23

Jump Start # 3684

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3684

Genesis 25:8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.

Our passage takes us to the end of Abraham’s life. He was an old man. But more than that, he was satisfied with life. What a journey he had been on. Called to leave his home to a place unknown to him. Promised a child late in life. Ordered by God to sacrifice that child. He walked, he trusted and he knew the Lord. Abraham became the pillar of the faith of Israel.

I want to do a little twist to that expression, ‘satisfied with life.’ There is a greater satisfaction that is the bedrock of the heart of a disciple. It is being satisfied with God. That means being content with God. And, not just God, but God’s word and God’s way.

There seems to be a shift taking place among younger Christians. And, it’s coming from those who are second, third and fourth generation Christians. It’s coming from those who ought to know better. Unhappy with what the church cannot do, they seek to change things and when that is not accomplished, off they flee to a church that satisfies their liking. And, the trade off is enormous. They leave the doctrine of the N.T. because they want a church that does more in the community. They leave the standard of God for a church that offers more social programs. They leave what the N.T. teaches to embrace the call of our culture today and that is tolerating those who are indifferent to God. Out the window goes the distinctive nature of the N.T. church. And, running as fast as they can to find a church that loves and emphases grace, they have ignored and forgotten plain N.T. passages.

What’s behind this movement? Why are so many twenty to thirty year-olds off to community churches, that have no doctrinal foundation but they are full of programs that they are looking for? Some are simply not satisfied with God’s way. They are not content with that God wants. They think the church ought to do more, even though what they want is not found in the Bible. They want less teaching and more feeling. They want a church that looks like the churches around them. And, in communities after communities, young Christians are leaving. Their children will grow up not fully understanding the N.T. way.

Content with what God says. Naaman the leper wasn’t. He wanted a prophet to show up, not his servant. He wanted a show, waving arms, commanding voice, not dip in a dirty Judean river. He went away. He went away a leper. It wasn’t until his own people convinced him, that he followed the orders and went to the Jordan and was cleansed.

Felix wasn’t content with what God said. As Paul preached to him about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix kicked the can down the road. Another time. When I find the time, I’ll call for you. The message wasn’t what he wanted. He wasn’t satisfied with what was said.

The culture of the world can sure color how we see things. Accepting without judging. Accepting without changing. Changing God’s word so people will be happy. Steering clear of touchy subjects. “just as I am,” becomes the anthem. This is who I am, take it or leave it. And, what is missing in the jumbled up theology that is being presented on social media today is that the first mark of discipleship is to deny self. It’s not what I think. It’s not what I want. It’s not about me. My satisfaction is secondary to God’s satisfaction. If I strive to make myself happy, but in so doing, I by-pass what God says, then the Lord will not be happy.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, were the words of the Lord.  Here are some thoughts:

First, too many want the church to do what they could do on their own. The flavor of the month is to put the word “ministry” behind any other word and then it is run through the church, financed by the church and operated by the church. So one will hear of “singles ministry;” “Bike ministry;” “Cooking ministry;” “Puppet ministry;” “Senior ministry;” “Youth ministry;” “Camping ministry;” “Support ministry;” “Grief ministry;” “Dating ministry;” and, on and on and on it goes.

Want to do things with people your own age? Call them up. Invite them over to your house. Have a study, a singing or play games. But it doesn’t have to be a “ministry.” It doesn’t have to be filtered through the church.

Think more ought to be done in the community? Then do it. Volunteer at a shelter. Take items there. Serve food. Pick up trash along the streets. Adopt a rescue pet. Be a foster parent. Go to charity events. Do a 5K run or walk-a-thon for cancer. These things do not have to be run through the church. Could it be that some are wanting others to plan it, finance it, advertise it, and they simply show up? If you find a cause you believe in and is Biblical, be a part of it.

Second, leaving what the N.T. says because I want the church to do more than what God has specified is extremely self seeking and lacks the contentment with God. Once that door is opened, it will never close. You want the church to do more in the community, so you make a trade off and find a church that does what you like, but you have had to sell your soul and your beliefs to do that. Along comes someone else, and he wants God to be more forgiving. So, he’ll toss aside baptism and discipleship because those things are too narrow and people don’t like them. Another comes along and wants the church to be more of a democracy in how it is run. Another comes along and wants women to have more of a voice in matters. Another thinks anyone, member or not, ought to have more of a say in how the church is run.

