Hub Sunday – “Gifted to Serve”

This week is Hub Sunday. I know many are still wondering what that means because this is only our fourth one and for the second meeting we only met for a few minutes before going out to serve. So, let me provide a brief reminder.

The idea is rooted in a conversation between Roger Martin and I from mid-June. The following week, he used the word, “missions hub,” in a deacon meeting and that got me thinking how we could better promote missions – not just in the sense that we give money to some cause, but in how we are involved, and how we should be involved.

So, at the end of July we had our first Hub Sunday and I talked about these origins and why we would focus on this idea occasionally. I still do not know if it will be monthly long-term, but for now it is.

On Labor Day weekend, we used Hub Sunday as an opportunity to serve people around Fairfax on what we called Labor for the Son Day. I anticipate that is the first annual such day.

At the end of September, we brought out the boards showing various areas we served – in Fairfax, in NW Missouri, in the United States, and around the world. Lord willing, we will continue to add more to these boards over time. As a part of last month’s service, I invited Dr. Jeremy Burright to come and share, as the Superintendent of Fairfax Schools, how we might be able to serve the school. Some interest was generated and we will be determining a date to do some of the interior painting soon.

So, that brings us to today. And today I want to focus on the fact that God has gifted us to serve. I will present a few opportunities for us to consider, but first I want to review a familiar parable. This parable fits well with last week’s message related to the fact that the Spirit has given one or more gifts to every born-again believer as we saw in 1 Corinthians 12. Those gifts, called spiritual gifts, are a gift from God to us so that we may, in turn, give ourselves to Him through our service.

Before I begin to expand on today’s text, let me first read today’s text. The passage is Matthew 25.14-30. Please read Matthew 25.14-30.

The Master’s Journey

The man in the story is a wealthy man. We know this because He has servants and only those with some amount of wealth could afford to have servants. Furthermore, we will see by his gift, how wealthy this man really must be.

However, we must also note that he is a trusting man. Verse 14 says he entrusted his property to these servants. So, this wealthy and trusting man gave a certain amount of his assets to three servants as specified here. One servant received five talents, another two, and another received one. Before I describe a talent, let us understand that this distribution is fair. The Bible does not say this is a father trying to make certain that three of His children get the same portion of a candy bar. These are servants and the reason he gave more to certain servants is because of previous experience. The Bible tells us this – the master gave to each “according to his ability” (v. 15). This practice is good stewardship and, thus, good leadership. I teach this principle all the time. You give people certain responsibilities and as they succeed you give them more responsibility. A responsible adult does not give a 16-year-old $500,000 to do with as s/he pleases. The responsible adult gives a child a little bit of money and see how that amount first. If it is handled well, then more is given. Etc.

And we should be thankful for this because Luke 12.48 says that to whom much is given, much is expected. That verse is the verse I fear the most because I have been given much – and that would be true if I had nothing else but the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. From there, God has given me a beautiful wife, wonderful children, a loving church to serve, opportunities to use my education to benefit others within this country and now abroad. Again, much has been given. Therefore, much is expected.

So, in this text, what has truly been given to these three servants?

The Master’s Gift

In our culture, many will see the word talent and think of something they can do. Perhaps it is an expression of art, or working with certain kinds of tools, or playing sports, etc. But in ancient times, a talent represented a type of currency (in many different cultures). The key for our understanding this parable is to approximate the value of a talent. I know when I look at this story, it is easy to consider that the master gave $5, $2, and $1. If that is the case, what is the big deal?

Well, let me put it in better perspective. A talent of gold or silver weighed between 45-90 pounds. The standard was about 75 pounds, so this is a large amount of precious metal. In modern terms, the value of one talent would be about $16,000 for silver, but over $1.25 million per talent for gold. Those are based upon recent prices of those metals, and that is a large discrepancy in value. But many centuries ago, silver was often more valuable than gold.

Another way we can look at a talent is to consider its value compared to someone’s wages. Many Bible scholars believe the talent to be the equivalent of 20 years wages. But even the most conservative estimates place the value at over $1,000 per talent. So, let’s use 20 years wages. An average salary can be skewed because some people make enormous salaries ranging well into the tens of millions or beyond. So, let’s use the median salary for the US. As of tax year 2014, the median salary was about $40,000 per year. So, based upon that number, this master gave a gift of $4,000,000 to the first servant, $2,000,000 to the second, and $800,000 to the third. Now, we have perspective on why burying the talent in the ground is such a big deal. But let us first look at the rewards given.

Our Reward

The master went away for some unknown, but long, period of time and when he returned, he did not expect the second servant to have as much as the first servant. Nor, did he expect as much from the third servant when compared to the second – suggesting interest would have been something beneficial.

But it is only the first two servants who received a reward. And the primary reward is the same – entry into the joy of the master. (Yes, the first servant also received the talent that the dishonored servant did not steward correctly, but that was not the primary reward.) The latter servant did not receive a promise of joy; rather that man (the text says “him” – v. 28) was cast into outer darkness and would be in a place that knows no joy (with weeping and gnashing of teeth, v. 30).

