3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.4 I give thanks to my[b] God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of[c] Christ has been strengthened among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Today is the beginning of the new year for the church. The Christian calendar year begins with the season of Advent; a season of waiting. During this season, I often find myself thinking about one of the Advent/Christmas worship services I attended while I was living in Tokyo. The service I attended was at what was, at that time, my home church, and during the service my pastor said something I have always held dear to my heart. He said that, as a pastor, he is often asked what it is that distinguishes the Christian faith from other faiths and belief practices. I have to confess that I do not remember the specific details he shared with us, but what stuck with me even to this day was this: He said, “Grace is what makes Christianity unique.” We are a people who are forgiven and loved, even though we do not at all deserve it. Grace is a gift, given to us by God through the life of Jesus Christ. “Grace to you and peace from God.” This is how Paul starts his letter, which we read today, sending his greetings to the people of Corinth. Paul founded this church in Corinth, a city in the southern part of Greece in the year 54 CE, a few years after Jesus had left the earth. Paul goes on from here to say in v.4, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus.” It is here that I find myself remembering what my pastor said that one Christmas: “grace is what makes our Christian faith unique.” Just as my pastor said back then, Paul starts his letter using that same word grace. He doesn’t start by praising the people of Corinth, or even thanking them, for the good work they have done for Christ. Instead, Paul gives thanks to God, because God’s grace has been given to them in Christ Jesus. God’s grace has been given to, and is living in, the people of Corinth, and that is the source of Paul’s gratitude in this moment. But what exactly is God’s grace, though? Can we define what it really is? If you think about it, we don’t really use this word outside of church: I don’t think I ever used the word grace, or heard people talk about it, until I became a Christian. In 1 Corinthians 15, there is a verse where Paul calls himself unfit to be an apostle because he had persecuted the church of God. Before believing Jesus Christ, Paul was a devoted Jew, and an elite one at that. With the power and authority that had been given to him, he persecuted and killed many Christians, and was even one of those who voted in favor of the stoning of disciple Stephen. Despite all of this, despite the attacks, the aggression, and the violence he directed towards Christians in his past, at the time of this letter Paul is now able to say, as an apostle, having risen up to be a great church leader and missionary, He says, “by the grace of God, I am what I am.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) If you actually read through the whole of the 1st and 2nd letters to the Corinthians, you might be surprised. Even though Paul says that he thanks God for the people in Corinth, the letters aren’t about the words of affirmation, saying you all are doing a great job! In fact, Paul’s letters are all about responding to the sins and deep-rooted problems of the church community in Corinth. Paul confronts the difficult fact that there are divisions which have formed in the church. People have been taking sides, saying that they only belong to certain teachers, and will only follow certain teachings. (1 Corinthians 1:10-17) People boast that they have spiritual gifts, and give credit to themselves rather than thanking God. There is sexual immorality, discrimination at the Lord’s table, arguments over what is holy to eat, pride and arrogance, rivalry and jealousy. And Paul is not afraid to confront these things. This is a church that he founded himself, and where he stayed for three of his 30 some years of ministry in the Middle East and Europe. As any good leader and founder would, he was probably hoping to see some growth, to see closer bonds of fellowship formed between the members of the church and Christ; likely he hoped to witness the development of a tight-knit community growing strong in Corinth. The reality he found, however, was rather different, and in truth the church was going in the opposite direction. After learning about all the challenges and struggles that the church in Corinth was facing, and as a response to the leadership there, Paul writes these letters. In confronting all the challenges, difficulties, and sins that Paul has heard of, his first response was not words of condemnation, anger, threats or disappointment. It begins with the message of God’s grace. Read chapter 1 verse 1 through 9 again. Paul is reminding the people of Corinth that they have been called into fellowship, into relationship; called to be one with Christ (vs. 9). Despite attitudes and behaviors that might easily be credited as unfit or inappropriate for church, Paul reminds them that in every way they have been made spiritually rich in Christ (vs.5). In fact, Christ’s testimony has been confirmed and established in them (vs. 6), and that they are not lacking in any spiritual gifts (vs. 7). He tells them