to your view! What a change!! God wants us to truly know the feeling of ultimate fulfillment. Any instruction, direction, correction, challenges that we sense from Him through prayer, reading the Bible, or even trusted friends and spiritual leaders, we can be sure that He is not trying to rob us of fun but helping us to fill our lives with both color and depth.
Is your perception of God accurate? When you think of God, what comes to mind? Talk with some friends to see what they think of when God comes to mind. Also, read the 13th chapter of I Corinthians and everywhere you see the word love, insert God instead. And finally, ask God to help you in your understanding of Him.
Pastor Fred Michaux
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Laughter
Do you ever laugh when reading the Bible? I find myself seeing humor in the Bible often; some mornings the Holy Spirit seems to want to begin our day together with laughter. I was recently reading a chapter of Matthew each day from the New International Version and recently came upon chapter ten, and I began to see this comical scene being played out…
MT 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
I could just see Peter, being one of the natural leaders of the group, pulling the rest of disciples together trying desperately to take charge. Have you ever watched The Apprentice on television? Isn’t it just painful when one member of the group steps forward to take charge and their performance makes you blush because you are so embarrassed for them? So, I see Peter rallying the group and saying, “Okay, this is it, we’re going out for the first time on our own, without the Master. We are going to need to pair up so just like when we were little, we’ll count off by 1’s and 2’s.” Then Judas jumps in, “Hey net boy, won’t that just split us up into two groups of six?” Jesus interrupts and regains their attention and pairs them by two’s (according to the gospel of Mark, chapter 6). Then…
MT 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
Peter jumps back in, desperately trying to take charge, “This is what we’ll teach, Rome is on the way out, a revolt is near, get ready, buy some swords, soon we’ll be raising an army that will restore the throne of David! Uh, hold on guys, I think Jesus is saying something…”
7 As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Peter, “Okay, change of plans, the message is something about a heavenly kingdom.” Simon the Zealot, “Darn! Does that mean we can’t buy any swords?” Peter, “Then this is what we’ll do, each of us has a trade. We’ll go into a town, set up shop, practice our trade, build some relationships, and then start talking with them about the kingdom. Wait, Jesus is talking again…”
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons…
Peter, “Did you hear that? Does anyone here have any experience doing these things? Has anyone ever touched a leper? Okay, we’ll worry about that later. Judas, you’re the Treasurer, I’m thinking we’re going to make loads of money doing this. I mean, can you imagine what people will be willing to pay for these services…”
…Freely you have received, freely give.
Peter thinks to himself, “This is getting embarrassing.” Then he says, “Okay, another change in plans. Jesus says we can’t charge anything for our services. So, that means we’re going to have to take a lot of supplies with us. If don’t charge, we won’t have money, if we don’t have money, we can’t purchase anything. Let’s start making a list of everything we’ll need. Phil, you and Bart start making that list…hold on…I think Jesus is trying to get our attention.”
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Peter, “Are you kidding me!” Jesus, “What was that Peter?” Peter, “Uh, nothing Lord, I, I, was talking to James.” Then Peter turns to the group, “Didn’t He just finish saying we are supposed to freely give, so what in the world does He mean about a worker is worth his keep?” Matthew, “Maybe it means we don’t really “charge” for our services but create a tax code that corresponds directly to the benefit each person receives from our work…” Thomas, “That will never work.” Peter, “Wait, Jesus is talking again.”
MT 10:11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. MT 10:17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
Peter, “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this. This is what we’re going to do. Each of us get with the partner that Jesus assigned to us and we’ll each come up with a draft that explains what we are doing so that when we get arrested, we’ll know what to say. Out of the six drafts, we’ll pick the best two…”
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Peter, “Okay, I’m going to sit down now and stop talking.”
Jesus continues His discourse, getting a resounding Amen from Simon the Zealot on many occasions, especially after comments like…
MT 10:34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Find some time to read the rest of Matthew 10, it ends at verse 42. You might just end up laughing a little with the Holy Spirit as you see some other possible “Apprentice” moments in the text. But in the end, you need to know, Jesus isn’t looking to fire any of us. He knows that we are woefully incompetent when it comes to the work of His kingdom. He knows that left to ourselves, we’d all be like Peter, well intended, but forever, impulsively going in the wrong direction, with the wrong message, with the wrong approach. So, He gives us the Helper, the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, our guide, just as Jesus was for the first disciples.