And, now the door stands wide open. The wind blows so hard that no one can close it. If I can leave the N.T. pattern to find a church that extends more grace than what the Bible says, why can’t someone else find a church that does what they want? Satisfied. Not satisfied with what God says.

And, the flimsy ways to justify such things show a lack of Biblical understanding and depth. Jesus fed the 5,000 and so ought the church, many are crying today. Yet, all through the letters to the churches are passages about helping needy saints, not needy citizens. You want to help needy citizens, do so. That’s the good Samaritan story. Jesus wasn’t giving a pattern for the church to follow. He was demonstrating that He was God on earth. Jesus also turned over tables of those who were abusing God’s way. Ought a church do that as well?

Third, satisfaction with God’s way comes from understanding that our way and our thoughts haven’t worked well. It was our ways that got us into the mess that we are in. Our ways led to sin. The prophet tells us that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. That right there ought to stop us. When we begin reading what we think, how I feel, what I like, into the Scriptures, then we have lowered the impact of the Bible. Let God speak for Himself.

Abraham was satisfied with life. I wish we could be satisfied with God’s way. You can’t improve upon God. This is something we can work on together.

Roger

22

Jump Start # 3683

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3683

Psalms 84:10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I had a bad day. I’m out on the road preaching. The morning began with a text from someone saying that I had left my Bible at the church building the night before. That never happens. NEVER. I may forget my phone. I may misplace my wallet. But I always know where my Bible is. It only gets worse. Those that have heard me preach know that I like to use fill-in the blank sermon notecards. For the morning class, I brought the wrong notecards. I never do that. NEVER. After class, I went out to eat with someone and left my satchel in the backseat of his car. My Bibles were in that, along with pens, sermons. I couldn’t believe it. That never happens. NEVER.

I thought of my favorite kids book, Alexander, and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Throughout that Alexander story, poor Alexander wants to go to Australia to just to get away from all his problems. I thought about booking a flight there myself.

Why was I so forgetful, I kept asking myself. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I was doing too much and just wasn’t focusing like I should have. Maybe this. Maybe that.

Bad days. They happen. You are in a hurry one morning and you can’t find the car keys. Now everything stops. You spend the next twenty minutes looking everywhere and you still can’t find them. Oh, you have a lot to do today and the school calls and your child is sick. That changes all your plans. Or, a neighbor calls and needs your help.

Bad days. Car won’t start. Dog is not acting right and needs to go to the vet. Furnace isn’t working. The internet is out. Oh, the list can be long and it doesn’t take much to interrupt what we were going to do and create a messy or bad day.

Here are some thoughts:

First, a bad day can become a bad week if you let it. You can continue to beat yourself up for misplacing something, not taking care of something or just being forgetful. Keep your perspective. My Bible was safe in the church building and when I arrived there I knew right where it was. Some inconvenience, that’s all. There are so many who have lost souls and they don’t realize it. There are folks in Florida and North Carolina who still do not have running water or power. Some have lost family members. Some have to start over. All they had was lost. Keep your perspective.

Second, learn and do better. I guarantee you that the next day the right notecards were carried. My Bibles were with me. This wasn’t going to happen again. And, that’s what we do. We do better. Maybe someone was in the hospital and we never came to visit. Maybe there was a funeral and we didn’t go. It slipped by us. We were busy. And, now the feelings of guilt overwhelm us. It’s hard to look at those people because we feel like we let them down. If you need to apologize, do it. But more than that, learn and do better. Don’t make the same mistake again.

Third, stay on top of things by being organized and efficient. Put things in the same place every time. Get things laid out the night before. There are things that we cannot control, such as a child getting sick or things breaking down. Learn to adjust. Learn to use those moments to do other things.

