Stuff Sucks...the life out of us!

(a Full-of-Faith Friday blog post)

Charles Spurgeon -- "prince of preachers"(cool shades may or may not be original to the picture :D)
Spurgeon Quote -- "it is not how much we have but
 how much we enjoy that makes happiness"

Today I find myself thinking about all the stuff I own, and particularly, how much it is worth. If I sold my truck, how much would that make? If I sold some books, how much could that make? These aren't the normal daydreams of a Friday morning for me. On the contrary, these are brand new in light of the need I presently have for finding a new job. Opportunities are unfolding, yet, the possibility of running out of money before the pay from a new job kicks in is a real dilemma for me, as it is for many Americans today. Thus, today I find myself considering what I'm willing to let go of to meet the needs of my family, which is essentially "paying the bills."

So I found my way into the Gospel of Luke and found at least two pocket-book punching parables that seemed relevant today: the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) and the Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31). Apparently, Jesus had a lot to say about our stuff (money and possessions) and each of these parables sculpts a two-sided image of the influence of "stuff" on our lives (and destinies). According to Jesus, our stuff has a great deal of positive potential and also a shockingly amount of hazards as well. I want to focus on three ideas I see in these parables because because I'm a preacher and that is just what preachers do and because I don't want to bore you with the fourteen things I actually see here, so be alert and consider: stuff is temporary, stuff corrupts our vision, and stuff sucks morality right out of us.

As Jesus tells it here, money and possessions are not evil; instead He does teach here that stuff is temporary. He teaches that it can disappear much faster than it comes to us. The farmer (Luke 12:13-21), spent his whole life storing up (saving) so that he would have plenty for retirement ("ample goods laid up for many years" v. 19), ends up losing everything in a single night because he dies much sooner than he expects (v. 20). Similarly, the good things the rich man (16:19-31) enjoyed during his life disappear upon his death as he suffers torment in Hades (Hell; apparently not a happy destination; "you can tell the terribleness of Hell by the price He had to pay to keep us from going there," Ray Comfort, Hell's Best Kept Secrets). So, according to Jesus my possessions can provide a "good life," but they are temporary and wholly untrustworthy, thus I shouldn't hold to tightly to any of them. Check.

Jesus also teaches in these parables that stuff corrupts our vision, much like wearing sunglasses at night or developing a severe eye infection (shout out KC; glad your eye is healing brother)! However, in this case, the vision that is corrupted is not optic but moral. Through the lens of his life of luxury the rich man (16:19-31) sees Lazarus as an ugly stain on an otherwise beautiful front gate near his home. Likewise, the farmer (12:13-21) thinks of no one but himself when he is devising a plan for retirement and wondering what he should do with all that supply (money). Sharing their wealth with those who have need isn't even within the scope of their thinking; instead, they both do everything they can to only provide security for themselves. Jesus declares this is selfish, wasteful, and definitively short-sighted. The wealth and desire for financial security (aka the American dream) has blinded these men. Now their vision is corrupted and they fail to see the needs in the world around them.

Since stuff corrupts our vision, leading to immoral decisions with our stuff (money), it isn't a big leap to now see that clinging to our stuff sucks morality right out of us. In fact, Jesus introduces the story of the farmer (12:13-21) with a stern warning of the hazards of holding tightly to things (greed): "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed" (12:15). When considering the context of the story Jesus tells here the implications of this warning are clear. If we spend our lives worrying about possessions, saving up huge nest eggs (bigger barns), or simply devoting tons of energy to constantly protecting our "bottom line," then we are literally in danger of losing our souls (moral decay) to our stuff. The ultimate image of this moral decay of our souls comes most clearly in Jesus' warning to His disciples in Luke 16:13 where He says, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and [stuff]" (my emphasis and translation). Thus, in the end the greatest danger for me in holding tightly to my stuff is the possibility of the corruption of my ability to serve and worship God. This, as Jesus emphasizes, is the direct result of serving and servicing my stuff.

In the end, I fully realize that my stuff is also a blessing and is good ("every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father..." (James 1:17).  It's not all Cheetos and Twizzlers though, for my stuff can also be hazardous material if I don't heed the warning to "watch out!" So, if you are reading this and you know me, don't come over and try to make me an offer to buy my truck...it is not for sale. It is a good gift. It is a blessing. Yet, I won't hold too tightly too it. If you need to borrow it, it is yours. If you want to buy a book, now that is another story for when I moved out of my office it took about 20 boxes, just for my books (maybe I need to downsize the library). So join me in "watching out" today and evaluating whether or not your stuff is sucking you away from God or toward Him. It's an important thing to consider. I fear many Americans...many of us...have fallen into the same trap as the farmer and the rich man. I pray not!

Let us be sure, and deal with it!