Our JOURNEY

How does this passage apply to Hub Sunday? If you are a Christian, you have a God-given gift designed to serve His church for the benefit of His Kingdom. And because you have a God-given gift, you have a God-expected responsibility to serve – that is, to use the gift(s) He has given. How do I know? Verse 19 says that the master returned to “settle accounts with them.”

One day our Master will return to settle accounts with us. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3 that many will enter heaven, but will have nothing to show for it. Why will tears be wiped from our eyes in heaven? I think multiple reasons are possible, but one is that we will truly realize how much Jesus did for us. Certainly, that begins with His death on the cross and His resurrection to bring life after death. However, I believe we will also realize how many opportunities He gave us to serve and how little we did in response.

What’s Next? The Challenge

Like the master in the parable, our Master has been away for a long-time on His journey (v. 19). But Jesus is not on vacation. In fact, He is quite busy, as He is currently preparing a place for us (John 14.2-3). The question is: Are we idle in our response? Again, the Christian life is not about waiting to die so we can go to heaven, it is about us bringing a bit of heaven to earth and extending the reign of God across this earth. Or is that not what we pray with the words, “on earth as it is in heaven?”

So, as we consider our journey, let us consider how we might better serve our Lord. Let us recognize the gifts He has given to us. (If you do not know what spiritual gift, let me know and I will give you an item that can help you to begin to discover it.)

Before I close let me mention three final thoughts.

1) Yesterday was a difficult day for many because of Ferd’s funeral. As we do several times per year, our church not only hosted the service, but provided a meal afterward. I know many people were involved in buying and/or preparing items to make that meal possible. But I want to especially thank the four ladies who spent upwards of six, maybe seven hours at the church setting up, preparing, serving, and loving on the family. I can say thank you. But you will have to wait for the real blessing because it is the Master from whom you wish to hear, “Well done.”

2) Let me now mention a couple of opportunities for us to help the BSU in Maryville.

• First, the students in the ministry are holding a coat drive for international students. Some of these students come from warm climates and have no idea what is about to happen related to our weather in northwest Missouri. If you have any lightly worn coats or if you wish to purchase a new coat, that fine too. But in addition to our OCC collection, please feel free to bring any coats you would like to donate and leave them behind the sound booth near the window. We will have another collection box back there for these coats.
• Also, the BSU has been hosting a dinner for college students for years. This dinner is on Monday evenings and they are asking churches to sponsor a Monday evening. I will have to get more details as to how many people are needed to serve and how much food should be prepared, but as a part of our church being a hub for missions, this is a great opportunity for us to partner with another ministry and allow them to make connections that can lead to gospel conversations.

These brief mentions are simply other ways that we can serve. The goal for all of us should be to hear our Master say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

As we fulfill our responsibilities as individuals, we will realize our potential as a church. We have done some, but if we have been faithful with a little, then He will give us more to do. Let us respond, serving Him with the gifts (and talents) that He has given us to become the people and the church He has called us to be – a church that is truly a large church in a small town.

Church in HD: If We Are The Body...

When I was young I was athletic, but I was not highly flexible. I was good at a few sports and excelled at baseball. Additionally, I enjoyed playing most any type of game. (My wife will tell be the first to tell you that has changed!) But one game I never really liked – because I was not flexible was the Twister. You remember Twister, right? The premise was simple – don’t fall over. But the challenge was being able to contort one’s body in all kinds of positions while only allowing your hands or feet to touch the ground. Four colors. Four body parts. Each part would eventually be on a color, and you could only hope you could make the right decision so you could remain off the ground and off one another.

Of course another game involving the body was Operation. Operation was not about contortion it was about hand-eye coordination, having control, overcoming nerves, and keeping a steady hand. If your hand slipped slightly the buzz would startle you. Although an actual electric shock did not affect the player the buzz from the game would make it feel as if you had been shocked.

And for those who were even younger, many children grew up with puzzles to teach them about the parts of the body. 8-10 piece puzzles with the head, the torso, legs, arms, hands, and a foot taught children the basics of how a human body is constructed. And, if they got bored putting the same pieces together all the time, they could mix and match pieces in a fun way on a head shaped like a potato. We will come back to Mr. Potato Head later.

Why do I mention these childhood games? Well, they all have a similar focus – the body. And the Body of Christ is what we will focus on today from Scripture. The concept of the Church as the Body of Christ is a repeated theme in the New Testament. The meaning of this phrase is that we are multiple, yet we are one. And although we are multiple and different as individuals parts, we function best when all parts are doing what they are designed to do.

This series on taking a deeper look at the church has primarily focused on Acts. We began in Acts 2 and have worked our way forward to Acts 6 today with another two weeks to go. But like we did two weeks ago, we are going to move our focus to 1 Corinthians using Acts as our launching point. Two weeks ago we saw the unity in the church from the end of Acts 4 and contrasted that with the division in the church in Corinth even as they came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Just a few sentences later, in what we know as 1 Corinthians 12, Paul continues to address the divisions in Corinth by showing how the church is really one body so to be truly functional is to work with and care for one another. That is our focus today.

