Sabbath Renewal Day 2012, Part 2: Sermon Manuscript

Part 2 of 4 in the Sabbath Renewal Day 2012 Packet:

SABBATH RENEWAL DAY 2012

Sermon Manuscript: “Sabbath: The Rest is Up to You”

Rev.Rodney Henry, Thornton, CO

Matthew 11:27-30

A thirteen year old girl comes home from school and rushes into her bedroom after school. Her life is falling apart because her parent's marriage is falling apart. It has been going on for months and it is a weight that is hard for her to carry.

A husband has finished paying the bills and once again, the family is spending more money than they are making. The husband knows that their finances are in a shambles and it is a weight that is hard for him to carry.

A single mother has a son who is doing drugs and getting into trouble at school. She has tried to help her son turn his life around. It has become a weight that is hard for her to carry.

A retired couple has been managing with the husband who has Alzheimer's disease. The wife’s health is getting worse. It is becoming a weight she can no longer carry.

Burdened and Weary

Carrying life’s burdens will make any one weary over time. What burdens are you carrying? What anxiety or worry or stress or discouragement is making you weary? Are you feeling crushed under the weight of your burdens? - You are not alone in being weary and burdened. And, you are not left alone to carry your burdens.

Life seems to be filled with troubles and trials. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) Jesus never offers escape from the trials of life. However he offers rest in the midst of trials and a yoke to help us deal with our burdens.

²⁷“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. ²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:27-30

Come to Jesus

Jesus makes one of the most profound and comforting invitations in scripture. "Come to me." Jesus had just said that all things were committed to him by his heavenly Father. He said that there is mutual knowledge between himself, the God the Son, and God the Father. So, to come to Jesus is to come to God. In Jesus, God gets a face, hands, and feet.

This invitation is tender. Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened." In Christ, the arms of God are open wide to those who are overwhelmed and overloaded with life. Jesus understands that life is hard and we seem to go from one struggle to another. Burdens include strained relationships, depression, stress, inadequacy, and insecurity. Sometimes we suffer from the burdens of pretense and pride. And over the long-haul these and other burdens make us weary. - In our text Jesus promises the weary and burdened two solutions: rest and a yoke.

Jesus Gives Rest

Jesus promises rest for those who are weary. The Western understanding of rest usually involves a mattress or a recliner. We think of rest as "inactivity." However, the Hebrew understanding of rest is to stop or cease. At creation, God the Son stopped his creative activity on the seventh day (rested) but continued his sustaining activity on the seventh day. The call to rest is a call to stop what we are doing and do something else. In the distress of life, Jesus is calling us to come to him and he will empower us to stop what we were doing.

One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Rest is stopping our routine of work. However, it is also important for us to stop our repetitive thinking on life's burdens and seek a fresh perspective from God. Rest is the ability to stop ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Sabbath: Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Rest

God calls us to a seventh day Sabbath rest. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus gives us time for rest on the Sabbath and he gives us rest in him with the ability to stop and focus on being in Christ.

This is not just time to physically rest or stop from our work-a-day world. It is also time to rest from the ruts of our thinking, ruts of our discouragement, ruts of our stress, and ruts of our burdens. Jesus has given us time to rest on the Sabbath and he has given us rest from the ruts of our weariness and burdens.

Use the Sabbath to rest emotionally from weariness and burdens. For those who are weary and burdened, Jesus has given us both the ability to stop and rest and Sabbath time to stop and rest.

Allow the Sabbath to give you time to pursue spiritual rest. Our rest is found in Christ. Take Sabbath time to gather in the presence of the Lord and with fellow Seventh Day Baptists to worship. Worship is a soul cleansing and revitalization event. Jesus gives us rest and we also need to find rest. We have been given the seventh day of the week as a gift to find and experience the rest of Christ.

“Yoked-Up” with Jesus

Jesus offers us rest and a yoke. Our responsibility in dealing with the weariness and burdens of life is to take on the yoke of Jesus. Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you.” The yoke is given by Jesus. It is his yoke and it must be taken by us.

But when we feel overloaded and overwhelmed a yoke is the last thing we want. We want a vacation, or a rescue, not something else to take on. In spite of that, Jesus offers us something else to carry, a yoke.

