When I was in the 8th grade I represented my class in the mile relay. I guess today it would be the 1600 Meters. I ran the second leg of the race and believe it or not I was pretty fast. The first guy on our team had fallen behind and I thought it was my responsibility to make up some ground for our team. As I looked at the opposing runners I realized that they all looked like they were giants. Seriously, they were all head and shoulders taller than me. Two of my strides would equal one of their strides. These guys had facial hair! I was running against men! They should not have been running in this race with mere junior high students. Was I at the right place? Were we suppose to be here?
As I took the baton from my teammate, I was already distracted about the race. I tried my best to keep up with them, so I ran faster than I should have ran, instead of pacing myself for the race. By the time I made it to the last turn I was out of breath, my legs were killing me and I was next to last in the leg. I disappointed myself, I disappointed my teammates and I disappointed the crowd who was rooting me on. It was a frustrating time for me.
In much the same way as Christians we often become distracted in the race God has called us to run. Often times in the Bible the Christian life is compared to a race. Paul tells us in I Corithians 9:24 - 26 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly."
The writer of Hebrews encourages the early Christians with these words in Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (Christians before us) let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." The thing to remember is that it is our race and we are not running against others, but running to please God. It is not a competition, but it is the Christian life.
Instead of becoming distracted by the things around us (ie. they are taller; they are grown men) we are to keep our focus on the race at hand and our eyes on Christ. He is the author and perfecter of our faith and will help us see the race through to the end. So at the end of life we will be able to say as the apostle Paul "I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award me on that day."
In my research this week I ran into these words from Eric Liddell which drives this whole point home. You may remember that the movie Chariots of Fire was partially based on Eric Liddell and the 1924 Olympics. He was a dedicated Christian who refused to compromise his integrity and run a race on the Sabbath. These are his words:
"You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race."
Sounds like good advice to me. Commit yourself to the love Christ - that is how you run a straight race. I pray that you are in shape. If not I would love to train you and run the race with you. See YOU at the finish line.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Simpler is not always better
I have been preaching on discipleship in our Sunday morning services at Lynwood Baptist Church. These sermons have been part of a larger series I am doing on the purposes of the church. These sermons have been insightful and challenging (not my words) as they have confronted us with the demands of the gospel. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated from his German prison cell during World War II, when Christ calls us to follow him he bids us to come and die. Eventually he did die for his faithfulness to the cause of Christ as he stood up against Nazi Germany.
However, most of us here in America will not be asked to give up our lives for the cause of Christ. We might be ridiculed or mocked, but placed in prison and sentenced to death for being a disciple of Christ is probably not going to happen. Yet, very few of us really take a stand and commit ourselves to being genuine followers of Jesus Christ.
Instead we choose the easy way. We choose something that is much simpler. Instead of doing the hard work necessary to be a disciple of Christ we skate around the edges. We blend in so as not to be noticed. We might attend a church, but we certainly do not want anyone outside the church to know that we attend. Reading our Bible is something we do on Sunday when the preacher preaches a sermon, but taking time out to study it is not something we want to do. We might have made a confession that Jesus is Lord, but it is not our profession. In other words we say we are a Christian, but our life may not actually reveal it. For us it is the simple way that does not require much effort on our part.
I saw a cartoon a while back about an individual who was asked to find X in the Math problem. Below is his answer.
This cartoon reveals how many of us approach our Christian faith. Simpler is not always better. We must decide today if we are truly going to be disciples of Jesus Christ. If so we must decide to put forth the effort to be the kind of disciple that Jesus demands. Jesus said if we would be His disciple we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, even if it means we might have to die.
Think about it! Are you on the simple plan or the disciple plan? The disciple plan might be harder, but it is the only one that pays eternal dividends. Look forward to hearing from you as we travel this road together.
