Meeting People Where They Are At
Matthew 9:9–13 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” We live in interesting times. Certainly things have changed from when I was growing up as a child during the 1980's. Back then, just about the only thing delivered to you was the newspaper and your mail. For the rest, you went out for it. Nowadays, you can get almost everything without ever leaving your home. Restaurant orders are delivered to your home. Groceries are delivered to your home. Office supplies can be delivered to your home. We are working from home. You can almost do everything without leaving your home (you can even watch church at home too). But as it is, some things really need us to step outside. I cannot put gas in my car without going to the gas station. I can have someone bring me a jar of ocean water and sand from the beach, but it's not the same as going to the beach myself. Smelling the salt air. Hearing the waves crash. Feeling the cool ocean breeze on my face. Hear the "squawk" of seagulls as they fly above (while at the same time always making sure I have a place to find cover from them). I love reading through the Gospels and seeing the way Jesus related to and ministered to people. Here in Matthew, we find Jesus in the home of Matthew, a man He met and invited to follow Him. And then, where do we find Jesus and Matthew? Not at church. Not in the local synagogue. We find them, of all places, at Matthew's house....with Matthew's friends. Friends who apparently had some questionable character, or at least were looked down on by others. More often than not, Jesus wasn't intent on bringing people to a certain place to hear about God. He was more focused on meeting people where they were at, sitting down with them, enjoying a good meal and some conversation. Maybe it's time we follow Jesus' cue. Oftentimes Christians can get caught in a Christian bubble and lose connection with those outside the church. Maybe it's time we find more ways to meet people where they are at, enjoy a meal in a home, and enjoy some good conversation. And hear me out. I'm not saying we should abandon the Sunday morning worship services, nor should we stop inviting people to attend. These are a critical part of the life of a Christ follower. What I feel we are being challenged to do is look outside our box, outside of our comfort zone. Invest in relationships. Meet people where they were at. It is very exciting to me that not only did Matthew invite Jesus and the disciples to his house for dinner, he also felt comfortable enough to invite his friends as well. There are some great ministry opportunities out there waiting to happen. There are people waiting to hear the good news of Jesus. There are people looking for real friendships, people they can count on. They might not be ready to step out all the way and ask, and that's why we have Jesus model for us the intentional importance of relationships. This week I encourage you to schedule some dinners, some type of simple event. Nothing big. Just enough to sit down with neighbors or friends who might not know or understand who Jesus is, and share life together. Be available, be relational, be intentional, and through it all, be prayerful. God can and wants to and will do great things through His people. And it all starts with meeting people where they are at. -Pastor Brian
0 Comments
Yep, I'm back! With another thought from God's Word that stuck out to me as I was reading. Here's the passage that stuck out to me:
Acts 5:33–39 (ESV) When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice. Now, a little background, the religious leaders had arrested the apostles for preaching about Jesus after they told them not to, and for doing signs and miracles. The leaders said the same thing to the apostles, "Stop talking about Jesus!" The apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than men. Oh, and by the way, Jesus was chosen by God, and you all killed him!" Now maybe the first verse makes a little more sense. Gamaliel is the one who God really used to speak to me. And there are two things that really stood out. Character Gamaliel was held in honor by all the people. Have you ever wondered why? It probably isn't because he was a troublemaker and divisive with his words. Looking up Gamaliel on "Blue Letter Bible", here's some things I found: (1) He was the grandson of the esteemed Hillel, the founder of Israel’s strongest school of religion. Gamaliel was given the title Rabban (“our teacher”), which was a step above the title Rab (“teacher”) or Rabbi (“my teacher”). (2) “Since Rabban Gamaliel the elder died there has been no more reverence for the law; and purity and abstinence died out at the same time.” Gamaliel seemed to be respected because he was respectful, because he honored the Word of God, because he lived out the lifestyle God puts forth in the Scriptures. People didn't listen to him because they feared he would harm them if they didn't listen. They wanted to listen to him. He had a good reputation. What does your character say about you? Character counts. You can have all the right words and information, but at the end of the day people will listen or not listen to you because of who you are, not just what you say. Who has your ear? "So they took his advice." Can you imagine that? Gamaliel spoke against their feelings and what they wanted to do. He very calmly took a look at the situation, and past situations, and brought God into the mix...and made a sensible presentation. And they listened to him. Who has your ear? Who is the one giving you advice? Who do you listen to when things get tough or difficult? And what advice are they giving you? Is it just an emotional response or is it advice that is grounded in God and His Word? Are you listening to people that are saying just what you want to hear, or are you really seeking out what God wants to say to you? One of the most influential and important daily decisions we can make in this life is who we allow to be our advisors. As you go throughout this week and this year and the rest of your life be mindful of a couple things: (1) are you living a life of honor and integrity that God calls you to? Are you a living example of the character of God. And (2) who will you allow to speak into your life. Likewise, be mindful of the advice you give others when they ask. Be open, honest, and gentle. And most of all, keep it connected to and centered in God's Word and prayer. - Pastor Brian As I was doing my daily reading the other day, something really jumped out at me. In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John were arrested and brought before the religious leaders. Peter and John were told not to speak about Jesus, but Peter and John replied, "How can we not talk about the things we have seen and heard?"
