What about Them?

“What about Them?”

This year is moving fast. Not only in time, but in involvement in our community. God has been moving in people’s hearts to see this ministry bear the fruit that God has positioned us to bear.

Ever since we started the backpack event at Amazing Life Church, our mission has been to serve our community. We have also been committed to provide a safe place for any and everyone to hear the awesome story of Jesus.

The only walls we have standing are the ones who hold back religious persecution. Those who use the Bible to divide God’s people, and alienate others who want to know Him.

“These walls will stand strong, as we continue to do what Jesus did. Minister in every way we can, to everyone we can.”

Jesus spent much of His time refining religion. He tried to put God first in the hearts of His priests but they would not hear. The concept of God being present, and in them was something they could not embrace.

As a result He moved God and His power beyond the singular control of the Levitical priesthood. He empowered common people to build His future church, and establish His presence in the hearts of man.

He took people who lacked education, and most lacked wealth. Many were common sinners, some prostitutes. Some housewives. Tax collectors and fisherman.

He chided the Jews for their unbelief. Healed lepers, blind men, demon possessed. He fed thousands with a prayer. Many of these unnamed men and women followed Him. He sent forth people to establish His works and many more were touched by His words and deeds.

After His ascension He empowered His church to work the works of God.

His ministry was rough on the religious community. He caused them to look beyond the normal standards of service. He taught that service must be shrouded in humility.

That word shrouded has 2 meanings. It means to conceal or hide something. It is also speaks of the garment that dead people were wrapped in.

Many years ago, even before God moved me here. He began to deal with me about the focus of my preaching. He moved me away from what was normal. Simply put everybody preached against sin. The sins for the day would vary, based on news cycles or whatever our favorite preachers would establish each week. That was considered hard, tell it like it is preaching.

One day God showed me what hard preaching was. Like the story of Isaiah I shared last week, He showed me a picture of who I was. I didn’t like it. He showed me wasted time. A critical spirit. The need for prayer. Most notably, He showed me my failure to love as He loved.

It changed my life and made me a rebel in certain circles. A title that even today I am proud and honored to claim. Compromise they say. Afraid to tell the truth.

I have never feared God’s truth. He is Truth. His way is Truth. His life is Truth. I love Truth. The truth is, the hardest preaching is not preaching sin. It is preaching that makes us look at ourselves. Saint or sinner. Preaching that challenges our faith and our love. Preaching that demands we forgive. Preaching that moves us to hunger for more of His presence. Preaching that challenges us to love sinners and tell them, without prejudice. The story of Jesus.

It is this preaching I embrace today. It is this preaching that will change us, and as a result, it will change the world we live in.

There is no greater revelation than that which comes from seeing ourselves, saint or sinner, for who we really are. Seeing what God sees.

I have found myself many times referring to portions of Psalms 51. David’s prayer of repentance. Although I have never been guilty of the sin he had committed. Sin is sin, is it not? Failure to love. Being critical. Wasting your time or your gift. Pride, arrogance, and so on and so on. This is part of David’s prayer.

Psalms 51:10-13 NASB

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

Message

God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.

This prayer speaks to a very important trait that all of God’s people must obtain.

Being in a position to reveal God, and to day, the path to God, Jesus. In a manner of authority and accountability. A position of humility and repentance.

I find it awesome that a prayer from a repentant OT figure can be relevant today. Cleanse me, renew me and give me strength. Embrace me with your presence. Restore my joy and my willingness to obey. “All of this so I will be able to tell your story!!!”

In The Gospel of John chapter 21 Jesus had risen and found some of the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.

Preparing to go fishing. When you get down to verse 15 you find Jesus challenging Peter. Do you love me more than these. Peter responded several times in the affirmative.

Just above verse 18 is the title, “Our Times Are in His Hand” Then Jesus said this.

John 21:18-23 NASB

18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”

19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!”

20 Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”

21 So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

22 Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”

Preach-What about Him?

What about you today? Your relationship. Your dreams. Your faults and failures.