Take a look at this video. It’s about all the STUFF we let get between us and Jesus, and how Jesus keeps calling us to him … and how Jesus saves us, again and again. It's about 6 minutes long.
I showed this video this past Sunday night because it just seemed like the perfect illustration of this week’s Jesus Priority: Build Up Treasures in Heaven. The scripture for this week was Luke 12: 15-28, the parable of the rich fool.
In this scripture reading, Jesus cautions us about letting the priorities of the world take precedence over the priorities of God. In his book, “The Jesus Priorities,” Christopher Marical suggests the following three steps we can take to ensure we stay focused on Jesus, rather than spiritually meaningless stuff, like money: 1) Detach from Earthly Possessions, 2) Maintain an Abundance Mentality, 3) Act Justly.
Detach: Keep in mind that your income, your home and all the other resources you are blessed with come from God. While researching this scripture passage, I was shocked that one commentator referred to our attachment to luxuries as practical atheism. But it makes sense. Because if we say we earned everything we’ve got by our own merits, then we’re saying we don’t believe God had anything to do with it, or us. But as Christians, we know our lives and everything we have ARE from God. Our resources are entrusted to us, but they are not ours. If we can maintain a sense of detachment from them then they won’t take us over, like the things of the world almost overtook the girl in the video skit.
Maintain an Abundance Mentality: This point’s very simple. We are challenged to believe that there are enough resources world-wide for everyone to get what they need to be OK. Plus, if we believe our resources are entrusted to us from God, then at any time we should be ready to give cheerfully from our abundance. This is the natural outcome of successfully detaching from our possessions.
Act Justly: When we are detached from our possessions, and when we believe there are enough riches to go around, then we naturally pool our resources in ways that benefit those who don’t have as much as we do.
Our church does OK in this area. On the one hand, we are great at rallying around families in need, and many other Christian activities to boot. And many of our members tithe, which means they give a certain percentage of their income each week. And as long as this continues, our church will be fine.
We have a growing edge, though. In preparation for this sermon I looked up our giving statistics, and I was shocked to realize many of our members’ monthly giving to the church is less than what it costs to buy a tank of gas. But what is blocking so many of us from sharing our abundance with our church?
I bet you’re wondering how giving regularly to our church is a justice issue. That’s easy. Our church exists because we pool our resources. And because we have a church we are able to worship Christ and be a witness for Christ’s love of everyone, including us GLBT folks.
I ended my sermon with this prayer that I’d like to share with you:
O Holy God, You have blessed us in so many ways, so that we truly are richer than Solomon could ever have imagined. You have blessed us with cars and televisions, laptops and Bluetooth-enabled voice-activated navigational systems that bounce our requests off satellites in space so we won’t lose our way. Help us not lose our way in the forest of luxury, help us stay true to who you are calling us to be. Help us to cheerfully answer YES each time you ask us to share a little of what you’ve given to us with others in our world.
In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
—Josie Byzek
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Living the Jesus Priorities: Spread the Word
Spreading the Word has always been difficult for us, it seems. If it were not difficult, we should have every seat filled in every congregation every Sunday! Sometimes it is difficult to understand that we, each one of us, have been commissioned by God to spread the news of God's love for humankind and the mercy of God when we fail to show that love. Every person deserves to know that they are a person of worth and that God has a plan for their lives. Jesus' strategies for sharing this news were effective...and more than that, they can be replicated in our lives! What are the strategies?
1. Share the Mission
Matthew 4:18-22
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus did not stop, however, with those he originally called...check out Mark 9, when the disciples find someone outside of their group healing. The Disciples cry, "Foul!" but Jesus says, "If they aren't against us, they are for us." Check out the story of the man possessed by demons in Mark 5. After he is healed, he wants to follow Jesus but Jesus tells him to go home and tell his friends.
2. Invite Everyone!
Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
Fill the place! Invite! Invite! Invite! Don't judge who should be invited. Be God's love to people and bring them in! Jesus' invitation was always connected to the circumstance of the person. And don't worry about what people might think of you because you invite! What might they think? That you are a follower of Christ? That you care too much? That you love too unconditionally? There could be worse things....But to be willing to invite and let it become a natural part of who you are, you must take the time to really know Christ--not just the facts--but to know Christ as you would a best friend.
3. Challenge With Love
Matthew 19:16-22
16 Then someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
We are the rich young man. God did not send Jesus to solve our problems. What are we withholding from God?
Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
Some questions to reflect on:
1. Share the Mission
Matthew 4:18-22
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Jesus did not stop, however, with those he originally called...check out Mark 9, when the disciples find someone outside of their group healing. The Disciples cry, "Foul!" but Jesus says, "If they aren't against us, they are for us." Check out the story of the man possessed by demons in Mark 5. After he is healed, he wants to follow Jesus but Jesus tells him to go home and tell his friends.
2. Invite Everyone!
Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
Fill the place! Invite! Invite! Invite! Don't judge who should be invited. Be God's love to people and bring them in! Jesus' invitation was always connected to the circumstance of the person. And don't worry about what people might think of you because you invite! What might they think? That you are a follower of Christ? That you care too much? That you love too unconditionally? There could be worse things....But to be willing to invite and let it become a natural part of who you are, you must take the time to really know Christ--not just the facts--but to know Christ as you would a best friend.
3. Challenge With Love
Matthew 19:16-22
16 Then someone came to him and said, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" 17 And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 20 The young man said to him, "I have kept all these; what do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
We are the rich young man. God did not send Jesus to solve our problems. What are we withholding from God?
Jesus said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24)
Some questions to reflect on:
- Who have you invited to join God's realm? Who will you invite next?
- What are some ways you could share your mission to be a disciple of Jesus?
- Who could you tell? What could you write?
- What are you withholding from God?
- Who in your life needs to be challenged? How can you confront that person with love and humility?
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