One God, Many Gifts, for One Body (1 Corinthians 12.4-11)

1 Corinthians 12 begins with Paul saying he wants the church of Corinth to understand. He then shows that the Trinity is perfectly involved in the development of the church. Regardless of how people are gifted to serve, it is the same Spirit who provides those gifts. Regardless of how people choose to serve, they are serving the same Lord. And regardless of the activities being done, they are being done for God. So, one God has given a variety of gifts, aptitudes, desires, etc. in order for the church to function best. As Paul continued in chapter 14, God is a God of order.

Consider Creation for a moment. God did not make everything the same. He made different types of fauna and flora and He made humans to be different from them all. Why? Because as God created the overall ecosystem, it all works together to serve a singular purpose. Likewise, God provided each of us with different skills, and in this context, giftedness, to serve Him as one united body.

Paul then lists a few of the gifts God has given – wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation. Paul says that all of these gifts are not to be withheld for our own pleasure, but are given by the Spirit, to whom the Spirit wills, for the “common good” (v7). That is, we all benefit when everyone serves according to his/her gifts.

One Body, Many Parts, One Composition. (1 Corinthians 12.12-26)

Paul then elaborates on his point by turning to the human body as an example. If I seem repetitive on this point, notice how repetitive Paul is. One body. Many parts. Many members of one body. Single members collectively as one body. Etc. Paul is speaking to a church that has deep divisions – even factions as he stated in the previous chapter. But the letter starts by talking about the divisions and people choosing to follow different lines of thought. In fact, the wording he used in 1 Corinthians 1 is remarkably similar to how people put signage in their yard at election time. When he says, I follow Apollos or I follow Peter, etc. it is like saying I vote for this candidate or that candidate. The problem was that Apollos, Peter, Paul, etc were not in opposition with one another, but the supposed singular body of Christ had become as divisive toward one another as our current political system is today.

Notice the imagery Paul uses beginning in verse 15. He makes statements that one part of the body does not consider itself a part of the overall body because it is not a certain part. Then in verse 21, he says that one part of the body says to another part, “I do not need you.” We see this as imagery and it is, but the imagery is addressing a very real issue! Remember in 1 Corinthians 11, which we reviewed a couple of weeks ago, some were gathering before the meal to eat their fair share before others arrived – leaving only scraps. Then, in 1 Cor 12.1, Paul begins by saying, “Now concerning spiritual gifts.” What he is doing – as he does in much of this letter to Corinth – is responding to a message he received from the church in Corinth. They had asked him some question related to how people with differing gifts should respond to one another – and Paul is replying.

So, imagine that the letter to Paul may have said something like, “We have people who say they should do this and others who don’t think it is important.” Paul writes back with examples from the human body which show the statement to be absurd. Effectively, Paul is saying that they should consider which part of the body they are willing to live without. Notice what he wrote beginning in verse 22. Read 1 Cor 12.22-24. Some parts of the body are more well known, they are more visible, they may even appear to be more useful. But all parts of a human body are necessary and so it is with the Body of Christ.

Why?

Because God designed the human body as one collective unit (v. 24) and the church is designed the same way.

One Composition, Many Appointments, for One Purpose (1 Corinthians 12.26-31)

Paul concludes this section by challenging them to consider how a body functions. Verse 26 states that all individual parts of the body either rejoice or suffer together. Think about it. You have likely experienced a tingly sensation throughout your body before – perhaps a good tingle from excitement and euphoria, and a bad tingle from anxiety or nerves. The sensation is real, but likely originates in one particular area, yet influences the entire body in that moment. This is the essence of what Paul is stating in verse 26.

He continues by providing a strong reminder of this current theme. NOW, you ARE the Body of Christ – with each of you being one part of it. He is saying that if you truly belong to Christ you need all of the other parts of the body – so care and nurture one another (tying this back to verse 25). He then lists another set of gifts with the idea that not everyone has all of these gifts, because again, as verse 4 and 11 combine to make clear, the single Spirit of God (i.e. no division) gives the gifts He chooses to each person as He wills.

So the purpose of the Body is singular – and that is to do what the head of the body desires – and the head is Christ. And what does Christ desire? Well that is our final point today.

One Purpose. One God. One Love. (1 Corinthians 13.1-13)

The text may be familiar, but imagine you are in Corinth on the day Paul’s letter arrives. Imagine you have never heard these words about love before this moment. And imagine you are hearing these words after just having heard Paul’s words about the gifts and the body. With that mindset, take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 13.

The point Paul is making in the overall context is that it is more than considering how good you think you are or how well you do what you do something. That type of thinking is the “childish ways” (v11). Instead, love is our ultimate purpose. Love is the command of Christ and if we are not loving others, particularly those who are part of the Body, then we gain nothing (v.3). Indeed, we are nothing (v.2). But Jesus did not give His life and call us to be part of His body that would be nothing. Jesus gave His everything so that we could truly be something – and that something is being a functioning member of the Body of Christ.

