Think carefully.
When was the last time you left the house with NOTHING in your pockets?
No wallet. No money. No keys. No license. No cell phone. No checkbook. No pocket knife. No make-up. No comb. No lipstick. No credit cards.
No insurance card. No library card. No Kroger card. No business card. No AAA card. No AARP card. No debit card. No Blockbuster card. No Family Bookstores card. No ATM card. No Social Security card.
No identification of any kind.
When was the last time you left everything behind...not because you forgot it...but simply because you just didn't need it?
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine...imagine yourself walking into the sunshine of a new day with EMPTY POCKETS!
Nothing in them. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
How would you feel?
You NEED all of that stuff, right?
Doors need to be locked...so you NEED a key.
People need hospitals...so you NEED an insurance card.
Need gas? Credit card.
Money? ATM card.
Groceries? Kroger card.
Car problem? AAA card.
Fast food? Money.
Just about everything else? Cell phone.
Why do you need all of that stuff? Because your life is so full of stuff already!
If you have stuff, you need stuff. If you want more stuff, you need stuff to get it. You need stuff to get stuff. You need stuff to keep the stuff you already have!
But, why do you need all of that stuff in the first place?
You need stuff because you believe it provides three very important things...
...the equation looks something like this:
Stuff = Safety
Stuff = Security
Stuff = Satisfaction
Let's be honest for a moment. When was the last time your stuff really made you feel safe? When did it give you a feeling of true security? When did it actually satisfy you deeply?
Probably not in a long time. Maybe never.
Now, try closing your eyes again. This time, imagine leaving all of that stuff behind because you no longer need it.
Do you remember what it was like when you were a child and you went outside to play? You went with empty pockets! You didn't need a wallet. Or keys. Or money. Or credit cards. Or any identification of any kind.
You just went outside and played. What freedom! What an unencumbered life! It was a life of empty pockets!
Do you want to experience life like that again?
A life where every need is taken care of. Every person you meet is a friend. Every day is a day to go outside and play with empty pockets...just as you did as a child.
Is it really possible?
I believe it is.
I believe that someday all Christians will have that kind of life. I believe a day is coming when "safety" will be a non-issue. When "security" is found in a Person, rather than in pockets full of stuff. When "satisfaction" comes from what is on the inside rather than from what is accumulated on the outside.
Here is how the Lord describes that coming day for His people through the prophet Isaiah...
"No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.
Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly." (Isaiah 60:18-22)
What lies ahead for you?
A life of stuff? You can find it anytime, anyplace, in the world today.
Or a life of empty pockets? You can find it in only one place...in only one Person...in Jesus Christ.
As for me, I can't wait for the day when I can empty my pockets...and go out and play...every day...forever!
Pastor Greg
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Give Me the Keys!
I have been teaching my teenage son how to drive.
Can you read between the lines? Let me say it again, only this time, more slowly...
I – have – been – teaching – my – teenage – son – how – to – drive.
For me, another crop of gray hair. For him, learning to obey Dad's "First Commandment of Student Driving" –
"Do what I say immediately, without question and without hesitation."
Because he is so anxious to get behind the wheel, and because his mother refuses to step foot in the car if he is driving, my son eagerly agrees to follow Dad's First Commandment.
While we are sitting in the driveway, everything goes well. He has every intention of obeying every word I say. His heart is in the right place.
After we pull into the street, real driving proves to be a bit more complicated and following Dad's First Commandment becomes a bit more challenging.
It is not that he willingly disobeys me when I say, "You need to stay on THIS side of the double-yellow line." Instead, he wants to justify why he is on THAT side. He wants to give me a whole list of good reasons why he ended up on THAT side.
He wants me to understand how he got there and overlook the fact that he is driving on the wrong side of the road. He wants me to say, "I understand. Your reasons for being on THAT side make all the sense in the world. I forgive you."
But I cannot say that.
