20

Jump Start # 2229

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2229

1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world, not the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father Is not in him.”

Our verse today sets forth this interesting concept of being in the world but not being of the world. We remember the famous John 3:16 passage that begins, “For God so loved the world…” And, here we find that we are “not to love the world.” Seems confusing and contradictorily. The word “world” is being used in two different references. In John 3:16, it’s talking about the people of the planet. God loves all of us. He sent Jesus to die for all of us. Here, in 1 John 2, the word “world” is used of the sinful side of things. James does the same thing when he warns us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. There is a dark side to the world. The world is moving in a direction away from Heaven. That’s the stuff of our verse today.

 

A great illustration of this contrast is found in a the story of hard rocker Janis Joplin. She made a name in the music scene in the late 1960’s. She was the true image of a hippie. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll were her life. She died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27. She was young. She has been named in the rock ‘n roll hall of fame. Her image has been an icon of the music industry.

 

What many people do not know is that Janis Joplin grew up in a small Texas community in a very typical home, with a mom, dad and brother and sister. Her parents were members of a local church of Christ. And, here is where two paths separate and our verse becomes so apparent. The world holds up Janis Joplin as one of the first female hard playing, hard living rocker. She is hailed as one of the first female lead singers. She sang and partied with other rock legends. And, yet back home, was a heart broken mom and dad who witnessed a living prodigal that had chosen the way of the world. The world does not appreciate nor understand the pain of parents who watch their children embrace the world and sell their soul to gain fame, fortune and success.

 

Every year, the Janis Joplin story is repeated in differing degrees in homes across this land. The young people pulled by the world and the call of the far country, leave home, leave their values and leave their God for the opportunity to “make it.” And, the price they must pay, is their soul. The lifestyle of some professions is so counter to the values of Christ, that a choice must be made. The professional athlete, loved by the fans in the stands, often is faced with the tough choice of how to worship on Sunday when it’s game day. A few have made it work. Many have left aside worship for the love of the game. A price was paid.

 

The music industry is hard to be successful and remain a strong Christian. The touring, the alcohol, the drugs, the lifestyle, the people associated in that industry, are not upholding the values of Christ. Some make it, but many have chosen the industry over Christ.

 

Many other professions are just like this. To be at the top, there is a price one has to pay. Often, that price involves leaving the values that you once believed and now embracing a lifestyle that’s not compatible with being a Christian. On top of the world, but what did it take to get there? How many marriages were ruined? How many lies and deceptions were told? And for many, once they are there, they have so embraced that lifestyle that they no longer think much about the Lord nor eternity. They have reached what they wanted and they now life a secular life apart from God. Only occasional, usually at a funeral, will they pause and think about what they left and where they are going, but that thought is quickly lost in the world which they live.

 

Our verse today reminds us not to love the world, nor the things in it. This is a tough lesson for parents to instill in their children. The push is to go to the top, be the best. But what will it take to get there? Will one have to exchange his soul, as Jesus said, to gain the whole world? The push to make the most money and the push to play sports at all costs, comes with a cost. Some of these impressions come from the world. However, some start early and they come from the home. Parents make the decision to skip services for a ballgame. That decision teachs the young athlete that the game is more important than the Lord. Later on, when that person wants to play college sports or gets an opportunity to try to break in to the majors, worshipping on Sunday doesn’t even cross his mind. He’s all about the game and the game has replaced the Lord.

 

From our passage we begin to see some truths:

 

First, the world is going a different direction than I want to go. There is more to life than money, the game, and success. Our ambition is not to be on top, but to please the Lord. That must become a part of our DNA. When it’s there, the decisions are easier to make. When it’s not there, the Lord loses every time.

 

Years ago, I sat down with someone who was trying to convince me to become a salesman in his corporation. The talk was climbing the ladder. The talk was of money, trips and elegance. He asked me to list five goals in my life. That was easy. I wrote things such as preaching overseas, developing elders, and things like that. He read my list and said that I had written down the wrong things. He said, “I mean material things.” We weren’t on the same page and never did get on the same page.

