“Testing is preparation for promotion,” declared Joel Munoz.
“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the
wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to
know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his
commands.” Deuteronomy 8:2 (NIV)
I never thought of testing in that light and am thankful for that perspective because it changes how I think about it. Just as in education, as a student when testing occurred, I thought it measured how much I did not know, but as a teacher, I saw it as a measurement for how much they did know.
Pastor Josiah reminded us that FC’s mission is to culture like Christ, and the mission is Jesus.
Last week was the Next Gen service where the children and adults were able to worship together, and Pastor Michel encouraged us to let the Spirit lead us. The week before Pastor Josiah shared how Peter picked the coin out of the fish’s mouth to pay the taxes.
This week he read from Mark 9 where Jesus asked His disciples about what they were talking, but “they didn’t answer because they were arguing about which of them was the greatest.” Mark 9:34 (NLT) How embarrassing to be caught in such a petty squabble, but our Lord knows when we are being small minded. It was the perfect time to teach them another countercultural concept.
“‘Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the
servant of everyone else.’ Then he put a little child among them.
Taking the child in his arms he said to them, ’Anyone who
welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and
anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my
Father who sent me.’” Mark 9:35b-37 (NLT)
We are part of a unique life in Christ. To live is to die. To gain is to lose. To lead is to serve. In Jesus’ culture, children were of little value and had no power, but Jesus… It’s the upside down Kingdom. The Lamb lay down His life and gave death the greatest blow. He humbled Himself for us. Jesus honored the children, the marginalized, and the rejected. Last Wednesday Pastor Alyssa led worship with baby Selah in her sling, and last Sunday Jude Hicks sang a solo honoring the Lord. Little children will lead us.
Then John asked the Lord about a person casting out demons in His name. “We tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” Mark 9:38 (NASB) John explained how they tried to prevent him from healing if he was not of their group. Pastor Josiah emphasized how easy it is to be divisive and discount someone who is not of our family or our church. We need instead to have an eternal perspective instead of a temporary one.
“But Jesus said,’Do not hinder him, for there is no one who
will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward
to speak evil of Me. For the one who is not against us is for us.”
Mark 9:39-40 (NASB)
Jesus was talking about unity instead of divisiveness, which has got to go. “Our coffee is hotter.”
“Our donuts are better.” “Our lighting is prettier.” “Our music is….” “Your music is…..”
Globally there are 45,000 different Christian denominations. What does that say? With every different interpretation, a different Christian denomination started. Don’t let these minor differences establish a wedge of division amongst us. We don’t tolerate a different Gospel but love the beauty of the variety of minor differences. Being part of the family of God means that we get to look for common areas instead of division, and being stretched is always a bit
uncomfortable.
It is unhealthy to live in an echo chamber. That means if all you hear and see agree with your views, you can have a twisted ideology. For example, I knew of a woman who was deaf and blind. The only input she had was her self talk, and that was very limiting. She was not open to different ideas and was in her own isolation chamber. A modern example is algorithms. As you scroll through different subjects on the computer, they send more of the same topic to you.
Pretty soon you are inundated with so much of the same.
Going back to the children, Jesus said,”But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42 (NKJV) “stumble-Grk.skandalizo-to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.” People watch what we do more than listen to what we say because the proof is in the doing. Our FC sweatshirts display the theme the “Proclamation of the Gospel and the
demonstration of the Kingdom.” Say and do. Pastor Landon Schott stated,”What leaders do in moderation; others will do in excess.” People follow our examples. We need to be aware of what we are doing and how we are doing it. The Lord is our standard.
If we spend time with Him, reading His Word, sitting with the Author, listening to His still, small voice, we will learn to be more like Him. He said,”I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 Why would we want to spend less time with Someone who loves us that much? What you look at, you’ll ultimately become. Keep aiming at Him.
Finally, Pastor Josiah read from Mark 9:43 “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched.” (NKJV) The message in this verse and the following verses was to stop being casual about sin. Pastor Josiah said that this passage is not about mangling the body but about acknowledging the sin and stoppIng the practice of it.
“For everyone will be tested with fire.
Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how
do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities
of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each
other.” Mark 9:49-50 (NLT)
To follow Christ is to see beyond the temporary and embrace the eternal-If we won’t, then we’re no follower of Christ. That is the Paramount Point.
May we embrace the eternal so that we can be salt and light in this troubled world.
Calendar:
3/21 (Friday) LB potluck, worship and speaker Irene Villa, Pastor Michel’s grandmother
3/22 Women’s event 4:00
4/11 LB potluck, worship, and Meet to Swap with proceeds going to the FC Youth
Submitted by,
Larry and Annette Linthicum
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