10

Jump Start # 3653

Posted on September 10, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3653

Hebrews 3:4 “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”

One verse—that’s all it takes. No deep dive into sciences. No stack of books written by PhDs. No understanding words that one cannot pronounce. Just one verse. This one verse destroys the house of cards built by the unproven theories of evolution.

Every house is built by someone. This could be labeled as cause and effect. This could be folded into the design theory. But one doesn’t have to understand those concepts. Every house had a builder, it’s just that simple. Nothing just happens.

And, “house” can stand for a lot more than just a house. A car. Someone built the car. Iphone. Someone built the Iphone. A book. Someone printed the book. Someone wrote the book.

When the claim is made that a cosmic big bang caused the energy and force to create the mechanism that led to life, what caused the big bang? Every house is built by someone. Who made the energy and who or what brought all the parts together at the right time for everything to get started?

Every house is built by someone. It just happened, doesn’t fly with this verse. Houses don’t just appear. Someone builds them. Someone begins a congregation. Someone spreads the gospel about Jesus. Even our light shinning passage reflects this principle. Shine your light in such a way that men will see your good work and glorify your Father in Heaven. Why do people not glorify the one who shined the light? Why is there another step beyond the person doing good deeds? The answer is because every house is built by someone. The reason the person shines his light and does good deeds is because of his faith in the Lord. God is the one who has shown that person how to do what is right and good and noble.

Now, some thoughts from this:

First, the house looks the way it does because of the way it was built and the way the occupants took care of it. Look beyond a physical house. Congregations are that way. Started because some were angry at another place, and focusing upon why everyone else is wrong, and the congregation will look the way it was built. But, build a church on simple faith in the Lord, honor the Lord, praise the Lord, obey the Lord and emphasize the Lord, and that will be the reflection of that church.

Families are the same way. Built on jealousy, selfishness and materialism, the family will look that way. They will be too good to help others. They are so much into their selfie world that they ignore the needs around them. The house looks the way it was built and the way it was maintained.

Second, there are a lot of steps in building a house. We have lived in a lot of houses through the years. We had one built from scratch. Standing in a field and trying to imagine what the finished project would look like was something hard to do. Ideas were put on paper. Blueprints were drawn. Lots of permits were acquired. Money was paid. Then the process of moving dirt, laying a foundation began. Wood beams went up. A roof was put on. Long days and days of workers putting in the electrical wiring, finishing the plumbing, putting in furnace and air conditioning. Dry wall, floors, paint and months and months after we first began the process, we were able to walk into our new home. Who built the house? There was a company name, but dozens and dozens of people made the job possible.

In Corinthians, Paul said that he planted and Apollos watered, but God caused the increase. Who builds the church? God does. But, there are dozens of people that are often involved, from the smiling faces that greet us on a Sunday morning, to the passionate sermons that are preached, to the insightful look into the death of our Lord for the Lord’s Supper, to the thoughtful hymns that are sung, to the encouraging comments made in a class. But this is not all. The many personal studies that take place through the week. The phone calls, emails and texts, busily answering honest questions. Through these steps a church grows in number and in strength. Who causes it? Who built the house? God did.

You want a strong family? Build it that way. That means turning the TV off and getting outside to play with the kids. Teach them how to patiently take turns. At the dinner table, teach them manners. Teach them to pray. Have discussions about Jesus. Build. Build. Build.

You want a strong congregation. Build it that way. Pour energy into the very things that will make faith flourish and grow. Have special classes. Bring in quality preachers. Provide the tools throughout the week for people to connect with the Lord.

Houses are not just built. Families are not just built. Congregations are not just built. Things do not just happen. Someone builds them. That someone is YOU, with the Lord’s help.

Roger

09

Jump Start # 3652

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3652

Acts 9:26 “And when he had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing  that he was a disciple.”

After the conversion of Paul in Damascus, he goes to Arabia for three years. He returns to Damascus and begins preaching that Jesus is the Christ. A death threat leads to Paul being lowered over the wall in a basket at night. He makes his way to Jerusalem, where our verse is found. It was Barnabas that puts the church at ease about Paul.

In our verse today is found the word “associate.” Others word this as “join.” It’s the word used by our Lord in describing the marriage relationship as leave and cleave. The cleaving, associating, joining that brings the accountability, intimacy, closeness that we commonly call “fellowship.” We are family in Christ.