Because I love him...because I want what is best for him...because I want him to learn the right way...because I want him to be safe...because I want him to live past his 18th birthday...and because, even though he doesn't see it, in the other lane, there is a
loadeddumptruckbelchingsmokegoingtoofastandcomingstraightatus!
I say instead, "Move over NOW!"
In the process, he learns some very important things...
1. I know more than he does when it comes to driving
2. I have very good reasons to tell him what to do.
3. If he ever wants to get to the Promised Land of driving by himself, he needs to see things my way.
And it all starts with following Dad's "First Commandment of Student Driving."
In our Christian lives, it all starts with following the words of Jesus.
In John, chapter 12, Jesus uses strong language to make the same point. He says...
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life."
When we first become Christians, we are so anxious to get behind the wheel with Jesus that we eagerly agree to "accept His words."
But, as we pull into the road of real life, we find it difficult to do what He says "without question and without hesitation."
Like my son when he drives, we want to give Jesus a whole list of reasons why we ought to be able to go our own way. We want him to understand, to forgive, and to allow us to keep on going down the wrong side of the road.
But He cannot do that.
Because he loves us...because He wants what is best for us...because He wants us to learn "right" from "wrong"...because He wants us to be safe from danger...because He wants us to live with Him forever...and because, even though we do not see it, in the other lane, there is a
loadeddumptruckcalledhellbelchingsmokegoingtoofastandcomingstraightatus!
In the process, He wants to teach us some very important things...
1. He knows more than we do when it comes to living the Christian life
2. He has very good reasons to tell us what to do.
3. If we want to get to heaven, we need to see things Jesus' way.
Once we show Him that He can trust us to follow Him and do what He says, then He will give us the keys...not to the car...but to those pearly gates!
Pastor Greg
Can you read between the lines? Let me say it again, only this time, more slowly...
I – have – been – teaching – my – teenage – son – how – to – drive.
For me, another crop of gray hair. For him, learning to obey Dad's "First Commandment of Student Driving" –
"Do what I say immediately, without question and without hesitation."
Because he is so anxious to get behind the wheel, and because his mother refuses to step foot in the car if he is driving, my son eagerly agrees to follow Dad's First Commandment.
While we are sitting in the driveway, everything goes well. He has every intention of obeying every word I say. His heart is in the right place.
After we pull into the street, real driving proves to be a bit more complicated and following Dad's First Commandment becomes a bit more challenging.
It is not that he willingly disobeys me when I say, "You need to stay on THIS side of the double-yellow line." Instead, he wants to justify why he is on THAT side. He wants to give me a whole list of good reasons why he ended up on THAT side.
He wants me to understand how he got there and overlook the fact that he is driving on the wrong side of the road. He wants me to say, "I understand. Your reasons for being on THAT side make all the sense in the world. I forgive you."
But I cannot say that.
Because I love him...because I want what is best for him...because I want him to learn the right way...because I want him to be safe...because I want him to live past his 18th birthday...and because, even though he doesn't see it, in the other lane, there is a
loadeddumptruckbelchingsmokegoingtoofastandcomingstraightatus!
I say instead, "Move over NOW!"
In the process, he learns some very important things...
1. I know more than he does when it comes to driving
2. I have very good reasons to tell him what to do.
3. If he ever wants to get to the Promised Land of driving by himself, he needs to see things my way.
And it all starts with following Dad's "First Commandment of Student Driving."
In our Christian lives, it all starts with following the words of Jesus.
In John, chapter 12, Jesus uses strong language to make the same point. He says...
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life."
When we first become Christians, we are so anxious to get behind the wheel with Jesus that we eagerly agree to "accept His words."
But, as we pull into the road of real life, we find it difficult to do what He says "without question and without hesitation."
Like my son when he drives, we want to give Jesus a whole list of reasons why we ought to be able to go our own way. We want him to understand, to forgive, and to allow us to keep on going down the wrong side of the road.
But He cannot do that.