Bad days tend to lead to prayer more than good days. We need guidance, help and support when days are not turning out well. We need the Lord. Bad days remind us that we are not in control. There are things such as the weather, other people, technology that are beyond the limits of our control. There are days when we are at the mercy of others and their schedules and we just have to be patient and wait. And, it’s that waiting that is so hard. I tend to think that if we pray for patience, God puts us in situations that calls upon us to be patient. It’s more than just waiting. Some wait, but they are fuming and mad. Some wait, but they are not patient. Some wait and all you hear are the sighs and “I’m bored.” Others wisely use the moment to send some encouraging words to others. They’ll catch up on some Bible reading. They will use the moment to pray.

In fact, bad days are only bad if you allow that to happen. The day may not end like you anticipated. Your plans may have changed many times throughout the day. What you were going to do is not what you got to do. But that doesn’t make it bad. Growing up I had a Gumby toy. You could twist him, bend him, stretch him. And, after all that, he still had a smile on his face. Maybe that little toy knew something. Our days may bend us, stretch us, turn us and twist us, but can we keep that smile on our face?

For me, the rest of the week turned out well. No lost Bibles. No wrong notecards. No forgotten shoulder bag.

Roger

21

Jump Start # 3682

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3682

Acts 8:28 “and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.”

It’s Monday morning. Back to work. Back to school. Busy day. Doctor’s appointments. Errands to run. Get the dog to the vet. Get a hair cut. Run to the bank. Grocery shopping. Laundry. Catch a game on TV tonight.  And, through all of this haste and things to do, have we forgotten about yesterday, Sunday, the best day of the week?

Our verse today sets the tone that leads to the conversion of the treasurer from Ethiopia. He had been to Jerusalem to worship, which likely would have been a Sabbath day. Now he’s heading home. I expect with him were satchels of important papers. Business demands. Economic concerns. Building projects that he had to work into budgets. Meetings with various people. One doesn’t get to his position by being lazy and incompetent.

Yet, the Scriptures reveal to us that he is reading Isaiah. Worship is over and he is still reading. He is on his way home and he is reading God’s word. He didn’t toss his Bible in the back seat of the car and forget about it until the next week. How easily he could have checked off that worship was over and now it’s time to think about business, sports and fun.

Have you ever just listened to conversations that take place after Sunday worship? The final amen is said and multiple mini conversations take place. And, what are people talking about? Do you see anyone sitting down with Bibles opened and discussing the sermon that they just heard? No. Usually it’s about what team won the football game on Saturday. It’s about the ups and downs of a recent vacation. It’s about how do you fix a car. It’s about sharing recipes. And, I admit, that I’m right in the thick of those conversations. And, before the noon meal is finished, the sermon is forgotten, the songs can’t be recalled and worship has been reduced to a moment and the moment doesn’t last long.

Worship was over, and the Ethiopian was reading Isaiah. Amazing! How can I make Sunday impact, direct and color my Monday? How can I keep what I did, learned and loved on Sunday alive through the week? This is something we preachers think about. We want to say something so memorable that the audience will never forget it. But that won’t happen. And, that puts too much on us and not on the individual worshipper.

Here are some thoughts:

First, take thorough notes of worship. I was going through some old ledgers from the 1950s of a congregation. Recorded for every Sunday was the name of the song leader, the list of songs sung, the name of the preacher and the title of the sermon. You may not go to such detail, but take a look at your sermon notes Sunday evening and go over them again. Lay the sermon notes by your wallet, purse or car keys. In the morning as you busy day begins, there are the sermon notes. As you drive about, think about Sunday. Think about the people you saw. Say a prayer for them. Think about the songs you sang. Sing them again. Think about the sermon. Let those points simmer in your heart and mind.

Second, one thing we do at Charlestown Road is we have a Wednesday podcast that recaps what was preached on Sunday. We chase a few rabbits, lower the nets some, and consider the lesson in more detail. You can do that on your own without a podcast. Talk about the lesson over Sunday lunch. What stuck with you? What other verses could have been used? What did you learn? How did you see Jesus?

In our area we have some die hard Kentucky basketball fans. I know a family that has season tickets to the games. They’ll drive over, listening to the pregame on the radio. They’ll tail gate and talk the game with other fans. After the game is over, they will listen to the post game report on the way home. Then, once they get home, they watch the game again, that they recorded on TV. They thoroughly immerse themselves in that experience and game. Now, compare that to what we do on Sunday?