Preaching on this recently, I took the audience down memory lane and had them write down how many congregations that they had been a member of since their baptism. We were talking about this after services ended. Most had been part of 4 or 5 congregations. I had been a member of ten. Another said that she was a member of a dozen. But the highest was 18. Someone who had traveled often in the military and even lived several years overseas. How about you? How many congregations have you been a member of since your conversion to Christ?

This journey into the past, thinking about these congregations we have been a part of reminds us of several things:

First, there have been good people in all of these congregations. Many of us have made life long friends and leaving, often to move to another city, was hard. It is always precious going back and visiting dear friends in these places that were a part of our lives. We prayed for those people. We taught Bible classes, had people into our homes and the congregation was a vital and extremely important part of our lives.

Second, when one goes back and visit, one realizes that things have changed. Life is like that. Life is fluid and rarely do things stay the same. People have passed on and are no longer there. Preachers move. New faces in the leadership. Even the building may look different. I remember visiting the church building I grew up in decades later. I walked through the basement and was amazed how small and narrow the hallway was. It had not changed. I had. I was no longer a little kid.

Third, as one reflects back on some of the places that he has been a member of in the past, he also realizes that he has changed as well. For some, there has been some painful nightmares that took place in those congregations. Things were not right. Harsh judgmental spirits ruled and many felt their souls crushed. Some took a real hit in their faith as they tried to understand how some brethren could be so mean and demanding and lacking the compassion of our Lord. As some left, they also left the Lord. Others moved on to different places. It took a while to trust brethren again. They had to learn that not every place is the same. True shepherds with compassionate hearts do exist today. As they find that lost sheep, like Luke 15, they carry that lost one home upon their shoulders.

Each place you are a part of becomes a growing process. You learn. You share. You see the good. You learn patience. You realize that doctrinally each congregation can be the same, but there is a different feel, a different flavor to each place. Some are so inviting and warm. Others seem distant and cold. Some are an oasis of learning with so many tools and opportunities. Others not so.

But as we grow and learn and take what we can, we also leave a part of us with every congregation. People remember us. They remember how active, strong and faithful we were. They remember how we walked with the Lord.

And, as life takes us different places, we come to understand that God has an enormous family. And, how thankful and rich we are to be a part of that amazing family of God. Worldwide. Never ending. Transcending even the passage of death, God’s kingdom endures and succeeds.

Associating with the disciples. I preached that recently and ended that lesson with the thought that if one wanted to find Paul, he’d be with the disciples. With the disciples, what a great expression to put on a tombstone. Whether here or up there, we are “with the disciples.”

Roger

06

Jump Start # 3651

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Starts # 3651

Luke 9:23 “And He was saying  to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’”

I saw a report out of Harvard that said 1 in 6 families have someone within their family that they no longer talk to because of politics. Politics!!! The culture we are swimming in thrives on drama. Selfishness, unwilling to listen to other opinions, has closed ears and hearts to each other. If you do not agree with someone, they do not want to hear from you.

Faith in Jesus makes us small. That’s the way it is supposed to be. Faith in Jesus makes God large. That’s the way it is supposed to be. Preferring others. Loving others. Being a servant to others. Putting others before you. Faith will do that. Faith shows us the Christ who was a servant to others. Faith shows us that the universe doesn’t revolve around us. Faith shows us that we are not the most important being in the creation.

Here are some things to remember:

First, faith in the Lord is greater than who sits in the White House. Policies come and go. The economy is up and down. But through all of this, God is upon the throne. That faith keeps one from getting so worked up about politics. That faith realizes that through the oppression of the Egyptians, the battles of the Philistines, the conquering Babylon, and even the strong Romans, are no match for our God. God won’t forget His people. God’s purpose and God’s promises cannot be altered by any army or any government.

Second, faith in the Lord makes a person listen more and talk less. Especially, they talk less about themselves. Hearing one sing their own song over and over, gets old very quickly. And, the more we talk about ourselves, the less we are aware of opportunities to help and serve others.

Third, faith in the Lord makes a person realize that this ole’ world got along before us and it will get along after us. The same is true of the church. The long ago preacher, W.W. Otey, late in life, in his 90s, said that he realized that he was not nearly as important as he thought he was. It shouldn’t take a person getting to their 90s to realize that. We tend to think more of ourselves than others do.