A yoke allows two, to do what one cannot do alone. A yoke divides the burden so that the load is shared by two. Jesus' yoke is a tool for carrying life’s burdens instead of trying to escape life’s burdens. Our burdens in life make us weary. Jesus is saying, "You have been carrying your burdens with your own strength and you are weary with the load. Try my rest and my yoke."

Learn from Jesus

The yoke of Jesus is a yoke of learning. Jesus said, ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Think of two oxen yoked together and working side by side. Now picture yourself coming to Jesus and being yoked to him for life. Being yoked together means that you do everything together. We especially have the opportunity to learn from our fellow yoke-mate, Jesus. Jesus provides direction, leadership, help, teaching, and strength.

Jesus is saying to come to him and he will give us his yoke as a means of our learning from Him to carry the burdens of life. Every day we yoke-up with Jesus to learn from him and draw strength from him. The yoke is not a sitting tool, it is a walking tool. We yoke-up with Jesus every moment and movement of the day to learn and draw strength from him.

Jesus is Meek and Humble

Jesus then tells us that his personality and mannerisms for teaching us while being yoked to him, are gentle and humble. Jesus said, ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart Jesus is gentle and will be patient with slow students and thoughtful in his correction of us. And, throughout the teaching and learning process Jesus will remain yoked to us.

A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God contends that life’s greatest burdens can come upon us through our pride and pretense. Tozer wrote, “The heart’s fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest. Continue this fight through the years and the burden will become intolerable. Yet the sons of earth are carrying this burden continually, challenging every word spoken against them, cringing under every criticism, smarting under each fancied slight, tossing sleepless if another is preferred before them.”

Pride and pretense over time will make us weary and burdened. The solution to pride and pretense is meekness and humility. Those are the two qualities of Jesus mentioned in this text. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble in heart. There will be no rest for our souls until we find rest from pride and pretense by being yoked with the meek and humble Jesus who calls us to “learn from me.” Learn meekness and humility from Jesus, our yokemate.

Finding Rest for our Souls

The Sabbath is time for physical rest from our labor of six days. The Sabbath is also time to stop so that we can find rest for our souls. When we come to Jesus we are given eternal rest. And then we spend the remainder of our lives finding the depth of that rest.

We know about rest for the body. But the Sabbath is also time, without the work-a-day distractions, for us to find rest for our souls. The Sabbath is a time to stop, reflect, worship, and learn from our yokemate so that we find rest for our soul as well as rest for our bodies.

Light and Easy Yoke

The yoke itself has weight. But Jesus is saying that to take his yoke is unusual because it is light and easy. Being “yoked up” with Jesus is light and easy because the gospel is simply saying “yes,” when Jesus says “come to me.” We say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation by putting our faith in the person of Jesus and in his death on the cross. We say “yes” to Jesus by turning away from sin and instead following Jesus (repentance). Jesus’ yoke is light and easy and the result is that we will find eternal rest for our souls. Jesus is still saying to people, “Come to me” and “find rest for your souls.”

In Christ we have been given a new rest with a new yoke to deal with the burdens and trials of life. It is up to us to find what we have already been given, rest. We will find rest for our souls being “yoked-up” with Jesus, walking with him side-by-side, carrying and sharing life’s burden together, and learning from him.

The Sabbath gives us time, the seventh day of the week, to find rest in Christ. Rest for our souls is experiencing Christ’s eternal rest. Finding rest for your souls is up to you. Come to Jesus, take his yoke upon you, and learn from him. 

Sabbath Renewal Day 2012, Part 1: Children's Message

Part 1 of 4 in the Sabbath Renewal Day 2012 Packet:

SABBATH RENEWAL DAY 2012

Children's Message: “When Your Load is Heavy”

Tabatha Pethtel, Hiram, GA

(Adapted from Sermons4Kids)

Scriptures: Matthew 11:28

Objects: Several items that are not too heavy - such as a brick or a ten pound dumbbell and an automobile jack.

How strong are you? Do you think you are pretty strong? How many of you think you could pick up this brick (or another heavy item)? How about a dumbbell like this one (or another heavy item)? Well, you must be pretty strong then.

How many of you think you could pick up a car? Oh, you don't think you could pick up a car? Well, I think you could if you had some help. Here is something that would help you. It is an automobile jack. If you put this jack underneath the car and pump the handle, you can easily lift a car that weighs over 3,000 pounds! (Use the jack to lift up a heavy item that the kids can't lift if possible) Yes, with the help of a jack, you can lift a car, but you couldn't do it alone, could you?