that the Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen them and keep them blameless on the day of the Lord (vs.8). Despite all they have done, and all they continue to do; despite all the things that Paul is soon to challenge and address immediately after this grace-filled greeting (the portion of the letter we read today), Paul is first and foremost reminding them that Christ will strengthen them to the end, and guide them to a place where they can be blameless, free from condemnation and the consequences of their sins. Friends, that is what God’s grace is. They might be unfit to be called the church but, by the grace of God, they still are the church. This collection of sinful people can still be called the church, And I wonder if Paul was able to carry this message of grace to them, despite the weight of their sins he has learned, because he had experienced that grace himself, personally. There are many fancy ways of explaining what God’s grace is. Unmerited favor, charitable love and forgiveness, divine goodwill and loving kindness. Studying at seminary gave me all these big, fancy words. But if I were to take the polish off, and describe God’s grace as simply as I can, I would say that it is God’s free gift of love and forgiveness to people who don’t deserve it. God’s grace often puts us in places of transformation, places where we can easily contrast the before and after of who we were and who we are now. Take a look at Paul before he knew Christ, and compare that with him after he came to know Christ; look at the transformation from a Jewish leader persecuting Christians to a great teacher and missionary, not to mention the author of a good chunk of the New Testament! I am nothing like Paul, but I can describe who I was before I knew Christ, and who I became after I met Christ. Before I knew Christ, I was a scared, insecure girl. I thought I was not pretty enough. I thought I had to have good clothes and makeup to hide my ugliness, to show the world what it wanted to see in me. I had no dreams, no vision, and I worried all the time about what people thought of me. I was scared of being judged, and being revealed as a bland, boring, and uninteresting person. With my heart in this place of great insecurity, I hurt the people around me by breaking promises, looking down on people, avoiding them, or just seeking approval for myself from all the wrong places. Then I had my encounter with Christ, and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. God spoke to me, and I came to see that I was loved completely despite all my insecurities, despite all the mistakes I had made, and with all my pitfalls and flaws. I was created by God, crafted in the image of the divine; somehow, I was an example of God’s great workmanship as I was. I did not have to own or possess anything to somehow make myself better or worthy. God wanted all the parts of me, wanted to use me to fully for God’s ministry not despite those parts that I thought were weak or ugly, but because of them. In Christ I felt completely loved in a way that no one or nothing else can, and in that love I felt as though I was restored to myself. I found true me in Christ! Of course, this transformation did not happen overnight. It came about gradually, as a result of the people around me modeling God’s presence, God’s love, and God’s forgiveness to me. My transformation is in no way a testimony of my own hard work, or my own goodness or skills, but of God’s grace; God’s free gift of love. I often remind myself that transformation is possible by God’s grace especially in those times when I don’t want to forgive someone, when I don’t feel particularly inclined to show mercy. I remind myself that God does not discriminate, and gives grace and mercy to anyone who asks for it. I remember God’s grace given to me when I did absolutely nothing to deserve it, and that this same grace is given just as freely to others, both people and churches, just as Paul explains in his letter. Being the church doesn’t mean that we have all these wonderful, flowery, happy things in our lives; Of course we have those things, but it doesn’t mean that everything in and among us is perfect. Just as we encounter difficulties and challenges in our lives outside church, our life as a church is no different. There is no church without problems or challenges. The church in Corinth was no exception to this, and our church today is no exception either. But Paul can still thank God for these people because he knows that God’s grace has been poured out on them. Paul is fully assured that they have been given spiritual gifts, and enriched through them in all the ways. Paul believes that God is faithful, and remains in relationship with the people of Corinth, gracious to them, strengthening them to the end. Because he knows all this to be true, Paul isn’t afraid to confront the current issues and challenges facing the church. Paul isn’t afraid because Paul knows that the present challenges do not define who they are as a church; It is God’s grace that defines them. This is the transformation that can happen once we truly acknowledge who we have been and, at the same time, who we can be by the grace of God. Paul knows that God will give them growth and transformation, so long as they remember the grace God has given them. So what does that say about us? As we