Fourth, faith in the Lord helps a person see the big span of time and people. There are nearly 2,000 names in the Bible. That’s not all that many considering the large amount of time that the Bible covers. And, among those names, we know something about a handful of them, but most of them are just a name on a page. They lived, loved, worried, struggled, and had families just like you and I. And, today, most know nothing about those people. The ‘drama of me,’ that our culture is stuck on, is just a small speck in the whole picture of time.

We are just a moment in time. And, when we walk with the Lord through faith, we realize that we are just one tiny puzzle piece that fits into the big picture of God. Once all the pieces are in place, it’s the overall picture that people focus on. The one tiny piece is lost in the big picture. The big picture is God. We are just one tiny piece that helps the Lord become known and visible to others.

Denying self, found in our verse and the first aspect of discipleship. It’s not about me and it’s not about you. So, expressions such as, “Do I have to,” or, “Why should I,” or, “I don’t get anything out of it,” speaks too much of self. Self can become our biggest enemy and the biggest battle that we face. Deny self. Think about the Lord. Talk to the Lord. Follow the Lord. None of me and all of Thee, that’s the idea.

One in six families have someone that they are no longer talking to because of politics. That’s something…

Roger

05

Jump Start # 3650

Posted on September 5, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3650

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

Our verse is commonly called, ‘The Great Commission.’ Great because of the scope of what was involved—all creation. Great because of what it offered—salvation to all mankind. These words would be challenging and in many ways, very uncomfortable to those who first spoke it.

All creation—would include the people that the apostles wouldn’t want to talk to. It would include those who they would have never talked to before. It would include those that they probably didn’t like. Across town and across the seas, those apostles would travel to cities they had never been to before. New people. New climates. New foods. New cultures. And, very different experiences. A long way from home. Doing things, such as preaching before audiences, that wasn’t easy for them. Uncomfortable is something that they would just have to deal with.

And, that is the nature of our faith, being able to adjust and do what is uncomfortable to us. The idea of denying yourself and taking up your cross are not comfortable concepts. Turning your cheek, going the extra mile, loving your enemy, forgiving those who have hurt you—none of those things are in the realm of what is common, natural and comfortable.

It seems that our times have tried to tame Christianity, water down the message and make it look pleasant, easy and comfortable. The modern church offers a salvation without change. The Bible doesn’t. The modern church is soft on doctrine and strong on feelings, acceptance and good times. And, in doing that, the image that is presented is not distinct or even different from the world. Why become a Christian when a Christian is the same as the man in the world, except for occasionally showing up at church now and then?

The cross is not comfortable. It’s heavy. It’s rough. It’ll give you splinters. It will weigh you down. It’s also bloody and a symbol of death. But, today, some have padded that ole’ rugged cross. They’ve made it look pretty and nice. It’s no longer offensive. It’s no longer uncomfortable. It’s become quite attractive.

Our uncomfortable faith. It moves us out of our comfort zone. It compels us to do things that we’d likely never do on our own. And, like those early apostles, when we move by faith, we find ourselves doing the uncomfortable, because it’s the right thing to do.

For instance:

  • Serving the Lord in public worship is very hard for some. We preachers have done it so long, that we think nothing of it. But there are those whose knees shake, palms sweat, voice quivers and heart races, when asked to lead a prayer or lead the Lord’s Supper. Beyond uncomfortable, some nearly pass out in fear. Yet, somehow, they find the courage and strength and do the job. Many do amazingly great job. Uncomfortable, yet serving.
  • Inviting someone to services is high on the list of things Christians find uncomfortable. Not knowing what to say, how to handle questions or worse, a rejection, so many feel ashamed and guilty because of how uncomfortable this makes them feel. There is that guy at work, but I’m just afraid to bring it up. There’s that person in the family, I need to, I ought to, but I’m so uncomfortable with that. It’s like having two left legs at the same time. But there are those that do that. That put their personal feelings and uncomfortableness behind them for the greater good of trying to show someone Jesus.
  • The Bible is specific and plain about going to a person who has sinned against me. Jesus said that in the Gospels. That’s uncomfortable for most. We can tell a third party. We can tell the elders. We can call the preacher up and tell him. But going to the parties involved, too uncomfortable for us. So, most don’t.