Some of you have some pretty heavy burdens to carry in life. Perhaps you have a physical handicap that makes your life difficult. Or, perhaps your family is having financial difficulties. Maybe someone in your family is sick and you are worried about them. You may be having a hard time with school work or behaving. I don't know what the burdens are that you have in your life, but I do know that there are some that you just can't handle by yourself. Well, guess what? You don't have to!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." (Mat. 11:28) There is no reason for you to struggle with burdens that are too heavy for you.

God's Word is full of promises to help us in times of trouble. Here are just a few: "Don't be afraid, I am with you." (Gen. 26:24) "I'll give you strength." (Psalm 28:7) "I'm with you in times of trouble." (Psalm 34:6) These words of encouragement are just what we need to face the hard times that may come our way.

Does that mean that if we will ask him, God will take all of our troubles away? No, but he will help us. In fact, some of our struggles may help us to grow and become stronger. They may also help us to learn to trust in Jesus. But when the load is too heavy, he will help us to carry it -- and there is no burden that is too heavy for Jesus. And today, on the Sabbath, we get to be reminded of the fact that we can place our burdens, faith, and trust on Jesus and that we can rest in His strength.

PRAYER: Let us pray: Dear Lord Jesus, Help me to remember to rest in you when I become too tired

to continue. Save me from my busyness by realizing that you carried all my burdens for me. Thank you

for your weekly Sabbath as a reminder to come to you to rest. Amen.

Are You Ready for Good Works?

*This is my article for the March 2012 President's Page in the Sabbath Recorder.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, tobe ready for every good work (Titus 3:1, ESV)

     How do we get ready for EVERY good work? What are the good works we need to be ready to do? They are the “good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). God’s word shows us what these good works are. His revealed word causes us to be “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Our submission to Him allows us to do them in His name and for His glory. Without submission to God and those authorities that He has placed above us, we sully our good works for Him.

     The American culture at large seems to be having an authority crisis. We like to snipe, criticize, humiliate, and flat out disobey the people who have been placed in authority (whether elected, appointed, or biological). If you don't believe me, start one conversation about your president, or your pastor, or your parents. See how long it takes this conversation to go from “constructive” to “destructive”.

     Being under authority and showing respect is not easy for us because like our forefathers, our sinful nature tells us that we know how to do everything better than everyone else. Nobody likes being to told what to do or how to do it. We start to believe that authority is only granted to those with whom we want to give it.

     Biblically (Romans 13), it seems that all authority has been put in place by God (nationally, locally, ecclesiastically) for our benefit and good, whether you voted for the guy or not. This is a tough teaching of the Bible. This is all being pointed out so that we are aware that we are a people under authority. If we are rebellious in our submission to our parents, will we then curb our rebellious behavior with God?

     I want our churches to be ready for the good works of church revitalization and planting that God has for us in the near future. He has been doing great things among our Seventh Day Baptist leaders and people. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19a)

     ARE YOU READY to make Jesus not just your Savior but your Lord? ARE YOU READY to follow, serve, submit to, and wait for Him? It is through His authority that our good works are able to advance His Kingdom. AREYOU READY to honor, respect, submit, and obey those He has placed in authority over you?

     This summer during our Conference sessions we will be challenging our churches to get ready for what God will do through them with our Conference theme, ARE YOU READY? We will be studying through the book of 1 Thessalonians in our morning sessions and use the gathered worship times to discuss themes like Repentance, Revitalization, and His Return, among others. Of course, there will be the fantastic fellowship times and other activities that we have grown to love during that week.

     We are placing an emphasis on church planting and revitalization during this year's session as well. If that is an area of ministry that you are being called to explore or discover or have questions about, please contact the Center office, the Missionary Society, or myself so that we can be praying for you and include you in these discussions.

     There is still time to offer any input into our yearly meeting. Please feel free to contact me through email, Twitter, or Facebook.

     On behalf of myself, our denominational executives, our boards and agencies, and our Conference host committee, we want to invite you to join the ARE YOU READY? conversation at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV from July 29-August 4, 2012. 