Third, the Ethiopian wanted to learn. God sent Philip to him because he had an honest and good heart. He just wasn’t reading, he was thinking. He wanted to know who Isaiah was talking about. His mind was in the word of God. And, when our mind is in worship, things will stick with us.

What happens on Sunday can make a difference on our Monday and Tuesday.

Roger

18

Jump Start # 3681

Posted on October 18, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3681

Hebrews 11:38 “men of whom th world was not worthy, wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

It was an eerie picture posted on several news outlets. A foot was found in a boot. Just a foot, nothing else. Where the boot was found was even more intriguing. Eight hundred feet from the top of the world’s tallest mountain, Everest, a foot was found in a boot. More interesting was that a name was on the sock in the boot. It was the name of Andrew Irvine, known as “Sandy.” He and fellow mountaineer, George Mallory disappeared in 1924—one hundred years ago. The body of Mallory was found in 1999. Nothing was ever found of Sandy. They were striving to be the first to reach the top of Everest.

Nearly 30 years later, in 1953, Edmund Hillary was the first to reach the top of the summit. Sandy Irwin was so close. Questions remain whether he actually reached the top and was descending down when tragedy happened. The camera that they had with them has never been found. Questions abound, such as how did he die? What happened to the rest of his remains? Was he the first to reach the top?

But more than questions, there are all kinds of lessons for us here:

First, what all we do may never be known by others. If indeed Sandy reached the top in 1924, his name never made the history books. There was no celebration for Sandy. Edmund Hillary, the acclaimed first to reach the top, was honored with the title “Sir.” That special designation goes to very few people.

When Jesus said don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing, he is emphasizing this principle. Do things because it is the right thing to do. Don’t do things to draw attention to yourself. How many pray for others and they never know it? How many cards, texts and phone calls are made every day to cheer up someone, answer questions, teach others, and most never know a thing about it.

It’s easy to declare, “nothing is going on around here.” Most cases, there is a ton of stuff going on, we just don’t know about it. We don’t need to know about it. Knowing about it can create pride and jealously. Just do what you can do.

Second, how we die is not nearly as important as how we live. There are books and shows about how famous people died. Often the medical practices were primitive. What is more important is how one lives. We all wish to die peacefully, surrounded by our families. It may not happen that way. But our exit out of this place is not as valuable as the footprints we have left for others to follow. Living a life for Christ makes all the difference.

Third, our story may never be fully told, understood or even known by others. God knows. The long sacrifices a mother makes for her little children. Few, if any, will ever know. God does. The long hours that a shepherd patiently guides a lost sheep back to where he needs to be will not be known by others. God knows. The amount of money that one has poured into helping someone go through addiction rehab and counseling may never be known. God knows. The number of prayers that someone has prayed for you, may never be known. God knows.

We may never get the recognition that we ought to. We may never get a “thank you” from those we have helped. We may never even get our 15 minutes of fame. It may not happen. For some, that can be discouraging. But, we know the praise and glory belongs to our Lord. He put the opportunity and gave us the means to do what we could.

For some, it’s been a long, long journey through the weeds of religious error to find the truth of God’s word. Some have endured so much. When you and I open our English Bibles, there were lives that were literally burned at the stake to put God’s word in our language. Most don’t know those names. Most have no clue what they went through. But their sacrifices have made things so much nicer for us.

There were others who donated property so church buildings could be built. There were some who wadded swollen rivers to go preach to a handful of people. Sacrifices—untold stories.

The end of Hebrews tells of those who were stoned, sawn into, killed with the sword, destitute, afflicted and ill-treated. And what the writer doesn’t do is match names with those horrific events. Who was stoned in the O.T.? Who was destitute? Forgotten stories, but known to God.

A foot found near the top of a mountain that is extremely hard to reach. A story not fully known. But a God who knows all.

Something to think about…

Roger

17

Jump Start # 3680

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3680

Joshua 7:1 “But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the Lord burned against the sons of Israel.”