start a new year in our Christian calendar, I want to encourage, even challenge you, me, all of us, to look beyond the challenges of the present situation. I’m not talking about ignoring the problems or issues you might have, or that our church might have. But I want to encourage and challenge us to remember how, by the grace of God, we as individuals and as a church have been loved, forgiven, and given a chance to serve. Remember who you were before you knew Christ, compared to who you are now. Remember that this same grace that God has given you has also been given to everyone you meet, greet, talk to, and work with every day. Remember (and I think this is particularly important) that the grace of God you have received yourself has been given also to those we might disagree with, or have conflicts with. Know that the present conflicts and behaviors you may find upsetting do not define your fellow followers of Christ, nor does it define us as a church community. We are all defined by the grace of God which opens us up to all that God has in store for us. We can all be a part of the ongoing Christian journey individually, and as a church community held together by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. So here is my prayer for us this morning. My dear KUC family, may God’s grace be with our church, and with us all so that we will be known as people of God’s grace. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen. Amen.
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Usually on this Sunday we would have a lot of people in church and after service, a big potluck with turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and other goodies. It would have been our Thanksgiving Sunday on November 22 this year. But the corona virus pandemic has ruined that for us. However, we will give thanks anyway. Why? God asks us to be thankful in all circumstances.
In the youth skit you saw earlier in the service, there is a difference between being thankful for and thankful in. How can we be thankful for a family member falling ill? BUT we can be thankful in providing the care and love we show to the family member during the illness. I look back to see if I have actually had a year of thanks-living. Each day was God's gift. But there were not so good things that happened this past year to many of us in our community. Such as the worldwide pandemic of course, the floods in the Philippines, people losing their jobs, people struggling with illnesses, and people’s personal problems. As for me, breaking my wrist in mid September was no fun and the surgery was really difficult. But I was thankful for the support from my church family here at KUC. People prayer for me, they brought me food and helped me in so many ways. I was also thankful it was my left wrist and not my right that was broken! (I am better now.) We give thanks we have had so many online events that have connected us. We have discovered new ways to minster to people not just in Kobe but elsewhere through ZOOM gatherings and our online services. When I look at the hymn, "Now Thank We All Our God," I am inspired by the composer and Lutheran minister, Martin Rinkart. He was living through years of suffering when he wrote the words to this hymn based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I will share his story. Pastor Martin Rinkart lived in Eilenburg, Germany. He faithfully and lovingly served his people throughout the troubling time of the Thirty Years' War which was from 1618 -1648. The city of Eilenburg became the refuge for political and military fugitives, but the result was overcrowding, and deadly pestilence and famine. Armies overran it three times. The Rinkart home was a refuge for the victims, even though Pastor Martin had trouble providing for his own family. During the height of a severe plague in 1637, Rinkart was the only surviving pastor in Eilenburg, conducting as many as 50 funerals in a day. He performed more than 4000 funerals in that year, including that of his wife. But Rinkart continued to hold worship, praise God even in these difficult circumstances he was facing and he wrote this hymn: "Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices. Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices. Who from our mothers' arms, has blessed us on the way. With countless gifts of love and still is ours today." It is a wonderful hymn and we sang verse earlier and we will sing another verse later. We also had our some of our church members sing earlier the song, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.” It is a challenge to look for ways to be grateful when times are tough but we still can, as hard as it may be, give thanks to God. I am thankful our church is still supporting so many of our mission partners this year. Due to the pandemic, so many places are having a hard time. Kobe Union Church is also having a hard time since we are not really able to meet in-person and our offerings are 40% lower than usual. But what do we do? Give up? No –we still help others and we give thanks that we will do so. I would like to share now the KUC Global Missions projects that we, KUC, gave to this year to so you can see where a portion of your offerings have already gone. (See slide on the screen.) Later you can look at our church homepage for the list of all our mission partners.) Global