CONCLUSION

I began this sermon by talking about certain games and puzzles. Of course, childish games and puzzles give way to more complex ones. It is not enough for a medical student to consider the body in eight simple pieces. Rather they must learn the full anatomic structure of the body and how it works together.

But I think one thing that many adults lose as we age is the desire to imagine possibilities. That is why the three-dimensional Mr. Potato head is fun for children. The puzzle pieces fit in different areas that simply will not work for a two-dimensional puzzle where every piece has its defined space. Likewise, sometimes three dimensions is not enough. Twister is a three-dimensional game, but with a little imagination, someone added walls and added a fourth dimension.

A part of being one body is to nurture one another, or as Paul wrote in 1 Cor 12.25 to provide the same care for one another. That care is expressed in general empathy and specific concerns, but it is also expressed in helping others to grow into all that God would have them be even if they are different than you (or do things differently from you).

The JOURNEY letter for this week is: N – NURTURE.

Our verse for Nurture and for the Mission (Equip the Saints) is from Ephesians 4.11-13. This passage is once again about what God gives to His Church for the sake of the body. Let me read all the way through verse 16. (READ Ephesians 4.11-16.) Mature manhood (v13) – represents the body maturing. Jesus as the head (v15) of the body (v16)  joined as one (body) by joints will allow the body to grow and be built up in love (v16). Equipping the Saints for the work of ministry no doubt includes helping each member of the body to reach their potential as an individual member of Christ’s body. But it also requires helping body parts work together in order for the body to function properly as a collective representation of the Body of Christ.

PRINCIPLE: The Bible compares the God’s people to a body. Bodies were made to function and each part is important so the body can function as a whole. As we care for ourselves, let us also care for one another.

QUESTION: What can I do that, if done well, and done for Jesus, can make a difference in this church?

NEXT STEP(S):

• LEARN: Take time this week to determine what your talents, skills, and desires truly are. Knowing how God made you is critical to serving Him to the best of your ability. Even if you have done this before, it is a worthwhile exercise to do again.
• LOVE: Jesus gave us the Great Commandment: Love God, love others (Mark 12.30-31) and the New Commandment: Love one another (John 13.34-35). These are not options if we are truly a part of His body.

Church In HD: That the Christ is Jesus

Today is a Sunday in October. That statement may be obvious to you because at this moment you are sitting in a church building looking at person standing on a platform talking to you while his Bible is open in front of him. But for most people Sunday does not mean sitting within a congregation. According to one study approximately 46% of Americans go to church or synagogue once per month with only 23% saying they go weekly. (1)

23% of Americans equates to approximately 80 million people. For comparison sake, choosing from numbers published this week, over 90 million watched parts or all of just six (6) of last week’s fifteen (15) games in the NFL. (2) Add to that the number of people who watched the playoffs in baseball, college football, etc. and you can see that sports are a big deal for television, which doesn’t even count local school and non-school related sports and leagues.

So, sports dominate over a time of worship. And many people will use excuses to not come to church that they would not use about sports. The following information has cycled through the internet many times, but it does provide a reminder for how shallow some excuses really are.

The reality is we worship what is important to us and we make excuses to avoid what is not important. God knew this, which is why He gave us commandments about worship. In our hearts, we will worship something, but our goal must be to make the object of that worship something truly worthy of worship. For the Christian, the object of worship is not an it, but a who – God Almighty. But that is not just true for the Christian, it is true for mankind in general because we are told that we have been made in His image.

Of all Creation, only man was made in the image of God. Therefore, our goals, our desires, our purpose, and, indeed, our worship, must be toward Him. Indeed, it must be about Him. The point of our life is ultimately not about us – it is about God. Many know this, but it is hard to remain true to it. Yet, we are reminded of this truth in a teaching apparatus used for children since the 17th Century. The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question: What is the chief end of man? The answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

If that is man’s chief end, it is the chief end of the church as well. We are not perfect, but perhaps the story we see today will encourage us to live more like those in the early church.

To Glorify God Is To Obey The Word of God. (Acts 5.17-26)

Acts 5 begins with the story of Ananias and Sapphira being killed for lying to the church. Then, many miracles and wonders are done. But this gets Peter and the other apostles thrown into prison.

But notice what happens. An angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and told them to go stand in the temple and speak about Jesus. I think many in our day would have heard the first part of that statement and gone on their merry way. “Look God has released us, let us go home, watch some TV, and stay out of sight for a few days.” But that is not what the apostles did. Despite the fact that they were out of the frying pan, they were now going to be directly in the fire. Speaking about Jesus in the temple would certainly draw the attention of the religious leaders – the same leaders who had just put the apostles in prison the night before (v 17-18).

So, the next morning, the high priest called together the council and the political leaders of Israel to put the apostles on trial, but the apostles were not in their cells. They soon found them “standing in the temple and teaching the people” (v 25). The apostles were then asked to follow to the trial (notice the guard dared not do it by force for fear of the people (v 26).

