Is this really worth it?

Many people either stop following Jesus, or get stuck, out of disappointment. For a multitude of reasons, people’s expectations aren’t met and they conclude that it just isn’t worth it. This occurs in every area of life. Disappointment is often the ruin of relationships, careers, businesses, and many other endeavors. 

Disappointment is “sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.” To be a bit of a word nerd, “appoint” originates from the meaning “to the point,” also meaning “to fix, declare or decree authoritatively,” and “to ordain, nominate or establish.” So to DIS-appoint means missing the point, breaking or denouncing something, losing authority and purpose. So the negative emotions that come with disappointment are natural and should be expected. But here’s the twist—few things in life come without pain, setback, and times of disappointment. 

Often the willingness to press through disappointment proves one to be able to carry the appointment they were given. And when it comes to following Jesus, this is certainly true. Jesus never led anyone in a sinner’s prayer or had them recite a creed. He simply called individuals to follow Him. They followed Him as He taught and performed miracles. But they also followed Him to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was overcome with grief to the point of sweating blood. Then He went to the cross and died, having earlier said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26.) And many of Jesus' followers did suffer martyrdom, and still do in our day. 

This week we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection. But we must remember that without suffering and death there is no resurrection. Jesus had to suffer on the cross, die, and be buried before He rose on the third day. Likewise, following Christ is an appointment with suffering and even martyrdom—even if we are not persecuted and killed for our faith, we fulfill this calling when we remain faithful unto death. This means we don’t give up. Success is remaining faithful, not attaining any worldly achievement or status. Although, when you overcome disappointment and discover courage, you likely will live a successful life.

A Garden Blessing

“Don’t treat as a burden what I’ve given you as a blessing.” That’s what I heard the Holy Spirit whisper in my mind’s ear as I was tending my garden one spring day. 

Bill and I had recently moved our family into a beautiful new home. Our yard boasted many expansive garden spaces, and I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that needed to be done. Freely voicing my complaints about the disarray had become commonplace. As I was stewing over a particular patch of weeds one afternoon, my mind drifted back to a memory from years ago. I recalled how I had deeply wished and prayed that my next house would have lots of mature garden spaces. I dreamed about how beautiful they would look and how rewarding it would be to work with mature plants, dividing them and arranging their layouts as I added in new varieties for pops of color and differing textures. It was a distant dream from years ago that suddenly settled back into my present thoughts. Just then I heard the gentle yet sure words of the Holy Spirit: “Don’t treat as a burden what I have given you as a blessing.” Instantly humbled, I understood God’s point. He had given me my heart's desire, and here I was dreading its very existence. 

The reality is, the good things God gives us often require hard work and dedicated stewardship—whether it’s gardening, working our job, going to school, caring for kids, fixing our car, or cleaning the house. Remember when God gave the Isrealites the promised land? What a marvelous gift! It was the desire of their hearts, a land all their own, flowing with milk and honey! Their hard work was a major part of their apprehension of this gift of provision and abundant love. 

As it turns out, God plans on us working. Work six days and rest on the seventh: that’s the format he laid out for himself and mankind when He gave Adam and Eve their garden blessing.

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2)

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)

The truth is, gardening in my yard is a lot of work, and it is appropriate to acknowledge that. However, I was reminded that day and am reminded regularly that a blessing is, firstly, a blessing and is meant to be appreciated as such. May this story serve as a reminder for us to treat blessings as they ought to be treated: as blessings, not burdens, as something to be thankful for and appreciated in the process.

Let the Sparks Fly

As iron sharpens iron,
    so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17

When I hear this verse, I often picture two swords clashing. But two swords striking each other actually damages the swords. To sharpen a sword, you must know how to use the right tools. The same can be said of friendships. Using the right tools to sharpen a sword can create sparks. How true this is for our relationships with one another! As we go deeper in relationships with one another, sparks will inevitably fly. The healthy way we deal with conflict brings growth. 