Do you feel like Jesus is asking you to do something for Him? Do you have a sense of Him sending you out in some capacity? Then be patient, listen, be still. Don’t be like the pretend Peter in this journal. Don’t keep interrupting. Let the verses of His instruction flow together. Let the Holy Spirit be your mentor in the things of God, above all else, be His apprentice.
Pastor Fred Michaux
MT 10:1 He called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
I could just see Peter, being one of the natural leaders of the group, pulling the rest of disciples together trying desperately to take charge. Have you ever watched The Apprentice on television? Isn’t it just painful when one member of the group steps forward to take charge and their performance makes you blush because you are so embarrassed for them? So, I see Peter rallying the group and saying, “Okay, this is it, we’re going out for the first time on our own, without the Master. We are going to need to pair up so just like when we were little, we’ll count off by 1’s and 2’s.” Then Judas jumps in, “Hey net boy, won’t that just split us up into two groups of six?” Jesus interrupts and regains their attention and pairs them by two’s (according to the gospel of Mark, chapter 6). Then…
MT 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
Peter jumps back in, desperately trying to take charge, “This is what we’ll teach, Rome is on the way out, a revolt is near, get ready, buy some swords, soon we’ll be raising an army that will restore the throne of David! Uh, hold on guys, I think Jesus is saying something…”
7 As you go, preach this message: `The kingdom of heaven is near.'
Peter, “Okay, change of plans, the message is something about a heavenly kingdom.” Simon the Zealot, “Darn! Does that mean we can’t buy any swords?” Peter, “Then this is what we’ll do, each of us has a trade. We’ll go into a town, set up shop, practice our trade, build some relationships, and then start talking with them about the kingdom. Wait, Jesus is talking again…”
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons…
Peter, “Did you hear that? Does anyone here have any experience doing these things? Has anyone ever touched a leper? Okay, we’ll worry about that later. Judas, you’re the Treasurer, I’m thinking we’re going to make loads of money doing this. I mean, can you imagine what people will be willing to pay for these services…”
…Freely you have received, freely give.
Peter thinks to himself, “This is getting embarrassing.” Then he says, “Okay, another change in plans. Jesus says we can’t charge anything for our services. So, that means we’re going to have to take a lot of supplies with us. If don’t charge, we won’t have money, if we don’t have money, we can’t purchase anything. Let’s start making a list of everything we’ll need. Phil, you and Bart start making that list…hold on…I think Jesus is trying to get our attention.”
9 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10 take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Peter, “Are you kidding me!” Jesus, “What was that Peter?” Peter, “Uh, nothing Lord, I, I, was talking to James.” Then Peter turns to the group, “Didn’t He just finish saying we are supposed to freely give, so what in the world does He mean about a worker is worth his keep?” Matthew, “Maybe it means we don’t really “charge” for our services but create a tax code that corresponds directly to the benefit each person receives from our work…” Thomas, “That will never work.” Peter, “Wait, Jesus is talking again.”
MT 10:11 "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. MT 10:17 "Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
Peter, “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this. This is what we’re going to do. Each of us get with the partner that Jesus assigned to us and we’ll each come up with a draft that explains what we are doing so that when we get arrested, we’ll know what to say. Out of the six drafts, we’ll pick the best two…”
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Peter, “Okay, I’m going to sit down now and stop talking.”
Jesus continues His discourse, getting a resounding Amen from Simon the Zealot on many occasions, especially after comments like…
MT 10:34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Find some time to read the rest of Matthew 10, it ends at verse 42. You might just end up laughing a little with the Holy Spirit as you see some other possible “Apprentice” moments in the text. But in the end, you need to know, Jesus isn’t looking to fire any of us. He knows that we are woefully incompetent when it comes to the work of His kingdom. He knows that left to ourselves, we’d all be like Peter, well intended, but forever, impulsively going in the wrong direction, with the wrong message, with the wrong approach. So, He gives us the Helper, the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, our guide, just as Jesus was for the first disciples.
Do you feel like Jesus is asking you to do something for Him? Do you have a sense of Him sending you out in some capacity? Then be patient, listen, be still. Don’t be like the pretend Peter in this journal. Don’t keep interrupting. Let the verses of His instruction flow together. Let the Holy Spirit be your mentor in the things of God, above all else, be His apprentice.
Pastor Fred Michaux
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