Again, if chains were released and doors were open, I think most people today (even Christians) would simply escape to a place where they believed they would be safe from returning to prison. But the apostles heard the message from the angel and did not dismiss it. Rather then seeking safety, they followed God’s command and actually put themselves in harm’s way. That is knowing and trusting God. That is truly bringing God glory.

To Glorify God Is To Speak Truth Regardless of Consequence (Acts 5.27-34)

Beginning in verse 27, the apostles are before the council. Verse 13 says “all” of the apostles were present, but does that mean twelve (now including Mattias), or 120 (as was in the upper room in Acts 2)? We simply do not know for certain. I tend to think it is the lower number, but we have no way of knowing. Likewise, we do not know how many were present in the council. The usual council was 70 members, but verse 21 said members of the senate were present as well. So we can guestimate that upwards of 50 were present, at a minimum. If so, the likelihood is that the apostles on trial were outnumbered by the leaders, perhaps by a 5:1 ration or maybe even greater. In other words, the odds were stacked against them from a human standpoint.

But when the high priest reminded the apostles that they were ordered not to teach about Jesus, Peter responds by answering with a statement which would have everyone in agreement: We must obey God not man (v 29). The problem is that the religious leaders believed they were God’s spokesman, not the uneducated fishermen and others before them.

But Peter continued with a charge against them – it was the leaders who were responsible for Jesus death on the tree (v30). But God! But God raised Jesus. The apostles witnessed it. And all they are doing is telling others what they had witnessed.

Peter spoke more than just some of the truth, he spoke the whole truth and nothing but the truth while he stood on trial. The reaction – the leaders now wanted the apostles dead. At this point, the apostles are taken out of the area so the leaders can discuss what should happen.

Let’s follow two lines of thought here. One we know. The other will cause us to consider our reaction.

What we know is that one of the most respected Pharisees made a case to let the apostles go. The man, Gamaliel, was the man who taught Paul (see for instance Acts 22.3). His argument was that other “great leaders” had come and led others to believe something great but each time they faded away. The same would happen to this new teaching if it was from man, but if it was truly from God, nothing can stop it, and you “might be guilty of opposing God” (Acts 5.39).

Meanwhile, the apostles are waiting. If it was you, what would be going through your mind? When Peter charged these leaders with being responsible for having Jesus crucified, would you find yourself saying, “Peter, shut up! Maybe we can get out of here!” Or would you be saying, “Right, tell ‘em Peter. They need to know what they have done. And they need to know what Jesus did for them through His death.”

Personally, I want to be counted in the second group. But in the moment, what would I have done? What would I do today? Do I allow my speech, and even my worship, to be dictated by my surroundings or by my reverence for God? What about you?

So, to glorify God is to obey God’s word and to speak the truth regardless of circumstance. And finally,...

To Glorify God Is To Fulfill His Purpose For Our Lives (Acts 5.40-42)

The religious leaders called the apostles before them, had them beaten, and said, “No more talking about Jesus!” What was the reaction of the apostles? To praise God for being beaten and continue to proclaim the name of Jesus.

The truth is that we make time for what is important. We talk about what is important. We give to what is important. We can check our calendars, our conversations, our bank statements, and especially our prayers to know what is truly important to us. For instance, we often pray for safety, and I get it. But the disciples were more worried about being bold for Jesus (Acts 4.29) whatever the cost. That is true reverence. That is complete worship.

As we take a high-definition look at our church, we have to ask where we fall short of the biblical standard of worship. Worship is more than singing, praying, teaching, and giving. Worship is knowing God and taking time to be with Him.

Church, do we obey God’s word or do what is comfortable to us? Do we speak His truth or do we cower when opposition is, or might be, present? Do we seek to fulfill our goals or to find God’s purpose in our lives and fulfill it completely? For me, I see a difference in how the apostles lived and how I live. Of course, they were not perfect. And, sometimes, I get it right. But, on the whole, I have no doubts that their degree of faithfulness to Jesus was greater then than mine is now.

Most people today are looking for a God who will satisfy them rather than seeking how they can serve Him. That is true in 2018, but it has been true for decades. Listen to this quote from a book by David Wells written in 1994.

“We have turned to a God we can use rather than a God we must obey; we have turned to a God who will fulfill our need rather than a God before whom we must surrender our rights to ourselves. He is a God for us, for our satisfaction – not because we have learned to think of him in this way through Christ but because we have learned to think of Him this way through the marketplace. Everything is for us, for our pleasure, for our satisfaction, and we have come to assume that it must be so in the church as well.” (3)

If that is our view of God, then it will impact how we see and serve His Church. We must move beyond the idea of a God who serves us in order to ready to be a people who serve God. As I said a few weeks ago, the only thing I have complete control over in this church is me. I must seek to make changes in my life that allow me to better revere God. I must partner with the Holy Spirit to allow God to mold me into the servant He wants me to be. If I do that – if each of us does that – then we will become the church that He desires us to be!