I’ll be the first to admit that conflicts are hard. I can’t say I embrace them or chase after them. However, when I avoid conflict, it leads to misunderstandings and anxiety and often makes the situation worse. Conflicts, when handled appropriately, can forge stronger relationships and help each person develop spiritually. As we are able to challenge one another and respect each other's differences, we become stronger. 

We are called by God to live in community. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” While living in a community, we will encounter conflicts with one another. I encourage you today to find ways to deepen your relationships with one another. I encourage you to find ways to connect with others at New Day. Get involved in a community group, join a serve team, or initiate a conversation with others outside of our meeting times. And when conflicts arise, embrace them, work through them, and watch your friendship grow deeper.

We have the opportunity to have healthy relationships by working through the sparks of conflicts. In doing so, we can build each other up and be the church Christ calls us to be!

Waiting for the New Age

Last week we finished the Old Testament in our Arc of the Bible series. We took a whirlwind tour of thousands of years of history, and saw how our God is constantly faithful to his purposes and his promises. This Sunday we will begin looking at how God’s story continues in the New Testament. But what happens between these testaments?

In your Bible, these two sections are separated by a single page that reads “New Testament.” This mostly-blank page can make it seem like we simply move from Malachi and the next chapter of the story is Matthew. However, that page represents 400 years of waiting. 

Israel was waiting for a “new age,” a time when God would finally step in to cleanse and renew creation. It would begin with Israel, and then they would extend God’s blessing and restoration to the nations. This was thought to be the end of days when God would pour his Spirit out and the present “evil age” would be finished. They were waiting for God’s messiah to come and save creation from sin and death.

Israel was waiting for the kingdom of God to be restored. You will hear more about this on Sunday, but, the Kingdom of God was a time when there would be no king but God. The nation of Israel would be liberated from their oppressors. The presence of God would once again inhabit the temple and all things would be set right again.

So they waited. And they waited. What kind of messiah would come? When would he come? How would he do what needed to be done? But the Lord God had something unexpected in mind. He was not sending a military or political leader. God was not sending a messiah that anyone would recognize. He sent a Middle-Eastern man, born in the middle of nowhere. He sent a carpenter with no rank, title, or power. He sent Jesus, and Jesus turned the world upside down.

This week, my hope is that you see that Jesus’s story is built on and birthed out of Israel’s story. He is the promised heir. The seed of Abraham. The son of David. He is Isaiah’s suffering servant. He is the faithful king who will usher in the kingdom of God: not through power, but through self-sacrificial death.

Don’t Look Back

Luke 9:57-62: “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

The Kingdom of God is not about returning to what it used to be—the “good ‘ol days.” Nor is it about maintaining the status quo. The Kingdom of God is about moving forward and changing our world by the demonstration and proclamation of the Gospel. Many people may like the idea of following Jesus, but there is a cost, and if we just want a comfortable life, we may disqualify ourselves. 

God wants to bless His children. Throughout Scripture there are many places where we are promised life to the abundance. But the call to follow Jesus must be understood as a call to live sacrificially. In the passage following the quote above, Jesus sends out 72 disciples, commissioning them to go heal the sick and preach the Kingdom of God. Even though the disciples knew the cost of following Jesus, they were ready to go. We are in a time when we must be ready to go. Things have changed—have you noticed? So many of the routines of life have been turned upside-down in the past year. This has caused a lot of discomfort and pain. But it also creates opportunities. 

Embrace the opportunities that change brings. As a church, our purpose has not changed. A well known saying in Church leadership is “Marry the message, not the method.” Our message will never change, but how we communicate it must change. As we learn how to minister the gospel in our day, let’s not fear taking risks or enduring discomfort to share Jesus. Maybe that means you wear a mask as a way to respect others' health concerns, even if you are not concerned. Maybe it means learning how to interact online in ways that build community and open up others to hear the love of Jesus. Maybe it means setting aside your opinions in order to better understand and love your neighbors. 

Thankfully, unlike Jesus, we have a place to lay our heads. But let’s not allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency by being intoxicated by comfort. Let’s be like the 72 disciples willing to risk it all to see Jesus change lives.