10

Jump Start # 2797

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2797

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Our verse is about environment. Not the environment of the atmosphere, clouds, sky and things like that. It’s about the environment of people. We can’t do much about the atmosphere. You plan a picnic or an outdoor wedding, and here comes the storm clouds. Not much you can do about that. However, the environment of people is completely in our control. Who we invite into our lives is up to us.

What is interesting about our passage is how so many lift it out of its context. Get a group of teens together for a devotion, and this passage will certainly be used. There are things that teens can learn from this passage but that wasn’t the main thrust or focus. This chapter is about the resurrection of Jesus. That is the focal point of the N.T. The resurrection of Jesus is the exclamation point of the Bible. By it, God demonstrated His love. The resurrection of Jesus was the death blow that crushed Satan. A Jesus without the resurrection is a Jesus without hope and a Jesus that cannot forgive. Without the resurrection, the prison doors of death are forever locked. Without the resurrection of Jesus, Heaven will never be. That’s how important the resurrection is.

In talking to our friends, the drawing point isn’t how cool our church is, nor, how friendly the people are, nor that there are so many kids that are the same age as yours. Those things do not matter. The drawing point is the Jesus lives. Jesus is the Lord. The resurrection proves all of that.

This chapter of Corinthians was written because there were some who no longer believed in the resurrection. And, without the resurrection, what’s the point? Why worship? Why the N.T.? “There are some among you that say there is no resurrection of the dead” (v. 12). That “among you,” believe it or not, is the Corinthian church. There were Christians who claimed that there is no resurrection. This is not something that you give someone a pass on. This isn’t something that one says, “Well, I see it differently than you do.” There is no other possible option. Jesus rose. The proof is overwhelming. This chapter alone sticks it to those who wanted to believe something else. They were wrong, flat out wrong.

And, it is within this environment that our verse is found. The bad company wasn’t the kid down the street who smokes and rides his motorcycle fast through the neighborhood. The bad company was in the church. The bad company was members who did not believe in the resurrection. And, it is these bad company that would corrupt good morals. The Common English phrases this, “corrupts good character.” Now, how might that be done. If I could be convinced that there is no resurrection, then there won’t be a judgment day. No judgment day means there won’t be a Hell. No punishment. No fear. Do what you want. Those good morals, that good character now has a green light to become wicked. And, why not? You can’t get into any trouble. Do whatever you want. Remove the stop signs in your life. You can live just like a sinner. The doors become wide open.

This is the cause for this stern warning. This bad company is going to ruin you. Your mind has become twisted. Your values are upside down. Your thinking isn’t right. You are headed toward a brick wall and you do not even see it. Bad company ruins you. Environment.

Now, some thoughts:

First, not everyone who claims to be a Christian, or even worships with you, are going the same direction as you are. These non-resurrection believers in Corinth certainly weren’t. Just because someone sits in worship on Sunday does not mean that their minds and hearts are right with the Lord. The O.T. prophets warned about some who during worship were wishing the Sabbath would be over so they could cheat others in business. Now, this is not to make us suspicious of each other, nor should this cause us to pull away from others. Not at all. Fellowship necessitates connecting. However, God’s word is what is right. We need to know it. When something sounds out of place and out of line, check the book. Search the Scriptures to see if those things are so. Error can wear may disguises and by them we can be fooled.

Second, one doesn’t just immediately turn his back on the resurrection of Jesus. There is a slow and gradual leak in their faith. They are reading the wrong stuff. They are being influenced by others. They have allowed their environment to be polluted. Now, they are doing the same to others. They are influencing others. They have bought into this false package and they want to spread it and share it with others. Once again, back to environment. What are you reading? If Christians in Corinth can tell lies about the resurrection of Christ, so can Christians today. Often it is through books and social media. A new way of looking at things is often the introduction to trouble. After all these years, there’s not too much new anymore.

Third, error gets a foothold when it is given a listening ear. Had the people of Corinth responded to the news about no resurrection with, “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard,” or, “Haven’t you read the Bible?” that might have put a stop to it. But when we give it some thought, when we allow error to build a case, when we crack open the door, error comes marching right in. We are responsible for what we believe. The foundation of your faith is not determined by the preacher in the pulpit. That’s dangerous. You own your faith. You are responsible for knowing what you know. You ought to be able to recognize something that is crooked. The Corinthians should have been able to take care of this themselves. There should not have been a problem. But, it was becoming one, and Paul had to stop it.