CONCLUSION

The last couple of years the Kansas City Chiefs have started their season 5-0. This year’s team looks to be as exciting of a team as the Chiefs have had in a long time and people are already talking about the Super Bowl. If the Chiefs win the next two weeks, they will be the AFC favorite for the Super Bowl by a large margin. And, when talking about football and television, the Super Bowl is the highest watched event in America each year. In fact, the Super Bowl rates as 19 of the 20 highest rated television events in American television history. The only exception is the series finale of M*A*S*H. (4) And yet, the Super Bowl compares nothing to the football event that happens every four years – the World Cup finale has over 1 billion people watch from all over the world. (5)

Why do I come back to this idea of football and television? Because the Chiefs have a realistic chance of playing in early February next year. And, while I have joked about it in a few prior years, one day I will be faced with the prospect of having church or watching the Chiefs play in the Super Bowl for the first time in my life. (I was four months from being born during Super Bowl IV.)

So, I will state right now that if they Chiefs make the Super Bowl and are set to begin play at about 5:15, I will be at church at 6 pm. Now, that said, last year I considered using the game as a means of outreach to the community, but we had just come back from Kenya. So this year, I am doing further research on this idea to ensure we do not violate any copyright laws. But if we do show the game, and serve food, and engage in some meaningful fellowship, we will pause to make sure that we take time to give glory to God because ultimately nothing else matters.

The JOURNEY letter for this week is: R – REVERE.

Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12.32). He meant that in a literal way – being lifted up from the earth on two pieces of wood and held there by spikes. And He meant that in a literal way, after He rose from the dead and was taken up to be with the Father in the place we call heaven. But He means for us to lift Him up in our lives as well. He wants us to bring Him glory in what we do, in what we say, and in how we live. Like the early apostles, He wants us to bring Him glory in our obedience, our speech, and by fulfilling our calling as a child of God. If we do these things then we will show Him, and the world that we truly revere Him.

PRINCIPLE: Worship is more than coming to church; it involves giving every part of us to Someone greater than us.

QUESTION: What can I do that, if done well, and done for Jesus, can make a difference in this church?

NEXT STEP(S):

• LEARN: Take an honest inventory of your life to determine any areas that you hold for yourself instead of giving to God.
• LIVE: Commit to giving more of yourself to God. Begin to live with an abandonment of self because of a complete trust in God. This can begin to happen by actually doing the answer to the question: What can I do that, if done well, and done for Jesus, can make a difference in this church?
• LOVE: Love God, love others, and love one another (Mark 12.30-31; John 13.34-35). Loving is not always easy, but if we love Jesus, we will obey His commands (John 14.15).
• LEAD: Only one truth can save any of us – knowing that “the Christ is Jesus.” Help others to not only discover this truth, but to embrace it in their lives. They will need an example to follow – so learn to lead them well.

Footnotes:

(1) https://www.statista.com/statistics/245491/church-attendance-of-americans/ - accessed Oct 12, 2018).

(2) http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-nbc-cbs-fox-espn-nfln-regular-season-playoffs/ - accessed Oct 12, 2018).

(3) David Wells, God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994, 114).

(4) (https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/04/how-many-people-watch-super-bowl-viewership-ratings – accessed Oct 12, 2018).

(5) Ibid.

The Church in HD: A Common Bond

One of the greatest privileges we have as a church is to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. But as we take a look at what the Bible says about the Lord’s Supper we see that people made the occasion into something they wanted it to be rather than the purpose for which it was intended.

As we prepare to partake of the Lord’s Supper today, we need to examine Scripture and then examine ourselves in order to made sure we are prepared to partake in a worthy manner. Taking the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner is not my idea, it is Paul’s expression – at which we will review in just a minute.

First, let me remind all of us that this series is about taking a deep look at areas where we might not rather look. That is the idea of the Church in HD. We are taking a closer look at what Jesus said, at what Paul wrote, and what Peter shared, etc. in order to place ourselves better in line with the good parts of the church in its earliest stages.

The book of Acts paints a picture of a church in unity. For instance, Acts 4.32-37 reveals a church which is almost completed united. Certainly differences existed as would become evident in Acts 15 especially, but the early church recognized Jesus words that people would know they were His disciples if they loved one another – and that love for each other trumped any difference they held.

But as the church grew and spread to other areas more problems arose. So, rather than placing our focus on Acts 4 today, we will use Acts 4 as the foundation for what should be, and turn our attention to Corinth to see how Paul addressed a division related to the Lord’s Supper.

(I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 11.17-32 before continuing with this post.)

Let me make a few quick observations.

1. When the people gathered it was worse than when they didn’t. Why? Because divisions existed. These divisions (or factions as Paul then calls them) were because people did not come to be united, but to do as they pleased. Verse 21 says that some left the gathering hungry, while others gorged themselves.

2. The Church is to gather to bring glory to God. In fact, that is verse just before 1 Cor 11. Paul says whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God. Then he moves into this teaching. Again, church is not about what we want it to be, it is about becoming what God wants it to be – in other words, bringing Him glory.