So they were threatened and released by this group of religious leaders. Which brings us to the passage I want to share where God moved me: Acts 4: 23-31 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,[a] said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’[b]-- 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Did you see it there? Really amazing stuff! When they went to their friends, they described what they just went through. And then.....they rejoiced! They worshiped! They praised God! They acknowledged what they went through, but more than that, they acknowledged the greatness of God, His power and His plan. And if that's not enough, they prayed differently than you and I probably would have prayed. They didn't pray God remove these people from leadership, nor the city, nor the planet. They didn't pray that God would take the hardship and troubles away. They prayed this: "God, continue doing what you do best - signs and wonders, healing people - and God give us boldness to preach of Your fame and glory and power. Help us not to be afraid to share about you." And that's the first thing that hit me. That's where God was speaking to me first. I am more prone to pray that God takes the troubles away (because to be honest, I like being comfortable), than to pray God thank you for the situation and the continued opportunities I have to see you working. Sure, it's easier to pray like this when life is going good, and honestly I have had a pretty gracious life without much hardship. And yet, I still find ways to complain, I still find ways to cry out, "God take this misery away from me!" Maybe (not maybe, absolutely true) I need to change the way I pray....to focus more on God and declaring His greatness than I need to worry about my comfort. Stick with me a little more, because then I had a thought as I was reading. Did you read the last verse? Yeah, that one at the end there. The one that says "the place where they were gathered was shaken." Yeah, that line. Like, an earthquake shook the place where they were. How cool would it be if every Sunday, as churches gathered together to worship and pray, locations shook. Those people who didn't go to church knew that Sunday, at 10am, things are going to shake around the house in Cypress because that church is meeting and praying. Not a big, catastrophic earthquake, just a little earth wiggle and jiggle to remind people that God is an amazing, all-powerful, earth shaking God. And the passage ends with a great truth and promise - they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak boldly. God is faithful. God is with you. God empowers you. When you are afraid or weary or run down remember this - the God we worship is an earth shaking God who still continues to do signs and wonders and heals. May we be known as a people who, no matter the circumstance or opposition, boldly proclaim His Word! -Pastor Brian Maybe like me, you've embarked on a mission this year to be more devoted to reading your Bible. It's a great journey and you are sure to be blessed by it. I wanted to take a minute to share with you how sometimes I read through a passage, and maybe it can encourage you.
Also, before I begin, let me encourage you to download the "Blue Letter Bible" app on your phone or make it a bookmark for a website on your computer. There are many great tools there to help you understand scripture better. Today, I will be talking a little about the "interlinear" function. It allows you to look up the original words (in our case today, Hebrew) to get a fuller understanding of their meaning and its implications for us as we read and apply scripture to our own lives. The other day in my reading plan I read through Psalm 1. Here is it: Psalm 1: The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked [1] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; [2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. [3] He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. [4] The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. [5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; [6] for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (ESV) You've probably all read it before, but let me share with you what stood out to me in reading it this time. So, I started out asking a simple question: "What does "blessed" mean?
As I wrapped this up, my thought went to, "What are the results? What is the outcome of delighting in and meditating on scripture?" We are a tree. Hmmm...doesn't sound too exciting, right. I mean, who wants to be a tree? But not just any tree, an amazing tree that God is cultivating and caring for. Let's break down verse three to understand that better:
I know, a long post, but these are some of the things I see when I read through God's Word. I hope you made it all the way through this. and I hope it is a blessing to you. Keep reading, sharing, getting grounded in God's Word and watch the things that our amazing God can do! In His grace, Pastor Brian |
Archives
August 2022
Categories |