However, most of us here in America will not be asked to give up our lives for the cause of Christ. We might be ridiculed or mocked, but placed in prison and sentenced to death for being a disciple of Christ is probably not going to happen. Yet, very few of us really take a stand and commit ourselves to being genuine followers of Jesus Christ.
Instead we choose the easy way. We choose something that is much simpler. Instead of doing the hard work necessary to be a disciple of Christ we skate around the edges. We blend in so as not to be noticed. We might attend a church, but we certainly do not want anyone outside the church to know that we attend. Reading our Bible is something we do on Sunday when the preacher preaches a sermon, but taking time out to study it is not something we want to do. We might have made a confession that Jesus is Lord, but it is not our profession. In other words we say we are a Christian, but our life may not actually reveal it. For us it is the simple way that does not require much effort on our part.
I saw a cartoon a while back about an individual who was asked to find X in the Math problem. Below is his answer.
This cartoon reveals how many of us approach our Christian faith. Simpler is not always better. We must decide today if we are truly going to be disciples of Jesus Christ. If so we must decide to put forth the effort to be the kind of disciple that Jesus demands. Jesus said if we would be His disciple we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, even if it means we might have to die.
Think about it! Are you on the simple plan or the disciple plan? The disciple plan might be harder, but it is the only one that pays eternal dividends. Look forward to hearing from you as we travel this road together.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
God does answer prayer
God has been doing some wonderful things in our midst that many would pass off as a coincidence. Sometimes we do not see God responding the way we think He should respond and we begin to believe that God does not answer prayer. However, when we begin seeing with the eyes of faith, we begin to see God doing amazing things in our midst. This past month God has answered four specific prayers in Lynwood Baptist Church.
First, we have been praying for one of our new members to find a job. She is a new Christian and God is doing amazing things in her life. I had the privilege of baptizing her on February 28. She had been without work for some time and had been struggling to pay her rent and her bills. We walked alongside her and helped her when we could, but we begin praying earnestly for God to provide her employment. She not only started a new job last week, she started a job in her line of expertise. God met her need in ways that we could not begin to imagine. Some would look at such a situation and mark it down as a coincidence. Afterall she had been looking for quite some time, it was only a matter of time for someone to hire her. However, the Bible says that our God will supply all our needs. She needed a job and God provided it for her.
Second, one of the members of Lynwood Baptist Church was seeking a promotion at his job. He had interviewed for the job before only to be passed over for another. However, when the job came open again he sought the position once again. We began praying that God would work in this situation and God answered our prayers and provided the promotion to him. To make things even better, this promotion has allowed my friend to have an impact in the lives of those who work under him. God not only provided him with the promotion, but with a new opportunity to minister to people. Some would say that it was just a coincidence and that it all happened as a natural result of his pursuit of the job. However, the Scripture states that none of us would have any position of authority if God did not place us in that position.
Third, a family at Lynwood Baptist Church was suddenly told to move out of their rental house and they had no where to go. They had lived in their house for seven years and were told to vacate the house within one month. There was not much time to find a place to live at the price they could afford. They began looking at other cities in which they could live and afford to rent, but that would mean that their children would no longer be able to attend the same schools. With less than a week remaining, God not only provided them a home, but a home in the same subdivision in which they lived. He even worked it out where they could have the option to buy the home. Some would say that it all happened because of their persistence in their search. But yet God revealed that He cares enough to provide for our needs and sometimes He even gives us our desires.
Finally, God allowed my family to receive a contract on our house in Texas. As you know we have been living in Illinois since July of last year and our house in Texas has been on the market since May of 2009. If things go according to plans it looks like the house will close on May 14, 2010. We have been praying for months for the house to sell and even though it did not go the way we envisioned, God nevertheless sent a buyer to purchase our house. In this present economy and with the competition in the area, only God could have sent the right person at the right time to purchase our house. God does answer prayer if only we will believe.