3. After reminding the Corinthians of what transpired the night of Jesus’ last meal, Paul then exhorts the people to be worthy of taking the Lord’s Supper. We must first examine ourselves ensuring we have nothing hidden before partaking. Specifically, in this context, Paul is talking about being at peace with others – that is, we don’t have a beef with others and others don’t have a beef with us. Otherwise, if we partake we bring judgment on ourselves. Why? Because we are taking elements that represent the body and blood of Jesus who died so that we might be forgiven. So if we take the elements while holding grudges and not being willing to forgive then we are saying that we want what Jesus offers without being willing to grant it ourselves. To do this, Paul says will actually negate your forgiveness. In fact, Paul said that because some have not been willing to forgive they have become weak, ill, and some have even died.

Is Paul right or is this his opinion? Let’s review Jesus words we talked about earlier this year. Matthew 6.12, in the midst of the prayer He taught His disciples says, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive the debts of others.” And then, two verses later, Jesus continued the thought. “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

So, before we take the Lord’s Supper, we need to examine ourselves. We need to see where unity needs to be restored. We need to consider if we have issues with others or if others may have issues with us. How do we do this? Well, let me read two more commands from Jesus.

Matthew 18.15 says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.” Sin is a key word here, but I think we can still apply the principle if we have been offended, even if the offense is not technically a sin – but we should be careful to make certain our preferences are not opposed to God’s.

The second passage is from Matthew 5.23-24. “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” If Jesus words are true of the gift we offer, how much more true are they before we take elements to remind us of the gift He offers us.

So, we have our marching orders. Be united. Examine ourselves. Forgive others. Tell others where they have offended us. Go to others and make peace if we have offended them. And be ready to forgive again. Then we partake.

CONCLUSION

That is the message. So before we partake, I want to challenge each of us to examine ourselves. I want each of us to seek God over these next few moments and determine if we are ready to partake. If not, when the elements are passed, I would encourage you not to partake – as Paul said, you will be drinking judgement on yourself. But if you realize an issue does exist, then be wise and make amends. Remember, Jesus said those who do what He says are wise – those who do not obey these words of mine are fools. So be wise. You may have to swallow some pride, but swallowing pride is better than swallowing God’s judgment.

(NOTE: At this point of the message, the congregation was asked to pray for God to reveal any issues that needed to be resolved and to be bold enough to resolve them if any were discovered.)

Follow Jesus' commands and go to that person or persons and make peace. If you have to pull someone aside, do so. But in making peace with others, you will be at peace with God and you will be ready to partake of the Lord’s Supper when the moment comes.

JOURNEY: The JOURNEY letter for today is: U – UNITE.

PRINCIPLE:  Love and unity are the essence of God and the Trinity. If we welcome God in the church, we need to work through any differences and be united in loving and serving Him.


QUESTION: What can I do that, if done well, and done for Jesus, can make a difference in this church?

NEXT STEP(S):  LOVE: Partake of the Lord’s Supper having reconciled ourselves with one another and with God.

Hub Sunday – “The Hub”

Today is our third Hub Sunday. In the initial one at the end of July, I discussed the concept of WHY, we are doing this. That message was about our need to be missional wherever we go and whatever we do. Early this month, we went into the community on Labor Day Sunday to serve the town on what we called Labor for the Son Day.

Today, I want to provide some updates on WHERE we have served to reveal the significance of the idea of being a hub. As a part of the where, I have invited Dr. Jeremy Burright, the superintendent of Fairfax Schools, to share a little about his vision for the school and how our church might serve the school.

Before we get to that point, I want to share some things we have been doing. Some of you may be aware of some or most of these items, but one of my goals of having Hub Sunday every month is for us to share what God is doing through this church – wherever that may be. Why should we share this? Primarily to celebrate what God is doing. But, as we celebrate, these days can be an encouragement to each one of us to do some small part. As I mentioned in July, one set of passages where Scripture supports this idea comes from Paul (and Barnabas) who returned to Antioch to share what God did on their travels. (Read the following verses – Acts 13.1-3; Acts 14.26-28; Acts 18.22-23.)

But, Jesus did the same thing with His disciples as they went out into the towns of Israel. (Read Mark 6.7-13, 30-32.) Matthew 10 and Luke 10 share the same basic story with more of Jesus’ teaching the disciples.

So, what are some of the places we have/are serving?

Of course, this month, we focus on raising funds for the Missouri Missions Offering. But let us briefly review some of the places members of our church have served over the past few years. We will track this with some board that will have colored paper taped on them where we serve. We have served: 

• Locally – VBS, God Squad, No Hunger Summer, Labor for the Son Day, preparing church for the renovations, serving meals to families after funerals, Adopt a Family (as a church, and through Community Groups), Food Drop, our annual dinner to serve widows which has now expanded to the community, etc.;
• Throughout This Area – Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, Baptist Student Union;
• Within Missouri – God’s Mountain, Grand Oaks, etc.; 
• In Illinois – helping to build a church; 
• And around the world – Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Kenya, OCC. 