It is an interesting way to begin a chapter. It is an interesting way to begin a sentence. In nearly all English translations, this verse begins with the word “but.” But, brings another side to the story. But is negative. For instance:

  • School is great, but, I don’t like the food
  • I love my job, but, I have to travel a lot
  • I have the best kids in the world, but, they are very picky eaters
  • I love my house, but, the neighbors are weird

The sixth chapter of Joshua ends with a great victory at Jericho. The fame of Joshua and Israel was spreading through the land. With God, they could not be stopped. Things couldn’t be better, BUT…

Most know the story. Instead of walls falling down, Israel fell down and ran. What happened next was a disaster. There was sin in the camp. God’s law had been violated. God became angry. Israel suffered. And, what follows is a clear example of leading through storms.

First, Joshua sought the Lord. He fell on his face. He tore his clothes. He put dust on his head. He and the elders of Israel prayed.

Second, Joshua moved into actin. He rose early in the morning. He was before the people. He spoke with a clear voice. He didn’t begin by softening the wrong that was done. He did not say, “We all do wrong from time to time.” Or, “who here hasn’t done something wrong before?” He didn’t say, “Wow, when I saw all that stuff, I thought about taking some of it too.” In a crisis, in a storm, in a disaster, people are looking for a leader who moves with action, who has directions, solutions and a clear voice.

Third, Joshua identified the problem. This was done not behind closed doors or in a small room, but before all the people. Everyone now knew. The defeat at AI was because one among them had disobeyed the Lord. The people knew that they could count on Joshua. They knew that he was leading them to the Lord.

Fourth, Joshua did what was right, not what was easy. Achan, his possessions, his children were all put to death. The bloodline ended. His sin had hurt his family. His sin had hurt the nation. Sin always comes with consequences. The problem was dealt with and peace returned to the nation.

What brilliant steps for leaders in God’s kingdom to remember and imitate. On sunny days, when everything is running smoothly, leading is easy. It’s when the storm clouds build. It’s when there is sin in the camp. It’s when someone is hiding the wrong that they have done. This is when the true worth of a leader is found. No favoritism. No bending the rules. No double standards. Grace and mercy needs to be applied and when someone does not want to repent and damage is taking place in the church, then action must follow. It must be Biblical. It must be thought out. It must be prayed out.

Further damage takes place when the leaders run and hide because they don’t want to get involved in something messy or hard. Such men are not good leaders. Patience and looking the other way are not the same things. There comes a time when one must either stop his wicked ways and repent or face the discipline that is necessary.

Leading through storms. Here are some thoughts:

First, leaders must be on the same page with each other and give one consistent answer. Covid made many congregations face things that was new for them. Storms will do the same. Should we cancel services or not? A congregation isn’t helped by opposite answers coming from the leaders. Phone calls, texts, emails must fly through the air as leaders land upon what decision will be made. They then must communicate that consistently. Unlike at home, when a child hears “no,” from dad, and then runs to mom with the same request, hoping for a “yes.” Mixed signals creates doubt and makes people wonder who is at the helm during this storm.

Second, leaders must do what is right with the Lord, not what everyone always wants. Joshua didn’t put the fate of Achan to a vote. The Lord was clear. Joshua was clear. There may be some who get upset at the decision of the leaders. Often, our displeasure comes from our perspective. We forget about others. Leaders can’t. While I may easily make it to the church building, some of the frail members may not. It may put them in harms way to travel out. Some have no room for wrath, discipline or punishment in their vocabulary. They would still be giving Achan a second chance. Then a third. Then a fourth. Some just cannot draw a line in the sand with the Lord. Leaders must. They must make the call that others may not agree with. They must make the call that is uncomfortable. They do this, because they are following the will of the Lord.

Third, leaders realize that in dealing with sin in the camp, it’s not all about the wrong brother. God’s dealing with Achan would send a reminder for Israel every time they conquered a city. This is serious. We need to take God at His word. And, when action must be taken against someone who refuses to walk with the Lord, it sends a message to the whole church. A little leaven can leaven the whole lump, the N.T. reminds us. That works both ways—positive and negative.

Leading through storms…valuable lessons for our leaders today.

Roger