Mission Partner Organizations for 2020: 1 - Home of Hope in Philippines 2 - Haizu Tutoring Program (はいず) 3 - Heaven's Café (天国屋カフェ) 4 - Food Bank Kansai (フードバンク関西) 5 - Fukushima-Kobe Kodomo Program (ふくしま・こうべ こどもプログラム) 6 - Asian Rural Institute (アジア学院) 7 - Shinai Kodomo Home (神愛子供ホーム) 8 - Gram Bharati Samiti (Self Help Program supported by EKK) 9 - Kibo no Ie (喜望の家) 10 - Shiyou Gakuen (止揚学園) 11 - Gideon International in Japan (ギデオン協会) 12 - TELL Counseling in Japan 13 - Young Life 14 - Ray of Light in Uganda 15 - Olive Branch Mission in Chicago 16 - Abakadang Kayumanggi Community Development Foundation in Philippines The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. It is a joy to give. I love this story from Katharine Hepburn’s childhood; in her own words. You all know or should know who she is – a very famous actress in Hollywood for 60 years. Here is her story. “Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean. The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand and looking at him like he was her knight in shining armor. He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy. The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price. The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price. The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket." The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family." My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with. Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide. That day I learnt the value to Give. The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything. The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.” – Katharine Hepburn First century Christians in Macedonia excelled in giving. They were fantastic givers! It says this in Second Corinthians 8:1-9: “And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.” They gave because of their connection to God. Our offering is a connection to God. It can be a spiritual experience to share and help by giving to the church. The Macedonian Christians gave from their hearts. To them, giving was a spiritual bonding experience. Have you noticed believers are happiest when they are working together to help others? Second Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Paul gives a last word on the Macedonian Christians—an important word to you and me. Second 2 Corinthians 8:7 says, “But because you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” You don’t have to live in Macedonia to excel in giving! You can do it from anywhere! The Holy Spirit moves in us and we are working on a new known as Growth Plan 2021. Pastor Chuck will share more at our AGM. But let the Holy Spirit touch your heart wherever you are and whoever you are. Give thanks to God with a grateful heart! You don’t have to be a member to give to KUC. Anyone can give. Help our ministries and help our vision for the future. There is joy in giving. Praise God for giving and let us live with thanks and give thanks. Amen. Passages: Hebrews 5:11-13 (Amplified Bible) 11 Concerning this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull and sluggish in [your spiritual] hearing and disinclined to listen. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is [doctrinally inexperienced and] unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a spiritual infant. Romans 15:4 (Amplified Bible) 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified Bible) 18 And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit. Today's message has been on my heart and brewing for well over a year now and you might say is why we came back to KUC to help lead and pastor. My Topic today is Spiritual Growth. Now that's a cool church phrase but I challenge you to define it before we discuss it! And my goal today is to create a hunger for more rather than to answer a question. Other kinds of growth are somewhat easier- physical- we all grow up and watch our kids grow up. Then maybe when older we go to the gym, we run, we take supplements, we try to LOSE weight actually- maybe we eat healthier things. Mental growth sort of the same- we read and study and learn and it makes sense. Emotional growth is trickier and closer to today's topic. Then we can look at a sport or a hobby- how does one get good at something or develop in an area - such as baseball, hula, piano, singing, I'd say we can agree you might get best results with 3 elements- First ,would be the basic knowledge of what to do and how; and then practice, do whatever it is a lot, practice, practice, practice, and then a coach or senpai or sensei or someone who helps impart the best information to you at the point where you are and watches you and gives you feedback. We can also view spiritual growth as a relationship. This is pretty close but is also harder to measure- are you growing in your relationships? With your spouse for example? How do you make that relationship better? I would say many of us just live life and think little about how to grow any of our relationships. Let's also agree that when we as, Christians, say "Spiritual Growth" I will assume we all mean as Christians- followers of Christ. We are literally trying to be disciples, followers and ...this is the cool part...we are trying to become LIKE Jesus! OK- there is the target so that helps! Let's look then at some areas and ways we can grow and what we