Fourth, now stretching the thought in this passage, we must take better control of our environment. I think we give too may passes to those who are wrong because they are family, or, they are friends. Or, they are someone we date. Or, they are someone we like. They can say the most outrageous, false and sometimes even blasphemous things, and we laugh it off. We think nothing of it. We allow them to continue on. If someone came into my home, family member, neighbor, someone in the church, or someone I just invited in, and they lit up a cigarette, or started cussing, family or not, friend or not, they’d be told to stop or escorted out the door. You control your environment. I see in the early pages of Acts that the disciples were around each other often. They ate together. These days, we surround ourselves with those who are not Christians. The only time we see brethren is at worship. And, our environment isn’t helping us. We are not getting stronger. We are not walking closer to the Lord. And, to our verse, our good character and our good morals are being corrupted. Things are changing and we do not even see it. And, the cause of all of this, is the company that we keep. Evil company, bad company has a negative impact upon us. It’s easier to go downhill than it is uphill. That is true in riding your bike and it is true in your morals.

It’s time to give some thought to the company that we keep. If it’s not helping us and we are not influencing them in a positive direction, we must ask ourselves, “why?” Why are we keeping company with those who may be ruining our minds and hearts? And, too often, the answer is nothing more than, ‘they are family.’ And, with that reasoning, some will allow their family to destroy their hope in the Lord.

Maybe it’s time we took to heart the Lord’s words about loving father or mother more than Me.

Bad company corrupts. Good company strengthens. The difference in the two, is Jesus Christ.

Roger

09

Jump Start # 2796

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2796

1 Corinthians 15:56 “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law”

I got stung this morning. It’s the third time in a month and a half that I’ve been stung. It wasn’t a hornet or a bee. No, it was the sting of death. Another dear friend, Christian, family member passed away early this morning. This is the third close death in a month and a half and yet another funeral that I will preach. I’ve always heard that famous people die in “threes” but these folks were just good, common people that you would have loved.

Geraldine was 98 and just a few weeks short of her 99th birthday. Spirited, feisty, funny, sharp, she was connected to me on the family tree. Her grandmother and my great grandfather were brother and sister. She once told me that made us fifth cousins—but I always said that we were “kissin” cousins. Her long journey ended. She babysit our kids when they were small and later in life, it was our turn to take care of her. The Lord sent the angels this morning and Miss Geraldine passed through that doorway of death to the other side. She never married. Her branch of the family tree ends with her. Her sister never married. Her brother married but had no children. She was the last.

Death has a sting to it. And, stings hurt. That’s true of bee stings and that’s true of shots at the doctor’s office. Stings hurt. They do. Don’t make light of the fact that they shouldn’t because they do. And, in the passage, death hurts. It hurts because a book closes. A life is finished here. We won’t have the interaction we once had, not here. It’s insulting for someone to say that we shouldn’t cry at the death of a Christian. Jesus cried at the death of Lazarus and He knew what He was about to do. Tears represent memories, love and time together. Tears are part of the healing process. Grief is a journey and each person walks it at their own pace. Some do fine. Others don’t do so well. Be patient and don’t judge.

But here are a few thoughts:

First, stings hurt but they are not fatal. Now, don’t tell me about bee allergies and those kinds of things. I know. But in the language of our verse, the sting of death is not a destructive blow. It may take our breath and it may cause us to think about things, but it doesn’t destroy us. That is, if one is in Christ. There is a hope beyond death. There is the promise of the resurrection.  There is that wonderful “Safe in the arms of Jesus” concept.

Second, stings go away. At the moment, stings can hurt so bad that you cry. But in time, it passes. Given the choice of being stung by a bee or having open heart surgery or a leg amputation, I’ll take the bee sting. Sure it hurts, but it passes and we forget about it. As a kid, I played a lot of baseball and most time I was out in left field. I got stung a few times out there. But all these years later, I couldn’t recall any of them specifically. That’s the way stings are. For the moment it hurts, but time passes, the pain fades and one is left with wonderful memories. The thing about stings, especially the sting of death is that one cannot fast forward past the pain part. It’s a journey.

Third, stings are forgotten in the victory of the resurrection with Christ. It’s much like a boxing match. There are many blows. Some hurt. Some bleed. But when the opponent falls and the victory belongs to you, everything else is overshadowed by the celebration of winning. So it is with us Christians. The journey can be rough. The stings can hurt. But once on the other side, none of that matters. It will all be lost in the sweet fellowship of being with the Lord.