That reminds me a little bit of Jesus statement of proclaiming His Name in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of th earth.

Some projects are short in duration – like our Labor for the Son Day. Some spent 30 minutes, others an hour or a little more. Some did physical labor, and others made visits to members who had not been here for awhile.

Other projects take a while. You have heard about the plarn mats for months, and I have held one up when we were downstairs last month. But we are getting quite a few done now and will be shipping a batch to Kenya in a couple of week to make certain these can be used.

And speaking of Kenya, here are a few pictures of the well that was repaired last month in Lesurwa – where Benson is pastor.

Also, I have been promising a video for a while, but we had trouble getting sound through when Simon sent the first set of videos. After the well was completed, this came through just fine.

This well is from donation made through our church. Most of the money came from people out of town and out of state, but what that means is that people are hearing about what we are doing and are wanting to partner with us to make a difference. Consider our vision verse from Matthew 5.16: we are being salt and light in order that others would see our good works and glorify the Father who is in heaven. People ARE glorifying God because of what Fairfax Baptist Church is doing. Perhaps people are not beating down our doors to come, but our tasks is to be faithful in going and God is blessing us because we are starting to do more.

One of the joys many of you have is contributing loose change each month during the piki offering. As we prepare to sing, let us take a moment to take this offering again so our brothers in Kenya – Michael and Benson – can have gas for their motorbikes for another month.

BEING MISSIONAL

Dr Burright and I meet each month to simply talk. I began having discussions with Dr. Garrett during his last year here – which is part of how NHS came to Fairfax. When Jeremy came to Fairfax, my intention was to continue those discussions. Last year, we met two or three times, but our schedules got in the way. This year, we have both committed to the hour or so being more of a priority. Why?

The reality is that the school and the hospital are the primary institutions in this town. The Church (even this church) might have been a part of that conversation in the past, but that is not true any longer. But we do not need to lament that fact. Instead, let us celebrate that this town is still alive and well because of the school and because of the hospital. And if we are to be a large church in a small town, then we need to engage where the opportunities allow. Remember, being a large church is about influence, not necessarily numbers. So, where can we have influence? Well, the school is one of the greatest areas we can have influence.

Therefore, I have invited Dr. Burright to come and speak today in order to share a little about himself, about what his vision for the school, and how we might help.

Dr. Burright’s portion of the message was here.

OUR JOURNEY

Our strategy is comprised of the acrostic JOURNEY. One reason that word was chosen is that we are all on a spiritual journey – some with Jesus, some towards Jesus, and others away from Him. But another aspect of the JOURNEY is that we each have an opportunity to prepare those who are younger to be better prepared for their geographical journey. We know that most of the students who graduate from Fairfax do not return to this area. So, the question we must ask ourselves is: What can we do to help the students commit themselves to letting Jesus be the guide on their life’s journey? The Children’s Festival yesterday was one aspect. God Squad starts this week – that is another. The new Root Group starts on Thursday as well. VBS is still very important. We have the Community Youth Group. But all of those are about others coming to us. No Hunger Summer is one way we go out to the families and children in the community. Serving the school is a way to go to them. Sure, we cannot go in and sing Jesus Loves Me or stand and preach whatever we want, but that is no different than when Paul travelled to other places. He went to the synagogue to teach (where people generally believed in God) and then went from there.

It is possible that any service we provide for the school will not cause one person to come into this church. Am I ok with that? Well, again, our purpose is to be about loving God and loving others even if that love is not returned as we might expect. But I can assure you this. Someone will ask, “Who painted this?” Or “How did this get done?” And the answer will be someone from the church, maybe even Fairfax Baptist Church. Again, remember the passage related to our vision is that we are salt and light. Verse 16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

If we serve – and do it well, God will be glorified. If God is glorified, that is what matters. If He chooses to have someone come and be a part of this fellowship of believers, let us welcome them. If someone decides that seeing what we have done causes them to return to God, but do so in another Bible-believing church, Amen! Again, our competition is not other churches that teach the Bible. Our competition is any part of the culture around us that is against, or even apathetic toward, God.

So, let us be a sending Hub. Let us be a church that is known not for coming to church, but for going and serving as a part of the Church. Yes, we should still come for discipleship, fellowship, and worship, but we do so in order that we can better minister and share God’s message with others.

What’s Next? The Challenge

Dr. Burright has given us some options on how we might help the school. Some of the opportunities will requires some physical work (such as painting), others will require making a relational commitment to one or several students, etc. The question before us now is how to proceed? But before we can proceed, each person needs to consider what they will do. If we leave the idea at the level of us, then we can excuse ourselves because someone else will do it (and if they don’t then that is their fault). But if we make it personal – What will I do? (not what can I do?), then something will happen. And like the Labor for the Son Day, if you are unable to physically do something, that’s ok, you can pray! But again, our response goes beyond what each of us can do, our response is to actually do. The question we must each ask ourselves is: Will I do what God asks me to do?

Remember, our God is a sending God. He sent His Son. He is sending us. So, how will you respond?