might do for each. First, the better you know someone the closer you can get. For example, I mean like what they like and don't like. I have a sermon I sometimes give called "What made Jesus Glad, Mad and Sad." The idea is to have that kind of more intimate relational information and not just facts like dates and places and such. What do you think- do you know what makes God glad, mad, sad? Not maybe His favorite food but..what does God like? That's a good one to meditate on! We'll look closer at this in Sunday School. Second, shared experiences- have you ever been on a retreat with a group or taken a road trip with someone and just having that shared experience can draw you closer. In the business world they will create war games and activities which are tough and require working together to build bonds and stronger relations. Experiences with God are one the most valued elements I think Kelly and I would promote. Our target is being able to hear the whisper of the HS and then move in response to that. The interaction and dynamic nature of these times is/should be addictive but it requires practice- just like anything else. So, the key to this message is this- Have you grown in the last year? Are you closer to God? What would He say!? If this were a test what might it look like....hmmm How about this- the Bible says people will know us by our fruit? Galatians 5:19-23 gives us two lists to use in checking ourselves- read both lists but the good fruit should look like this: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. This is worth meditating on right? Word by word--- with a friend to keep you honest! Hebrews 5:12 says: 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food. Can I say it this way- do you go to church to get fed or to feed- are you just going to church when God is asking you to also BE the church! Oh Amen- you know that's my favorite sermon phrase and T-shirt! Are you a giver or just a taker? Hmmmm. And that second part- to me – the milk part- is like easy to digest whereas solid food requires a more developed system- are you studying the Bible or just asking a pastor for an answer? Are you letting yourself stay in tension on an issue or rushing to get a prepared answer? God wants us to have discernment and the ability to think and understand spiritual matters and for that we must practice and train in that way. In Romans 15:4, which Yasushi read for us today, it tells us that the Bible, scriptures, are there for our instruction. It's so simple it may get overlooked but knowing the Bible and its patterns- not just the passages- is a measure of our growth and maturity. Memorizing certain passages and using all the cool free tools we have like: (please put these up as I talk about them) biblehub.com biblegateway.com and the audio Bibles on this site! oneyearbibleonline.com for an easy way to read the whole Bible in a year with audio and a short commentary each day and questions. Finally, here is a bit of a test and a taste- a reminder of what we are striving for- 2 Corinthians 3:18 says we are gradually being transformed into the image of Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit in us...if we let this process happen, if we welcome this process- wow- that's a cool target! So….. Have you grown in the last one year? Are you closer to God than you were a year ago? Do you know him better? Do people around you FEEL the presence and glory of God in you? Do you leave a trail? What scent do you leave behind!? Are you hungry for more? Should we be matching people, so we have more discipleship and not just lectures? What do you want to look like in a year? Are there skills you want to develop so you can better serve and work with God in the field and among the people we live with? Let us know- let the leadership here at KUC know so we can start setting up some growth opportunities. We are making plans for 2021- a few of us have been drafting an updated growth plan for KUC for next year and I propose to you it starts with all of us as individuals, growing spiritually first and then - when we are seeing it we bring our friends. It's like some amazing diet- you lose weight and then your friends want to know where and how! Let’s not just go to church but actually Be the Church- let's start planning our growth Plan 2021 now so we can BE the people God meant for us to be, so we can BE the lights in the dark areas and be examples of what God can do right here in our community. If he can do this with me he can do this for you! Ok, let's pray.... God, help us see where we are now and where we could be Kindle hunger is us for the better us you want us to be Help us here at KUC to create a great growth environment Help us see how we can do more than just go to church but BE the church – Ok, see you at SS where we dive in deeper! Hebrews 11:6 Amp