Fourth, the sting of death, especially among Christians, is a reversal of how people feel. The one dying is not doing well. His body is shutting down. His breathing is shallow. He’s going. But once he crosses that doorway, as Lazarus experienced, he is comforted. He is feeling the best he has felt in years. And, at that moment there is an exchange in feelings. The one who dies feels great. The family now feels the sting and pain of death. The family hurts and the faithful dead is rejoicing.

There sure seems to have been a lot of families dealing with the sting of death this past year. I’m included among those. So many people have had loved ones die. And, what we can do is be sympathetic, loving and gentle with each other. There are many folks hurting. They have been stung. Your faith, your courage, your knowledge of Scriptures, your hope, your words can do so much to help those who are hurting.

Thank you for letting me share these thoughts.

Roger

08

Jump Start # 2795

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2795

2 Timothy 2:1-2 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

We are in the month of March now. College basketball is firing up for “March madness.” Professional baseball is busy in spring training. Young baseball players are putting forth their best to try to make the cut to be on a big league team. And, those thoughts take us to our verse today. Not baseball. Not sports. But training, developing and mentoring the next generation of leaders and teachers in God’s kingdom.

Paul expresses it two ways in our passage today. First, what you have heard from me. Timothy had heard Paul preach. This is what Timothy was to preach and teach to others. Timothy had been shown what to do. Second, “these” entrust to others who will teach even more. The “these” is what Timothy had heard Paul teach. “These” are the topics, the subjects that need to be shared with others. And, right here, we notice and see that Paul was training Timothy. Paul was mentoring Timothy. He didn’t send him out without any guidance, help or instruction. Paul was the first century “Youtube” video on how to preach. What you have seen me do, you do. Follow the leader. This is the way you do it.

Now all of this leads us to where we are today. How does a young person get developed to lead, teach and preach? How do we train someone to shepherd the people of God? The old model was pretty raw and without much help. I’ve heard the stories. Many of you have been there. Some preacher calls up a young Christian and tells him, not asks, but tells him, that he’ll be preaching next week at such and such a place. The young man goes and does the best he can but he’s out of his league and has no idea how to do it. This is how many preachers got started. They simply went out and started preaching. Whatever habits they developed, they did on their own. And, it’s even worse when it comes to shepherding God’s people. A church decides that they’d like more elders. Names are put forth. After the painful process, one or two make the cut and are selected as the new elders. They meet on a Sunday afternoon for the first time with the rest of the elders and they don’t know what to do. They don’t know if they can speak out, if they should speak out, or when to speak out. Months often pass before they get the feel of things and start to get comfortable with how things are. Most just take on the nature of what they see. Little prep has been given to them about what they ought to do, expect or what their roles are. And a couple of decades pass and now these guys are the inexperienced seasoned leaders who do most of the talking as new elders sit in a room with their eyes wide open, not sure what to expect.

Our passages tells us that Timothy was with Paul. He had heard Paul preach. He had traveled with Paul. The conversations, the questions, the growth took place as they spent time together. Here are some thoughts from this:

First, it is the role of the congregation to develop new preachers and leaders. It’s important to find slots for these eager young men to stand before a congregation and preach. Allowing a man to preach once or twice a year doesn’t do much for development. This is a great opportunity for the preacher to do some mentoring and sharing of practical ideas to help a young man. Most don’t know. Rather than seeing someone fall flat, help them before and afterwards. Be kind. Build up. Take a look at his outline. Give him some suggestions. Mentor. That helps the young man and it helps the church.

Second, shepherds need to develop future shepherds. Who is on the radar to be the next shepherd? Take that guy out to lunch. Let him ask all kinds of questions. Talk to him about what you do as a shepherd among God’s people. Bring him along as you make some visits.

Third, legacy is a big part of a growing and healthy church. Looking to the next group of leaders and training them and teaching them will help the church. All of this takes time, but it’s an investment that will pay off greatly as these men become teachers and later, leaders among God’s people.

Fourth, a bit of patience is needed in this process. The young and inexperienced will not be seasoned as the regular preacher. Mistakes will be made. The comments and reactions can encourage or defeat a young person. All of us started out raw, inexperienced and having more zeal than knowledge. We said things that weren’t 100% correct. We fumbled now and then. But folks were patient with us. People believed in us. We worked and worked and got better. It’s the same for all of us.