 

Second, there is a contentment and a peace within the heart of a Christian that makes him satisfied. The thrill of being famous not only comes with a price, but it is shallow and empty. The child of God knows that he is going somewhere. He realizes that God is his Father and joyfully, he can sing, “This world is not my home.” Don’t you want to be famous, someone asks? No. I just want to go to Heaven. Wouldn’t it nice to be rich? Compared to most of the world, I am very rich. And, more than that, I have riches that money cannot buy. To be forgiven by God and to be considered one of His children is far greater than having your name on a plaque and having people drool over you because they think you are somebody. My friend, Eugene, has dozens of preacher’s autographs in his Bible. Every year he finds more preachers to sign his Bible. If he was to put that Bible on EBay, he wouldn’t get any bids. The world doesn’t know, nor does the world care about those names. But to the people of God, those names are special.

 

Third, all of this ends one day. The values of the world will come crashing in a dead end street. There is no way out. A life without God ends horribly at the judgment. To ignore God now will mean God will ignore you in eternity. The life of rebellion and hard living may be appealing to some, but it’s selfish, and doesn’t contribute to the wellbeing of others. The life of the Christian ends in the arms of our Savior. Choices now, determine our destiny later. It’s not predetermined. It’s not all set in stone. Every day we make choices. Live now to self or live now with God and later with God. So the man of the world who seems to have it all, when he dies, what will that have accomplished? Jesus already told us this story. We know his designation, the rich man. He dressed in purple and ate well every day. He died. But that wasn’t the end of the story. He opened his eyes and was in agony. No one to help him. No second chances. No warnings to others. This wonderful life crashed at the dead end street. He could have chosen God, but he didn’t. He could have helped poor Lazarus, but he didn’t. He could have done right, but he didn’t. While loving the world, he seemed to be on top of it. He lived behind a gated house and seemed to have it all. In our times, his picture would have been on the front of magazines. His house would have been shown on TV. People would have flocked to be around him. He had it all, but actually, he had nothing. The purple clothes didn’t help him when he died. The fine food wasn’t there for him after he died. The gates didn’t matter. The big house. The money. All of this ends one day.

 

Fourth, contentment is a hard lesson to live with. The world pushes us to improve and get more. You can’t be happy we are told unless you upgrade. You must have the latest and the newest. You must circulate among the stars. Push, push, push, and drive, drive, drive—and where does that get us? Stressed. Worried. Fearful. Cranky.

 

I love the story about a commercial fisherman. He was sitting one day on the dock watching the sun set. A sharp businessman stopped and asked him if that was his fishing boat in the water. He said “yes.” Why then are you not out fishing? There is still daylight. “Why?” said the fisherman. The businessman was aghast with such a response. Why? You can catch more fish. Then you can make more money. In time, you could hire more crew. Then with some planning, you could purchase more boats. You could capture this market and really make something. The fisherman said, “Then what?” The businessman said, Then what? Then you could run your operation without going out on the water and you could sit back and take it easy. The fisherman looked over the water and said, “I thought I was already taking it easy?”

 

Love not the world, nor the things in it. Hard to do. All around us are those who are in love with the world. They love the world’s values. They love what the world offers. They bow down daily to this world. But for you and I, we just pass on through. These things don’t move our needle and they don’t grab our attention. We are after something far better, and that is spending forever with God.

 

Our ambition is to please the Lord. Good thoughts in a busy season!

 

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 2228

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2228

Job 16:13 “His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidney open; He pours out my gall on the ground.”

Monday with Job. This is a little series that we are doing based upon my Sunday morning class on Job. One of the things we looked at yesterday was the up and down feelings of Job. He goes from highs to lows back to highs. He feels that God is against him and then he proclaims “My Redeemer lives.” It is fascinating to look at this on a chart. It’s not what we would expect. We tend to believe that Job started in the basement and gradually climbed to the top, feeling better and stronger each step of the way. But that’s not the case. He goes from hope to despair to hope. He feels at times that he has no future, and that the grave is all that awaits him. Other times, he seems to be getting a confident grip on things. But, up and down Job rides through this book.

From this we saw that grief and trials are a journey and it’s a journey of ups and downs. If we caught a Job in a chapter 19 period, we’d conclude that he’s doing pretty good with all the things he’s gone through. But finding Job during a chapter 21 period, and we’d think he needs a lot of help. We might conclude that he’s going to lose it. This reminds us that someone may seem to be doing ok with things today. Tomorrow they may not. We need to keep in touch with people who are going through difficult trials and grief.