So, how do we deal with these uncomfortable moments in our faith? What did the apostles do? They trusted the Lord and did it. They went into all the world. Their experience was more difficult than they thought it would be. Paul said of his travels that he was hungry, thirsty, homeless and poorly treated. It may have been worse than what they ever imagined. A living nightmare. Yet, they did it. They did it because the Lord was wanting them to do it. They did it because the Lord endured the cross. They did it because our journey isn’t about us, it is about the Lord. Giving up pleasures and comforts, they became uncomfortable for the Lord.

Too often when we are uncomfortable with something, we simply won’t do it. They did it. They did it because HE did it.

When was the last time you became uncomfortable for Jesus?

Roger

04

Jump Start # 3649

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3649

Luke 15:3 “And He told them this parable, saying”

I taught a class recently on Luke 15. One just has to love that chapter. God is illustrated so wonderfully in that chapter. In many ways, Luke paints a picture of God for us. It’s not made with the brush strokes of an artist, but rather from the words and heart of a Savior.

I remember as a young puppy preacher asking legendary Robert Jackson how many sermons he had on the prodigal son. He told me around 32. At the time I was amazed. How in the world can anyone get 32 sermons from that. Now, decades later, I can’t believe he only had 32 sermons. We have a Jump Start book devoted to the prodigal son. If you’d like one send me an email (Rogshouse@aol.com). Long ago, I edited a special issue of Biblical Insights on the prodigal son.

Here are some thoughts for us:

First, we find ourselves so clearly in Luke 15. We’ve been that sheep that just wandered away. Not paying attention and not staying close to the flock, we got lost. Lost in the hype of political fever. Lost in the culture of acceptance. Lost in the maze of materialism and keeping up. So easy to just wander off.

We also see ourselves as that lost coin. Coins don’t get up on their own and move. They are dropped. They are misplaced. They are forgotten. And, so for us, we got lost because we were overlooked, forgotten, neglected, ignored. Our feelings got hurt. Someone said something we didn’t like.

But, we can be the prodigal as well. His was rebellion. Give me. I’m out of here. You won’t see me anymore. The call of the far country can be so sweet to our ears and so strong to our hearts. Listening to friends more than our Savior, we can find ourselves closing God’s book and doing what our heart tells us.

And, many of us have stood right along side that older brother in Luke 15. Smug, angry, hateful, closed heart and having no patience, grace or forgiveness for those who have done wrong. Arms crossed and refusing to go in, we’ve decided to break fellowship even if the church hasn’t or won’t.

It sure is easy to see ourselves in Luke 15. And, sometimes, like your driver’s license picture, it’s not the image that we like. Sin will do that to you. Stepping away from the Savior will do that to you. Luke 15 has a way of showing what we don’t want to see.

Second, all four images in Luke 15, the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost boys, all needed to be found. The sheep realized that. The coin technically can’t know that. The prodigal knew that. The elder brother didn’t know that. They all needed to be found. They all needed help. And, admitting that is hard for some. We want to find our way home on our own. We want to work things out on our own. We got off track a little, but we’ll get back on, we tell ourselves. Truth is, we need Jesus. We always need Jesus.

Third, what a gracious, compassionate, forgiving and generous God we have. That’s the image we pull from Luke 15. When the lost sheep was found, he carried it home around his neck. The shepherd didn’t beat the sheep. He didn’t try to teach him a lesson that he’ll never forget. Kind, gracious and forgiving.

And, with the lost coin, the woman didn’t give up looking. She swept the house, looking. She got a lamp to add more light to her search. She wouldn’t give up. She was determined that she was going to find that coin.

And, for the prodigal, what a joyful celebration that took place. The best food. The ring, sandals and robe, all indications of acceptance, trust and love. How generous the father was. How generous our Father is. No lectures. No sleeping in the barn. No work until you pay me back.

And, it was the father who went out to comfort and beg the older brother to come in to the celebration. A pouting son. The rebel was home, and now another son was gone. He stood outside refusing to come in. If the Father accepts, so must we.

Joy sprinkles through this chapter as wrongs are made right. The most transforming picture in Luke 15 is when we become the shepherd looking for the lost sheep, the woman searching for the lost coin, and the father celebrating the return of the wayward son. The lost has been found.

May we ever strive to be like God in this chapter. A God that the wounded, lost and hurt feel comfortable coming home to. A God that welcomes those who made mistakes. A God of second chances.

I want to be like that…

Roger