Lenten Devotional 02/22/12

Genesis3:6-29 (The Message)

6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate. 7 Immediately the two of them did "see what's really going on"—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves. 8 When they heard the sound of Godstrolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God. 9 God called to the Man: "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid." 11 God said, "Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?" 12 The Man said, "The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it." God said to the Woman, "What is this that you've done?" 13 "The serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate." 14-15 God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel." 16 He told the Woman: "I'll multiply your pains in childbirth; you'll give birth to your babies in pain. You'll want to please your husband, but he'll lord it over you." 17-19 He told the Man: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree That I commanded you not to eat from, 'Don't eat from this tree,' The very ground is cursed because of you; getting food from the ground Will be as painful as having babies is for your wife; you'll be working in pain all your life long. The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."

     On the Christian liturgical calendar, today is Ash Wednesday. There are Christians of every stripe: Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, and yes, even Baptist who will celebrate this day by remembering solemnly the fact that we are but mere creations of the Almighty God who will one day, through decomposition, have our physical bodies revert to the heap of dirt and ashes that God used to mold us.

     However, the reminder of this day doesn't rest on the practice of placing ashes on your forehead. The reminder lies in the decomposition that creates the ash. The process of decomposition generally creates foul odors. Our sin creates foulness. Ever since this act of volitional disobedience by our forefather Adam, our race has been fouled by sin. And now when we are born we are on a trajectory, not for perfect relationship with God, but rather for decomposition and death.

     While verse 19 provides our reminder (that because of Adam's we too face the consequences of sin, which is death), verse 15 provides us with our hope. Jesus has been victorious over life, sin, and death. In Him there is no imperfection or decomposition. If our faith is place in Him and His finished works, our bodies will still see decay but our souls will see Jesus. 

Are You Ready to Forgive?

*This is my article for the February 2012 President's Page in the Sabbath Recorder.

Butyou are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to angerand abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. (Nehemiah 9:17b, ESV)

     When I read this verse, I think of a parent watching a child and knowing they are going to make a mistake but letting them make it anyway. Then I see the parent use that mistake not as an opportunity to punish their child but as a teaching moment to correct them in love and to show them that there is no expectation of perfection on the parent's part but rather a transmission of grace and mercy.

     God is ready to forgive us when we disobey Him and fall short of His calling for us and our churches. He is gracious and merciful in the way He corrects us and places us back into His community. He is aware that sinners sin and is slow to get angry with them but abounding in love, which bides the anger.

     Unfortunately, as imperfect people, we sometimes do not model the readiness of our God to forgive. We are not READY to go forward with our calling from God because we are trapped with the grudges of the past.

     Have you thought about what grudges you are not ready to forgive (the ones that come burning to mind when you are reminded of a particular event or person)? As a follower of our Lord Jesus, have you modeled the grace and mercy He has displayed to those who have sinned against you? (If you haven't forgiven, then it will be hard.) Are you slow to anger when mistakes are made? Is your love steadfast for His people or is it conditional and held hostage by what you want to have happen?

     Thankfully, God does not forsake us when we make mistakes. He lovingly corrects us and brings us back into a right relationship through the work of God the Holy Spirit and His holy people, the church. Because He uses us to build His Kingdom, from the inside out, this is why it is important for the church to model the forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love of our Savior.

     ARE YOUREADY to ask for forgiveness from God and from those you have sinned against? (Confess and Repent) ARE YOU READY to forgive those who are indebted or have transgressed against you? If you have done these two things, ARE YOU READY to show His holy people (the church) grace, mercy, and love? In modeling this forgiveness, ARE YOU READY to be the church to each other inside the body and the world outside the body?

     It is getting close to that time to start thinking about your plans for the summer. Our annual Conference program this year is lining up to be very exciting. We will have seven messages from some great speakers in the evening flowing from our Conference theme, ARE YOU READY?, and challenging our churches to get ready for what God will do through them. There will be five Bible study sessions taking us through the book of 1 Thessalonians. Of course, there will also be some meal meetings, fellowship times, a few banquets, singing, prayer, and ice cream.

     There is still time to offer any input into our yearly meeting. Please feel free to contact me through phone (304-629-9823), email, Twitter, or Facebook.

     On behalf of myself, our denominational executives, our boards and agencies, and our Conference host committee, we want to invite you to join the ARE YOU READY? conversation at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV from July 29-August 4, 2012.

I am NOT a Resolutions Guy!