We are so prone to look at the situations around us and become cynical. Perhaps we do not see God moving the way we think He should and as a result we do not think that God answers prayer. When God does answer our prayers we fail to see that truth and we miss the blessing of giving Him the praise. God is in the business of answering prayers if we will only believe. The book of James states that when we pray we are to believe and not doubt. If we pray and then do not really believe that God will answer our prayers then we reveal that we have doubt and little faith. God longs to answer our prayers, but He also longs for us to believe. Generally He will not answer our prayers the way we think He should. But if we will open our eyes, believing that God does answer prayers, we will see Him working in ways we never imagined.
Because God has been so faithful to answer our prayers this past month, I have a problem. I have submitted to God four more prayers that I am asking Him to answer. I hope I have enough faith to see His answers. Don't give up on praying and most of all don't give up on believing. God desires to hear our prayers and He is ready and able to answer our prayers. What are you waiting for? Get to praying and see what God will do!
First, we have been praying for one of our new members to find a job. She is a new Christian and God is doing amazing things in her life. I had the privilege of baptizing her on February 28. She had been without work for some time and had been struggling to pay her rent and her bills. We walked alongside her and helped her when we could, but we begin praying earnestly for God to provide her employment. She not only started a new job last week, she started a job in her line of expertise. God met her need in ways that we could not begin to imagine. Some would look at such a situation and mark it down as a coincidence. Afterall she had been looking for quite some time, it was only a matter of time for someone to hire her. However, the Bible says that our God will supply all our needs. She needed a job and God provided it for her.
Second, one of the members of Lynwood Baptist Church was seeking a promotion at his job. He had interviewed for the job before only to be passed over for another. However, when the job came open again he sought the position once again. We began praying that God would work in this situation and God answered our prayers and provided the promotion to him. To make things even better, this promotion has allowed my friend to have an impact in the lives of those who work under him. God not only provided him with the promotion, but with a new opportunity to minister to people. Some would say that it was just a coincidence and that it all happened as a natural result of his pursuit of the job. However, the Scripture states that none of us would have any position of authority if God did not place us in that position.
Third, a family at Lynwood Baptist Church was suddenly told to move out of their rental house and they had no where to go. They had lived in their house for seven years and were told to vacate the house within one month. There was not much time to find a place to live at the price they could afford. They began looking at other cities in which they could live and afford to rent, but that would mean that their children would no longer be able to attend the same schools. With less than a week remaining, God not only provided them a home, but a home in the same subdivision in which they lived. He even worked it out where they could have the option to buy the home. Some would say that it all happened because of their persistence in their search. But yet God revealed that He cares enough to provide for our needs and sometimes He even gives us our desires.
Finally, God allowed my family to receive a contract on our house in Texas. As you know we have been living in Illinois since July of last year and our house in Texas has been on the market since May of 2009. If things go according to plans it looks like the house will close on May 14, 2010. We have been praying for months for the house to sell and even though it did not go the way we envisioned, God nevertheless sent a buyer to purchase our house. In this present economy and with the competition in the area, only God could have sent the right person at the right time to purchase our house. God does answer prayer if only we will believe.
We are so prone to look at the situations around us and become cynical. Perhaps we do not see God moving the way we think He should and as a result we do not think that God answers prayer. When God does answer our prayers we fail to see that truth and we miss the blessing of giving Him the praise. God is in the business of answering prayers if we will only believe. The book of James states that when we pray we are to believe and not doubt. If we pray and then do not really believe that God will answer our prayers then we reveal that we have doubt and little faith. God longs to answer our prayers, but He also longs for us to believe. Generally He will not answer our prayers the way we think He should. But if we will open our eyes, believing that God does answer prayers, we will see Him working in ways we never imagined.
Because God has been so faithful to answer our prayers this past month, I have a problem. I have submitted to God four more prayers that I am asking Him to answer. I hope I have enough faith to see His answers. Don't give up on praying and most of all don't give up on believing. God desires to hear our prayers and He is ready and able to answer our prayers. What are you waiting for? Get to praying and see what God will do!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)