We have seen congregations where no one wants to teach. No one wants to step up and lead. Those that do teach, are tired, burned out and carrying the whole load. Everyone else just sits. I know a place where once you got into the teaching program you never got out. It was a life sentence. And, many looked at it just that way. The inside joke was it was better to be a woman than a man, because a woman could become pregnant and get out of teaching. The man was stuck. And, when you have people teaching that do not want to teach, but feel that have to, it makes a long and tedious class. The excitement, joy and love of God’s word is missing because of the week upon week, month upon month, year after year of teaching. And, why is it that way? The answer is always the same. There is no one else who will teach. And, that may be the result of no one being mentored or trained. And what people witness is a burned out, tired teacher and who wants to sign up for that.

“The things which you have heard from me…these entrust to others.” Passing the baton on. Handing the keys over. Looking to the next generation. This is an important role that churches fill. Those that do it well, thrive. Those that don’t, generally die.

Roger

05

Jump Start # 2794

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2794

1 Thessalonians 4:18 “Comfort one another with these words.”

Comfort is something that we long for. We want a mattress that sleeps well. We want clothes that are comfortable to wear. We want the temperature of the church house to be just right. We want our coffee hot and our soft drinks cold. We look for furniture that defines comfort, such as an “easy chair.” Doubt many places could sell a “hard” chair. Modern shopping has quick and easy checkout and stay in your car and they will bring your groceries out to you. We sure do have it good when it comes to comfort these days.

There is one area that we have trouble finding comfort and that is in our hearts, minds and emotions. We can wrap ourselves around a nice warm comforter, but that won’t take care of the things that bothers us on the inside. There is no food, no blanket, no chair that will take away your worries, loneliness, fears, sorrow and guilt. And, many times, others just don’t understand. They bring food, which is nice, but the struggles within stay right where they have been on our insides.

In our passage, Paul writes about the death of Christians. This is not intended to be a full and detailed study of death or life after death. These words were given to help those who were struggling on the inside. Fellow Christians had died. Is that it? What’s the purpose, then? Paul’s words are specific. They are directed toward those who die in the Lord. He reveals that they are with the Lord. They are ok. They are not defeated, forgotten or lost. They will always be with the Lord. And, these words end with our verse, ’comfort one another with these words.” It’s the words of God that can help our insides.

When Jesus told the disciples about His coming departure, He promised that they would not be left alone. He was sending help, divine help. The Holy Spirit would come and guide them and teach them. In the New American Standard, the Spirit is called “the Helper” (Jn 14:26). The KJV uses the word “Comforter.”

Now, put some thoughts behind this:

First, there are times and situations in which no one can fully understand what you are going through or how you feel. You can try to tell someone, but it often comes across as complaining or they simply do not get it. God does. God understands. Jesus, as the high priest, sympathizes. The Holy Spirit comforts. This is why prayer does more good than talking things out with someone else. The other person may never understand. The other person has his own struggles that he is dealing with. The other person is limited in how he can help you. Not God. Take it to the Lord in prayer petitions help from one who fully understands.

Second, God’s word can do what no one else can. This is why Paul said, “Comfort one another with these words.” Words of hope. Words of promise. Words that are true. Chicken soup may make your belly feel good, but God’s word can heal your heart and give you peace that you have been missing.

Third, God’s word is tested, tried and true. Look at Elijah hiding in a cave. Look at David on the run from Saul. Paul abandoned at his Roman trial. Joseph forgotten in an Egyptian prison. And, what do we find in those historical accounts? God was with His people. God helped His people. We often look for encouragement from horizontal relationships—each other. But the best encouragement comes from above. So spend some time in those Psalms, written during troublesome times.

Fourth, don’t become angry when others do not appreciate nor understand how you feel. We can get testy with each other. We can make things worse. They may not ever be able to understand what you are going through. Each person, with their own unique background, experiences, knowledge and faith will travel through grief, pain, sorrow, isolation and heartache differently. We may feel that others have let us down, and sometimes they do. We may feel that no one truly cares, and sometimes that may be true. We may feel that we are carrying the burden alone. But others are also feeling this way about themselves. The only one that truly understands how we feel and what we are going through is the Lord. This is why the Psalmist understood that his help comes from above.

Comfort—we like it, want it and need it. Sometimes when we have gone through those seasons of life that are unpleasant and even hard, it equips us to help others. We still may not fully understand, but we now know what pain is like. Our culture is stuck on self. And as society pulls away from others and turns inward, there will be more and more who feel left out, alone and struggling. Paul’s words are even more true now. Comfort one another with these words. It’s the words of God that need to be shared. It’s not our advice or something we read on Facebook. It’s the words of the God of Heaven and earth, the words of the God of mercy, that can truly reach the inner heart. There forgiveness, hope, love and life can be established and built upon.