I used to be that guy. You know...the one who used to make a bunch of resolutions and then just as quickly as they were made toss them aside. (However, resolutions aren't necessarily bad-as Joe Thorn explains)

It was a few years ago that I got sick of that. I always started my year out feeling like a failure. This is a bad way to set the tone for a year. It often wasn't until March or April that I got out of my failure funk and felt like I could have a productive year. What a waste of three month!

I refuse to wallow in self-pity any longer. Instead, I take advantage of my "new" year and realize where I fell short in the previous year (and what lessons were learned) and what goals I want to make for the coming year.

In 2011, I learned the following lessons:

• Having the title of pastor does not help you pastor your people well
• Be careful what you pray for. God may actually give it to you.
• It is better to be accused of being something than to sin trying to defend yourself.
• I am not as wonderful as I think I am; but I am loved far more than I believe I am

In 2012, I will make the following goals:

• To strive to be empathetic to those whom I serve
• To lose 50-80 pounds (mostly because I realize my obesity is because of lack of self control)
• To regularly spend time with just my family (including the goal of pastoring them well)
• To spend my time with God well, doing more listening than talking. (in order to discern His will)

What did you learn in 2011? What goals are you making for 2012?

How REAL is too REAL when it comes to marriage?

     I applaud most things Mark Driscoll does since I had been introduced to him about two years ago (although I don't agree with his emphasis on everything). However, with the release of his new book, Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship, & Life Together, there appears to be some controversy stirring.

     Tim Chailles, uber blogger and lover of Jesus and His church, writes a very biting review of this much publicized new release. His conclusion is:

Having read the book through two times, I’ve found myself wondering how to best measure or evaluate it, but perhaps these criteria are useful: Would I want to read it with my wife or would I encourage her to read it on her own? Would I recommend it to the people in my church? In both cases the answer is no. This is not to say that the book is entirely without merit; Real Marriage does have things to commend it. But in my assessment the negatives far outweigh the positives. Its disjointed nature, the way it is unhinged from the gospel, the way it evaluates sexual acts through an improper grid—in all these ways and more it inadvertently lowers marriage rather than elevates it. With so many good books on marriage available to us, I see no reason to recommend this one.

     Driscoll's take on the Song of Solomon has been controversial for years but I have been refreshed, encouraged, and helped by many of his messages regarding the role of men and women in the church which is founded from their roles in the home. If Chailles' review is accurate, this will be a terrible disappointment for me and others I assume.

     Read the whole review here. But make sure to read the book for yourself, be challenged, and decide!

Engaging in Scripture 2012

What I would like to do here is to try to persuade you to set aside time each week in the coming year to plan—and specifically to plan your life of prayer and devotion and ministry. The bulldozer of God's Spirit often arrives at the scene of our heart ready to begin some great work of building, and he finds that due to poor planning there are piles of disordered things in his way. We're not ready for him.

     In order to make sure that we are ready for the great work that God is ready to do in our church, we will be using the ESV Study Bible reading plan for those who wish to engage in Scripture reading in 2012. We will not be posting the daily readings on our website this year but there will be multiple ways to follow along (RSS, Twitter, print copy).

     The ESV Study Bible reading plan offers four sections of reading everyday:

Psalms and Wisdom Literature

     Some of the greatest poetry of all time, these books are full of Spirit-inspired wisdom, Godly principles, praise and exultation toward our faithful Creator.

Pentateuch and History of Israel
     As we read about God's covenant with Israel and their constant failure to obey it, we gain perspective on our need for a savior. We also see the origin of salvation through faith in Abraham, and countless records of our Lord's miraculous power.

Chronicles and Prophets
     Amidst the turmoil of  Israel's disobedience, the Prophets emerge as God's chosen instruments to point us toward our Messiah and the hope of a new and better covenant.

Gospels and Epistles
     Jesus. Our Savior destroys the power of sin forever. The early Church is filled with the Holy Spirit. Saul of Tarsus is transformed into Paul the Apostle and chosen by God to embolden us to an obedient life in Christ under the freedom of our faith.*

So my plea to you is that you set aside time each week to plan, especially to plan your life of prayer and Bible study. Give some thought how God might want to use you that week in a special way. Plan the letters you need to write, the Bible verses you want to teach your children, the visit you want to make, the book you want to read, the neighbor you want to talk to, etc.

*From the Journey St. Louis Engage Scripture page.

