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

Jump Start # 3648

Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and te boundaries of their habitation.”

Zager and Evans are not household names, even in the world of music which they were a part of. In many ways, they were one hit wonders. In the summer of 1969, they had a rhythmic song about the future of mankind. It was a dreadful look at how technology was going to reshape and change the landscape of humanity. The song journeys through 10,000 years. The song, “In the year 2525,” soared to number 1 on the charts. There are eight verses in the song. Starting with the year 2525, the song marches through the years 3535, 4545, 5555, 6565, 7510, 8510 and ends with 9595. The sixth verse, in the year 7510, the song says, “If God’s a-comin’, He ought to make it by then. Maybe He’ll look around himself and say, ‘Guess it’s time for the judgment day.’”

In the year 2525, that’s just a little over 500 years from now. That seems like forever from where we stand. But looking backward, 500 years ago, was 1524—the heart of the Reformation Movement was going strong. Luther had already been excommunicated by the Catholic church, stood strong at the Diet of Worms,  and was trying to calm down the riots during the Peasants’ War. I have stood in castles and palaces that were built then and some, even older.

And, just 500 years before that, was the year 1024— the year that Conrad II, became the king of Germany, and later was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor. Historical details about 1024 are very hard to find. Would the common villagers back then ever thought that there would be a 2024? Life for most was merely survival. Harsh conditions, frequent plagues, poor sanitary conditions and common wars kept the life expectancy in the mid-30s for most people. Communication outside the villages was rare. Life was hard for those people.

And, when we flip these numbers around, it is hard for us to imagine there will be a 3024. What will life look like? It is beyond our thinking. Someone in their 90s today, has witnessed so many changes in their life.   In communications, medical field, technology, robotics, transportation, media, the advancements have been at thoroughbred speed.

All of these thoughts flow easily into our verse today. Here are some observations:

First, it is hard for one generation, let alone, a century or two, to understand another generation. Senior citizens have a hard time understanding teens. That has always been a problem. Whether it was the length of hair in the 60s, or being glued to a cell phone in our times, one generation doesn’t get the next generation. Within the church, this can lead to battle lines being drawn. The senior saints want the timeless old hymns sung. The younger crowd leans toward the faster paced newer songs. The older crowd carries old, worn out Bibles. The younger crowd pulls the Bible up on their phone app. Rather than appreciating the treasure of experience and wisdom from the older crowd and the energy and passion from the younger crowd, it is easy for a church to splinter based upon generational factors.

To avoid this, shepherds must work well to mingle the sheep together. The senior saints need to invite some of the teens over for a bite to eat. The teens need to sit with the older crowd. Realizing that we are on the same side and that we both bring a mountain of good, tap into those resources and make the most of them.

Second, we are here because God wants us here. Why were we not born in 1524, or 1024? Or, even the year 24? That was up to God. Here we are and here we must put a stake down for the Lord. Our work is now. We must use all the tools that we have and do all that we can for the glory of God. The Lord has put us here for a reason and it is to that reason that we live and move in Him. David served the purpose of God in his generation and we must do the same. We can do more, faster and farther than people did in the 1500s or 1000s. That is a great blessing for us. We can reach more people than ever before.

Third, although the times have changed so much, we still have the same basic needs and fight the same basic battles. We must deal with sin, raise our families to be godly and walk with the Lord daily. That hasn’t changed and that will never change. We need strong congregations today. We need godly leaders. We need to find ways to keep people connected to the Lord.

“In the year 7510, if God’s a comin’ He ought to make it by then” I hope so. I’m ready for the Lord to come now. How about you?

Cool song. Cool thought. And, through all those years, ups and downs, great highlights and dark and depressing stories, the Lord has been watching and ruling and been kind and gracious and forgiving. And one day, it will be the last day for this place. Are you ready?

Roger