6 But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him. Philippians 4:6 Amp Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. Mark 10:46-52 Amp 46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road [as was his custom].47 When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and say, “Jesus, Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly rebuked him, telling him to keep still and be quiet; but he kept on shouting out all the more, “Son of David (Messiah), have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, telling him, “Take courage, get up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni (my Master), let me regain my sight.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith [and confident trust in My power] has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road. TODAY, I want to walk around the word TRUST. Trust and faith are big church words - they’re similar yet different-especially I would say in practically ways. Often our church words need some extra clarity for our Monday thru Saturday application! I had an experience the other day which really moved me – more than it might seem and it felt like one of those God moments where God was reminding me of a key Word/concept/truth- which I forget then I remember then I forget- yea, lame- super key and yet off and on. I had a real busy day at work here in LA. I needed to get a lot done on a very tight schedule which I had laid out from early morning till the evening. At one point I got a rental truck and picked up some big heavy equipment to send to a school in Japan. Getting the items paid for and loaded took more time than it should have, and I started to get anxious. As I was leaving the parking lot of that store an old man and woman were just starting to walk across the street- so in a split-second I needed to decide- just go quick and it’ll be okay but it might look a little rude. OR wait- and let them cross but they looked super old and real slow – like late 80’s or 90’s and both- both of them had walkers. Ugh. So, in that instant I felt myself lean toward, choose, a softer heart moment so I waved them across- at that moment I felt something good- LIKE I leaned a little towards God, the God way, the God in me won if you will. No big deal but cool. Then 2/3 of the way across the street, people are now waiting behind me and waiting to turn in to this street- the lady – in broken English flashes a piece of paper at me and asks “Social security office? “ Where Social Security office?? I could barely see the words on the paper but understood- “Sorry I said – I’m not from around here. But wait, let me ask Siri! So, one car honks, I can feel people are anxious- ugh- yes, Siri shows me a map and its up the street and to the left and then somewhere over there- I tell her and she seems to understand – sort of – I wave, yea, yea, go and turn left! Ok, now people are wanting us all to get going and the couple slowly gets to the other side and I quickly drive away and get back on google maps and how to get to the next place I need to be ASAP! So I get a few blocks away and stop at a light and I get a feeling I know but its subtle- it’s what I know is the HS- it’s a tickle- for me it’s a gentle feeling that makes me slow down and smile- I literally smile- as though I am about to say something funny- so then I picture in my mind that paper the woman was holding- it had like 4 bus lines noted- like take bus 131 to which stop and bus 12 to which and then bus # what to where and suddenly my heart sank- what the heck- this old couple with their walkers- barely able to walk have taken like 4 buses – probably hours with LA buses to get to where they are/were and now seemed unsure…. ugh…should I go back? No, I have a truck and no place for them, no seats for them, how can I help? They didn't even speak English and I don’t speak Spanish- oh man- I’m late! I have a busy day! I was in a tipping point moment- (show scale) I bought this for this! I was weighing God’s whisper against my reality- my need to go! I was weighing what I felt MIGHT Be – not sure- but might be – the HS versus my own read on things- which felt very pressing and real! I suddenly felt I was weighing My trust in God versus .... my Trust in me Yea, My Trust in God and the HS and the guidance in that moment OR my own understanding and feelings and what I was thinking One might flash to this passage although I didn’t: Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” So stay focused and get going or…. go as it felt the Spirit was leading… Ok, so the light turned green and I smiled and made a U-turn and then….got excited! Its crazy that when I have felt this kid of whisper /tickle moment- I would say 90% of the time it’s ended up being very cool and amazing stuff unfolds and I feel and see God in me or in someone else or it’s just like the coolest- like an adventure with God! ---But I still hesitate!! So I head back and see them struggling along – they made the turn so good I guess and I double check what Siri gave me for the directions to the SS office- oh man- it’s like 1 kilometer down and around on this street- so it’s there but not close. Suddenly I see a group of 3 kids walking along the street- it’s an office area complex and seems deserted- probably due to Covid but these 3 black kids are walking along- 2 girls and a guy. I open my window and ask- “Hey, do you know if the SS office is over there? “ “Yea”, they say, “but it’s not open- it’s all online- you know- Covid.” Oh man I say- “see that older couple coming towards us- they’re trying to get there and took like 4 buses to get this far and they don’t speak English and look – I have no seats for them” They looked concerned but also like uh, ok, so – what do do we do??? So, I pull over, get out, and go meet the older couple and try to explain – just as I get to them, so do these 3 kids- and suddenly the guy