Bulletin Updates & Records

I am a member of Shadycrest Baptist Church. I happen to be the called Pastor as well, but like you, I am a member. As a member I take great pride in our church family and I want to see the health and success of our church. That is why I do the following:

• ·         Volunteer where I can
• ·         Give sacrificially to the church to help meet her needs
• ·         Pray for the church family
• ·         Lead my family to be healthy church members
• ·         Seek to be a unifying member
• ·         Treasure my membership here

And, as a member, when I see some things changing I frequently ask, “why are we doing that?” or “why are we doing it that way?” Those are perfectly good questions, especially when asked with sincerity and with a gentle spirit.

Therefore, when the proposal to change our bulletin was put forth I asked, “why would we do that?” The answer is at least 3-fold: 1) It saves a lot of money to print them “in house,” 2) The bulletin shells we were purchasing were constantly causing our printer to break down, causing work delays during the week, and 3) The smaller format is easier to manage, to store, to carry, and fits in your bible/purse.

But…It creates a communication challenge that will take some time for us all to fully embrace. With less room to work with I ask for your understanding. We will be: 1) prioritizing written announcements each week, and 2) including “The Record Speaks” in the bulletin once per month (1^st Sunday of the Month).

The Record Speaks is also posted weekly in the church office hallway and is available to you weekly via email at your request. Use a connection card to request this service or simply email Vicki at vprebilsky@shadycrest.org.  

Humpty Dumpty’s Mistake

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Can you see it? I would bet when you read this old nursery rhyme that visions of an egg sitting on top of a wall fill your mind…right? That is a story your mom or dad likely read to you out of a nursery rhyme book, but the original author probably found the idea for this rhyme in the old New England Primer.

Author David Anderson suggests this as the most likely origin of our Humpty Dumpty rhyme. He says that children learned their grammar from books like this and that children picked up ideas from the couplets used in that primer for the letters A and X. In the NE Primer it reads, “In Adam’s fall we sinned all; Xerxes the Great did fall and so must you and I.”

This little couplet, therefore, not only teaches the letters A and X, but also an important spiritual doctrine. That truth is that in the Fall (Adam & Eve’s sin), we all sinned. You see, the author of our Humpty Dumpty rhyme was not originally talking about an egg that fell, but a man. And yes, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, and every king and every horse since then, still cannot put Humpty Dumpty back together. We were lost, all of us, when man fell (sinned). Yes, it was Adam who fell originally, and it was a mighty fall—a fall from fellowship with God. Who can put us back together again?

Beginning this weekend at Shadycrest. 

New sermon series "True and Better".

Join us at Shadycrest Sunday, May 24th at 10:30 AM

Moms Are Awesome

The phrase, “working mother,” is redundant. 

Of course she works, and harder than we men and we her children fully realize! We know our mother’s work hard and we often wonder why they don’t complain more than they do? This answer is obvious too…because they are too busy to have time to complain! We all can learn a lot from this example. Proverbs 31 describes her well when it says, “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

Have you ever wondered what it is about your mother’s house that makes you feel like you can fully relax? Let me help you with the answer…it’s your mother! Even the memory of your mother there is comforting and helps you feel at home, helps you relax, and helps you think everything will be okay. In other words, moms are kind of like superheroes. They should be given super hero capes upon leaving the hospital after giving birth to each child.

Quite possibly my favorite quote about moms is this: “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool your mom” (anonymous). Oops, shame on me for trying all those years.

Washington Irving once said of mothers, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” 

Exercise Your Faith

 
“Without faith it is impossible to please God” the author of Hebrews tells us (11:6), so yes, exercising faith is extremely important.

Some of you have known the Lord for many years, whereas, some of you haven’t been followers of Christ for long. Do you remember when you first trusted Christ as Savior and Lord? I understand it can be hard to remember something that happened a long time ago…but try to remember that day. Do you recall feeling that now everything was going to be okay? Do you remember a feeling of peace, of hope, or of joy?

For those of you who have known Christ for many years now you certainly realize that faithfully following Christ requires a lot of hard work on your part. Maybe you have discovered like me that in order to be healthy, your spiritual life in Christ needs constant attention.

Let me add to this that if you are struggling spiritually, if you find it difficult to put God first and consistently put His Word into practice in your life you are not alone. If you struggle to have the right thoughts you are not alone. If you often can’t help but complain about your life and the people around you then you aren't alone. And, if you are struggling in any of these ways then maybe you are beginning to discover that there is some work that needs to be done. Maybe you too are realizing that your spiritual life needs constant attention. In other words, we need God’s help every day to live up to God’s standards for our lives.

I love the plants and flowers that are in my flower beds and flower pots around the outside of my house. There is something about their beauty that gives me a feeling of peace and reminds me of the presence of God, the Creator of all beauty. But right now, most of my flower beds are in disarray.

Right now plants, trees, and flowers need to be trimmed/pruned and flower beds need to be weeded and cleaned up. The beauty isn't really there right now…there is too much clutter…too many distractions…why is that? Because if there is no gardener, then there is no garden. Since I am the gardener I have to find the time to get in there and do the work that will create the beauty that is desired.