Because he loves us...because He wants what is best for us...because He wants us to learn "right" from "wrong"...because He wants us to be safe from danger...because He wants us to live with Him forever...and because, even though we do not see it, in the other lane, there is a
loadeddumptruckcalledhellbelchingsmokegoingtoofastandcomingstraightatus!
In the process, He wants to teach us some very important things...
1. He knows more than we do when it comes to living the Christian life
2. He has very good reasons to tell us what to do.
3. If we want to get to heaven, we need to see things Jesus' way.
Once we show Him that He can trust us to follow Him and do what He says, then He will give us the keys...not to the car...but to those pearly gates!
Pastor Greg
Monday, August 17, 2009
Chasing Squirrels and Chasing Jesus
Our dog, Lucy, just loves to chase squirrels.
And she has plenty of opportunity to pursue her passion, thanks to a bird feeder on our deck, a built-in dog door, and a couple of very brave squirrels.
She never gets tired of the chase. She never loses interest, and she never gives up. As soon as she sees a squirrel on the deck, out she goes...a blurry of fur flying through the dog door.
Actually, all you have to do is say the word, "squirrel" around her...you barely get the word out of your mouth...and, "BANG," the dog hits the floor full-speed-ahead...a dog on a mission.
Of course, the squirrel ALWAYS gets away.
Never once, in the hundreds and hundreds of times she has tried, has Lucy ever actually CAUGHT a squirrel.
She runs...she hops...she jumps...she barks...she scrapes her nails on the wood deck...but she never quite manages to complete the task. She never reaches the goal.
But, every time a squirrel pops back up on that deck, Lucy THINKS she can do it. She thinks, "THIS time, it will be different! THIS time I am going to get that squirrel!"
Not.
Not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...
not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not
...not...not!
I almost wonder if Lucy is expecting the squirrel to just reward her for the effort.
I wonder if she is thinking that the squirrel might finally just say, "You know, dog, you have been trying so hard to catch me for such a long time. I admire your persistence and effort. It's amazing. Here, open your mouth, let me jump in. You deserve it!"
It reminds me of people who just keep coming to church over and over and over again, who think that God will be persuaded to reward their effort.
They come to church week after week after week after week...whether they want to or not...and they sit in the same spot in the same pew in the same church. Every Sunday.
Their effort is amazing. They never give up. They never get tired. They keep on coming over a long period of time. What persistence! What effort!
What for?
Do they think that Jesus is going to say to them someday, "You have worked so hard for so long at coming to church every week. It's amazing. Here, I have opened the gates to heaven for you. You deserve it!"
If that is what they think, on that day, I'm afraid they will be sadly disappointed.
Just like that squirrel is never going to reward Lucy's effort by jumping into her mouth...he would not sacrifice himself like that...Jesus is not going to reward anyone with a place in heaven simply because they made an effort to get to church.
He did not sacrifice Himself for that.
He did not sacrifice Himself on the cross of Calvary to get you to come to church!
No. He sacrificed Himself so you would invite Him into your heart.
He doesn't want you to come to church to impress Him. He wants you to come to church because you love Him.
Church is not the door to heaven. Jesus is the only door.
Jesus first. Church second.
Look at it this way...if heaven is a doctor's office, church is the waiting room. If heaven is an airplane, church is the departure gate. If heaven is a late-night television talk show, church is the green room.
If you are in the doctor's waiting room, you are already a patient. If you are at the plane's departure gate, you already have your ticket. If you are in the green room, you are already an invited guest on the show.
You see, you come to church not to get into heaven. Rather, you come to church because you are already "in" heaven.
You are already a patient of the Great Physician. You already have your ticket booked. You are already an invited guest.
Because you already have Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
The great apostle Peter went to church. Paul, the greatest church planter of all time, also went to church. James was a mover and a shaker in the early church in Jerusalem.
But, for all of them, church was a consequence of their encounter with Jesus.
Here is how Paul put it when he wrote to the church in Philippi...
"Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances...The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at his ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts and we know it – even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.