God is good. He is so good to me. He is so good to you. Do you know that?

Roger

04

Jump Start # 2793

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2793

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father”

In worship the other day we were singing, “For the beauty of the earth.” And, you know how things like this happen. You’ve sung a song hundreds of times before, but on this day, there is a line or an expression that stands out. You’ve just never thought about it before. That was true of me as we sang this wonderful hymn. The second verse begins, “For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above…” And, right there it is. FRIENDS ABOVE. It’s not the friends here. It’s not the friends around us. It’s not the friends on earth. No, the line takes us to our “FRIENDS ABOVE.”

Have you thought about that? We tend to allow the tears of death to close the book on our friendships. A friend passes on, and we must remain here. They are there, and we are here. They are in the arms of Jesus and we must live on down here. Friends above.

Now, several thoughts here:

First, inherit within those words is the concept that we will recognize and know each other in Heaven. That’s asked over and over. That’s something people wonder about. It’s something that troubles some. And, there are some reasons for these concerns. If we know each other in Heaven, won’t I realize who is not there? How can there be no tears in Heaven if someone in my family is missing? How can Heaven be joyous if I’m torn up because a parent or a child didn’t make it? Don’t fret over those thoughts. God will take care of you. I don’t know how, but neither do I understand how God could pick up some dirt and fashion a man. I don’t understand how God knew how this planet had to tilt at just the right degree and be just the right distance from the sun. Allow God to take care of the details. If He promises that He’ll wipe away every tear, then we must believe Him.

The rich man seemed to recognize Lazarus on the other side. Peter recognized Elijah and Moses at the transfiguration. I doubt that they were wearing name tags. Friends on the other side. Friends above.

Second, and likely should have been before the first point, is that we live on after death. It’s hard to have friends above, if there is no “above” and if they are not there. Death is merely the bridge we must cross to get us from this side to the other side. I like to think of it as a door. Just a door. To go from one room to the next, you pass through a door. We can get so fixated about the door that we fail to think about the next room we are heading to.

Third, inherit in these words is the thought that some of our friends made it. Home safe and sound. Home where they belong. Home with God. We know people right now who made it. I remember an old guy telling a funeral director that he knew more people on the other side than he did here on earth. Something about that as a person ages. Heaven is not just righteous people. Heaven is more than the redeemed and the saved. Among that number are my friends and your friends. You know them. You had a history with them. You worshipped with them. You worked side by side with them in the kingdom.

And, right here, we need to put some faces to those words. Think about, not just people who died, or people that you loved who died, but those who are in the Lord. Christian friends. Those you worshipped with. Those that helped you in your walk with the Lord. They may have been in your home for a dinner. You may have been taught by them. You may have been encouraged by them. You loved them. They were good people. I can just put names after names here. People early in my life. People who were there when I first started preaching. People whose hearts grew strong and close to mine. Great people. God’s people. Friends above. Billy. Dick. Lillie. My grandparents. My parents. Marty. Bob. Wilma. Jeff. Donna. JoAnn. Richard. So many funerals. So many tears. For many, so many years ago. But they are there. Waiting. They are there.

Fourth, the way the hymn flows, it is as if we will continue to be friends on the other side. And, why not. The only thing that has changed is the location. Rather than here, we’ll be there. And, instead of things having to end here, they will carry on there. It won’t be movies and card games and food and travels. But it will be what joined our hearts in the first place, the Lord. It will be worship. It will be holiness. It will be wonderful.

Our verse today reminds us of the wonderful gifts given to us by the Lord. Among those gifts, often overlooked and taken for granted is the powerful gift of love, memory and feelings. That’s what friends share: love, memory and feelings. And, knowing that we have friends above, not looking down and watching us. Not sending us messages, that’s all contemporary rubbish, but knowing they are there, safe in the arms of Jesus. Knowing that they are never sick again. Knowing that they never are tried or tested again. Knowing that they are where they always wanted to be.

And, someday, if the Lord allows this ole’ planet to continue on, you and I will be someone’s friend above. For that to happen, we must first get there. We must be walking with the Lord. But also, we must be making true friendships of a spiritual level that matter.

Friends above, what a wonderful thought.

Roger