There is no way around the need here. There are no labor-saving devices that will fix my flower beds and there are no labor-saving devices that will grow a garden of spiritual virtue in us as well. Becoming a person who reflects the light and love of God is work of God in us, but don’t miss the reality that it is “work.” Becoming a person who is full of spiritual fruitfulness requires attention and time…mostly time spent with Jesus.
When God saves you He calls you to a life of obedience. Just as a garden will not take care of itself, your spiritual relationship with God will not take care of itself either. If you’re going to be a fruitful Christian then you need to put forth some effort by living in obedience to God’s Word.

Our faith is the means through which we connect with God every single day. Our faith in God is what grants us access to His promises. Our faith in God is what helps sustain us through the trials and tribulations of life. Our faith also makes us a reliable instrument to be used by our great God.

Do you want to be used by God? Do you want to experience the “abundant life” that Jesus offers to His followers? If you say yes, then it’s time to exercise your faith…to put on your gardening gloves, set aside time and get in the Word and listen to the Lord’s instruction for you. The results will be beautiful.
 

Core Value 1 -- Biblical Truth

I work with a 1^st grader every week as a mentor. My time supports him emotionally, provides a male role model for him, helps motivate him at school, and supports the school’s goal of producing literate and successful students.

Illiteracy is a crippling curse in any circumstance, but biblical illiteracy today is a chronic problem, even within the church…and it is unacceptable.

Why is biblical illiteracy such a big problem? Do I really need to study the Bible?

To truly understand the dilemma you must first get over your own pride. We think we know a lot, but we don’t, and as people who are easily deceived living in a world of counterfeits and lies, knowing biblical truth is of great importance.

Biblical truth contains the Word of God. This truth has come to us from God the Father, through the Son of God, and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Due to its trustworthy source it is the complete and final authority for belief and behavior.

Thus, our desire should be more than studying the truth; yes, we should also let the truth study us. These are the very Words of God to us. They are alive and powerful (Heb 4:12). They are life changing (John 14:6-9; 8:32). We need to live lives that are laid bare by the truth of God about our lives. We need our relationship with God to be centered around the Truth (Jesus Christ—John 14:6-9), and the freedom that is only found in Christ. 

Celebrate to Replicate

It doesn't matter if you are leading people forward in their relationship with God or in potty training, what's celebrated is replicated.  If we acknowledge and applaud progress, progress will continue.  If we ignore it, enthusiasm will wane and progress will stop.

Perhaps this is why God designed baptism as a visible and outward expression of an inward reality.  When life change is celebrated within the church it becomes contagious and it inspires people to consider their own lives, often resulting in conversations with God that lead to their own personal change. Don’t you get excited when one of our church members tells their story to you? Don’t you get excited when we have baptisms and the candidate shares their love for the Lord on video? I do!

Therefore, today help me celebrate the great work of our Children’s Ministry. Our Children’s Team are all volunteers and they do amazing work. Last Saturday a great team of Children’s leaders and kids were out at Independence Park serving at the “Paws in the Park” event. Yesterday, our Children’s Team was at the Chic-fil-a meeting hundreds of kids and their parents and providing a fun and adventurous Easter egg hunt. And, today you witness the great work of our Children’s Team as our Kids Choir sings in the Easter Service!

Kuddos to our Children’s workers. Join me in celebrating a great team! If you see one of our Children’s workers this week, pat them on the back and tell them how proud you are of their great work!  

Today, I celebrate with you these great servants of Jesus! 

Confessing Christ

God’s plans to save mankind from their sins includes the confession that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. The lost in the world identify us as followers of Christ not only by the fruit of our lives, but also by the repeated confession of our mouth the Jesus is our Lord.

In Jesus’ day, people were not sure He was the Messiah. This is why Jesus asked His disciples, “who do men say that I am?” (Matt 16:13-19). The disciples’ answers proved there was great confusion then concerning who Jesus was. Likewise, there is great confusion today about who Jesus is.

Some people today say Jesus was a great leader and teacher. Some say following Jesus is one of many ways to get to heaven. Some say Jesus was a fake and a phony--just a man. Some say He was a prophet, like Moses, or Muhammad, or Joseph Smith. Why is there so much confusion still today concerning who Jesus is??? How do we help clear up the confusion?

The answer to these questions is the same as it was the day Jesus asked His disciples to identify who He was. Peter said it right that day, and He kept on saying it boldly and courageously with his life and his words, every day. And, Peter and the disciples did it in a place and a time that was oppositional to the truth that Jesus is truly the King!

So how do we respond? How do we answer? We MUST do likewise. We must be Peter, James, and John to our generation. A person cannot become a Christian unless he/she confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Rom 10:9-10). One day, everyone will confess Christ (Rom 14:11-12; Phil 2:9-11), but if people wait till that day it will be too late. There is an urgency here we must not ignore. We must lay aside our fears, open our mouths, and confess Christ. We must be His witnesses…for lives are on the line…eternity is at stake!