...(These) very credentials...I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash – along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.
...Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant...I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him." Philippians 3:2-8a (from The Message)
Lucy will chase squirrels as long as they keep running away from her.
Isn't it good to know that you don't have to chase Jesus in the same way? He does not run away from you. He turns to you and opens his arms.
Wide.
See you in church on Sunday!
Pastor Gregory
And she has plenty of opportunity to pursue her passion, thanks to a bird feeder on our deck, a built-in dog door, and a couple of very brave squirrels.
She never gets tired of the chase. She never loses interest, and she never gives up. As soon as she sees a squirrel on the deck, out she goes...a blurry of fur flying through the dog door.
Actually, all you have to do is say the word, "squirrel" around her...you barely get the word out of your mouth...and, "BANG," the dog hits the floor full-speed-ahead...a dog on a mission.
Of course, the squirrel ALWAYS gets away.
Never once, in the hundreds and hundreds of times she has tried, has Lucy ever actually CAUGHT a squirrel.
She runs...she hops...she jumps...she barks...she scrapes her nails on the wood deck...but she never quite manages to complete the task. She never reaches the goal.
But, every time a squirrel pops back up on that deck, Lucy THINKS she can do it. She thinks, "THIS time, it will be different! THIS time I am going to get that squirrel!"
Not.
Not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...
not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not...not
...not...not!
I almost wonder if Lucy is expecting the squirrel to just reward her for the effort.
I wonder if she is thinking that the squirrel might finally just say, "You know, dog, you have been trying so hard to catch me for such a long time. I admire your persistence and effort. It's amazing. Here, open your mouth, let me jump in. You deserve it!"
It reminds me of people who just keep coming to church over and over and over again, who think that God will be persuaded to reward their effort.
They come to church week after week after week after week...whether they want to or not...and they sit in the same spot in the same pew in the same church. Every Sunday.
Their effort is amazing. They never give up. They never get tired. They keep on coming over a long period of time. What persistence! What effort!
What for?
Do they think that Jesus is going to say to them someday, "You have worked so hard for so long at coming to church every week. It's amazing. Here, I have opened the gates to heaven for you. You deserve it!"
If that is what they think, on that day, I'm afraid they will be sadly disappointed.
Just like that squirrel is never going to reward Lucy's effort by jumping into her mouth...he would not sacrifice himself like that...Jesus is not going to reward anyone with a place in heaven simply because they made an effort to get to church.
He did not sacrifice Himself for that.
He did not sacrifice Himself on the cross of Calvary to get you to come to church!
No. He sacrificed Himself so you would invite Him into your heart.
He doesn't want you to come to church to impress Him. He wants you to come to church because you love Him.
Church is not the door to heaven. Jesus is the only door.
Jesus first. Church second.
Look at it this way...if heaven is a doctor's office, church is the waiting room. If heaven is an airplane, church is the departure gate. If heaven is a late-night television talk show, church is the green room.
If you are in the doctor's waiting room, you are already a patient. If you are at the plane's departure gate, you already have your ticket. If you are in the green room, you are already an invited guest on the show.
You see, you come to church not to get into heaven. Rather, you come to church because you are already "in" heaven.
You are already a patient of the Great Physician. You already have your ticket booked. You are already an invited guest.
Because you already have Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
The great apostle Peter went to church. Paul, the greatest church planter of all time, also went to church. James was a mover and a shaker in the early church in Jerusalem.
But, for all of them, church was a consequence of their encounter with Jesus.
Here is how Paul put it when he wrote to the church in Philippi...
"Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances...The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at his ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts and we know it – even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.
...(These) very credentials...I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash – along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ.
...Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant...I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him." Philippians 3:2-8a (from The Message)
Lucy will chase squirrels as long as they keep running away from her.
Isn't it good to know that you don't have to chase Jesus in the same way? He does not run away from you. He turns to you and opens his arms.
Wide.
See you in church on Sunday!
Pastor Gregory
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