starts speaking to them! They didn’t speak Spanish they spoke Tagalog! – The couple were Filipino! The girl said,” yea, he’s ½ Filipino so he speaks Filipino”. I got goose bumps- no way. I just blurted out- well this is totally God! They all smiled and nodded like yea, like they felt it too. So, the guy explained it all to them and I decided I could just get them an Uber and did and paid for the driver to take them home. It was like $30 bucks and would take maybe 20 minutes- I wondered how long those 4 buses had taken...in LA..likely hours- wow. When the driver arrived, he seemed unusually confused by all this- you mean you are just going to pay for this couple and you never met them? He asked like 3 times! I said yea, yea, it should be fine right? Yea, yea, just weird and the kids smiled- we all could feel our partnering with God and the sort of holiness at this moment. So not a big deal but it was a true moment for me- a reminder- and then I realized I was still late so – feeling like God was now riding with me sort of- I said “ok God show me where to turn to get gas now”- and he actually did and as I pulled in and started to get gas- the guy across from me asked if I could spare a couple of dollars for a gallon of gas so he and his daughter – maybe like 5 years old- could get home- I told him quite seriously , You know I think God just set this up- I can fill your tank. He confidently replied, Yes, I told my daughter this morning- we’ll pray, and God will help us. And we did and he did. Wow- another moment. Time is short but I can tell you I had 2 more moments in that packed day and I was perfectly fine- all on schedule- got some help when I needed it and felt that warm, peaceful contentment when I know- I know- God and I just had a good day. As I reflected on this whole experience, I realized that this was a Trust moment. That trust was the key word. I often talk about Faith and that’s appropriate and obviously big - so does the Bible! But this day and in these moments, I felt like Trust trumped faith- that this was Faith at another level- Trust. I often preach faith and feel its right-huge actually. Faith for salvation, faith for this and faith for that- faith for my healing! The Bible says clearly in Hebrews: “Without Faith it’s impossible to please God” Not without worship, or without prayer, or even love, or knowing your Bible ,or not sinning,…- without Faith. And I will argue this could accurately be restated- “Without Trusting God it’s impossible to please Him. But in my reflecting, I felt like God was saying – this is what Trust looks like. I felt God meant “Trust is in someone and Faith is for something”. Trust is in someone and Faith is for something. I don’t think this was Bible commentary – this was God helping me see these English words and what He wanted me to see that day. Like God was saying Trusting Him is walking with Him and that Trusting him- like Abraham for example- is a walk of not knowing what or where or how… but only in whom we trust So, let’s go back to the scale- here is what I feel. Trust or faith is a battle- a battle to keep it – a daily battle! we have many things being added to the other side of Trust and faith- and they are fear and what if- lots of what ifs- what if I’m late- what if we miss this shipment, what if I don’t get healed, what if I can’t find another job, what if, what if; and over here? What do I have to add over here on the God side? What does God say – in his word- and to ME just now or recently! What IS God saying – ask and listen! What has God done for us – in his word and for me- my own testimonies! I need to tip the balance to Trust I need to tip the balance to God I need to fill my heart and mind with God’s word and deeds - actively! I must offset my “what ifs “and “buts”- “but what if this?” and “but what if this?” Romans 10:10 in the NIV says: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." The bible clarifies: we believe with our hearts and our mind?..... well our mind needs taming, training, and renewal (like Romans 12:2 says) and help to stay on track- we need “big Hearts” not “big buts” (I just love saying that) The “what ifs” and “but what abouts” - they distract us and tip the balance to fear, anxiety and self-reliance and away from God So, If I had to say- how we do tip to trust? I would say: Know your Bible and what it says about whatever YOU are worried about or facing Document your God moments and what God has said to you Find what Jesus said about your topic or issue or anything related to what you face and be ready to add that to the scale in your heart- You wanna know why you feel anxious or depressed or afraid? Check you balance! Hmm, looks like you have what the doctors said but what did God say? Looks like you see a big “What if I can’t pay the rent?” You been thinking about that a lot! But you’re missing all the passages on God’s provision and how Has guided and provided all these years! Amen? Amen! Philippians 4:8 and 9 Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. 9 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you. “Think instead on these things!” I want to pray with you and/but…one of my other favorite sayings… YOU have to balance your own scale WE can pray but YOU need to add the Word and deeds of God to your scale Ok, lets pray… |
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