You're Making Me Two Tents? (Sermon from 12/24/11)

Sermon from Metro Atlanta SDB Church on 12/24/11

This message takes a brief look at the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles from Nehemiah 8:13-18 (with additional background from John 7:1-52; 8:12and Leviticus 23:33-44) and helps us see that the conflict between the temporary and the eternal does not just make us too tense but stems from God making for us two tents. Jesus shows us, helps us, and leads us through the journey of two tents from His birth to His return.

Affection Moves Us to Share (Extended Version)

    This article is found in the January 2012 edition of the Sabbath Recorder:

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (ESV)

     The book, Real Hope in Chicago, is about a high school coach named Wayne Gordon. He was doing a Bible study after school with some inner city kids in the Lawndale area, which was the second poorest community in the country and having issues with drugs and gangs. God gave him such a desirous heart for that community that he moved to Lawndale.
     The kids urged him not to move there because it would be very dangerous for him but Wayne moved there anyway. He got attacked by one of the gangs and had his house broken into again and again.
He persevered not for himself or a sense of duty but a desire to love these kids, share the gospel, and share his life with them. Those kids asked him to start a church and to be their pastor. I don’t how he did it but his love for the community of Lawndale was so strong that he had the opportunity to witness to the guy that kept breaking into his house. Today, that church has 600 members and has ministered to Lawndale by sharing the lives that the gospel has changed with the brokenness found in the community. In other words, the gospel didn’t just transform the people; it transformed the entire community. Wayne Gordon had lived out the truth of 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

Being Affectionately Desirous

     I love being affectionate with my wife and kids. It indicates my desire to continue my relationship with them. Affection is not always physical. It can be demonstrated in a myriad of ways. One of the best ways to show affection is through clear and true communication. This happens in spoken language but also in body language.

     How do you communicate affection and desire to your community and to people who visit your church? What message do your words convey to visitors and the community? What does your body language convey to visitors and the community? (Think about what your church communicates with others when you don't answer the phone, your website is out of date, or your property sits empty most of the week.)

     I love that I get to see my friends and other church members at church every Saturday. However, I want to make more friends and have more people join the body of Christ. My desire is for others to know the same Jesus that changed my life almost twenty years ago. My affection lets others know that I want them to not just have a relationship with Jesus but with me as well.

Ready to Share the Gospel

     According to this passage, it seems as if the gospel is not just words but also how believing those words can impact your life. It concerns me that many folks cannot articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ well. This does not bode well for being ready to share it.

     If we know Christ, we all have a testimony to share concerning how the gospel saves. If He has been working in our lives, we all have a testimony to live concerning how the gospel transforms. Can you give your testimony to what Jesus has saved you from, saved you for, and saved you to? If you can, then you can speak to the infinite love and grace and mercy of God and live it among those who don't know Him. If you can't, then will you practice? Ask for help from another church member or a pastor if necessary.

But Also Our Own Selves

     The sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sins is no longer necessary for our reconciliation with God with the death of Jesus providing the ultimate and once for all scapegoat for the trespasses of those who abide in Him.

     However, there still is a sacrifice to occur by Christians. Romans 12:1 appeals to us “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice”. While martyrdom and a physical death in defense of our faith qualifies here, I do not believe that Paul is calling us all to die as martyrs. This passage is referring to living your life in such a way that God is ordering the steps and not your self.

     Part of our desire for others to know Christ is to provide them with not just testimony of how the gospel transforms our lives but an example of how that life is lived. Part of sharing our own selves for the sake of the gospel is not necessarily moving to the ghetto but allowing others to see how the gospel impacts your workplace, your marriage, your finances, and your priorities.

     This transparency does not come easily and can open our lives up to attack. This is where we learn to lean upon God and His promises to us. Jesus' ministry would not have been nearly as effective had He never involved Himself in the lives of others but shared the gospel one day in seven.

     ARE YOU READY as churches to be affectionately desirous of your communities, to share the Gospel in word and deeds, and sacrifice your preferences in service of Him? AREYOU READY for God to use your church to bring people to Himself? AREYOU READY to sacrifice your comfort, your preferences, your desires, and even your own self to the glory of God? ARE YOU READY for the gospel of Jesus Christ to take its preeminent place in our pulpits and our lives? ARE YOU READY to not just be Seventh Day Baptist but seven day Christians?