However, for you and I, the Jesus difference, makes all the difference. Because of the Jesus difference, you and I should not swing from such highs to such lows. Because of Jesus we should not sink as low as Job did. Faith, knowledge and trust in the Lord ought to allow us to level off faster than Job did. And, the reason for this is very simple. Job was on one side of the cross and you and I are on the other side of the cross. That’s the difference. Job didn’t have Jesus and we do. Job didn’t have promises, hope and forgiveness as we do.

Job wanted an umpire to be between him and God (9:33). We have that in Jesus. He is the mediator between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). Job wished that God could feel what he did. He wished that God was flesh (10:4). Jesus became flesh and became like us (Heb 2:17). Job wondered if a person lives again after he dies (14:14). We know that there is life after death (1 Thes 4:14). Job felt like God was against him (16:11). We know that God is for us (Rom 8:31).

The difference Jesus makes is the promises and the example of Jesus. Christ was raised and we know that we will be raised. God has proven His love for us through the cross. God wants us to come to Him. God promises to take us home some day. All these promises and these hopes are on our side of the cross. Job did not have these. So, it is understandable why Job’s feelings were up and down so much. He wasn’t sure. He didn’t have proof. He didn’t have promises. We do. And, because we do, our faith ought to keep us from despair and bottoming out with our feelings and emotions. Our faith in what God says and promises is the rock that our foundation is built upon. Storms come. The winds blow. The rains fall. But our house stands. It stands not because we are so tough. It stands not because of some inner strength within us. It stands because of the rock. Without that rock, we collapse. We fall apart. We become a mess emotionally and doubtful spiritually. The difference is the rock, which is Jesus.

Tragedies strike. But when we fall into utter hopelessness, we shouldn’t look to Job. He’s not a reason for us to fall apart. He never had what you and I have. He held it together pretty good, all things considered. But for you and I to act that way, demonstrates a lack of faith and a foundation that is not built upon Christ. Paul showed this contrast in Thessalonians when he said that the Christians grieve not like those who have no hope. It’s a shame when we act that way. Certainly suffering hurts. It can be the greatest trials of our life. However, when we act like the world, who has no hope and worse than Job, they do not even have a knowledge of God, we illustrate how little we actually believe. It’s easy to sit in a church house on a Sunday morning when things are going well in your life. You have health, money and sunny days, all is fine. But what about those times when you don’t have health and you don’t have money and the skies are stormy? Where’s your faith then? Job’s response to his wife’s call for him to curse God and die was that she spoke like a foolish one. We do the same when we act like Jesus never came. When we forget about all those promises and we cast aside all hope, and we feel that all is lost, we speak just like the foolish world.

We have a high priest who sympathizes with what we go through. We have a God who provides doors of escape to every temptation. We have a greater understanding of suffering and the benefits of suffering than Job ever had. We have the total Scriptures to guide and remind us that this world is not my home. We see glimpses of Heaven, God’s home, and His desire for us to spend forever with Him.

Powerful, powerful truths, promises, examples that provide us with understanding, assurance and hope. We know what happens when a person dies. We understand what will happen to this world one day. We know about judgment. We know about grace. We know about Satan. All this knowledge supports our faith and provides assurance for us. Job was without that. And, yet, there are days when we act worse than Job. Tragedy strikes. And, unlike Job, we do not worship. Unlike Job, we do blame God. Unlike Job, we sin. And, looking at this, we must wonder, why? Why is Job who had so little and we who have so much, a better example of belief in trials than we are? We have Jesus. We have these promises. We have the whole picture before us.

Maybe it’s time for us to stop babying one another and tolerating faithless outbursts and start acting like people of faith. Maybe it’s time we truly believed what the Scriptures teach. Maybe it’s time that we become an example of people who have hope.

The Jesus difference makes all the difference. Hopefully, someday we’ll get this!

Roger

16

Jump Start # 2227

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2227

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

Our verse is a very well known passage. We hear it often in sermons. It is interesting that an apostle in prison tells brethren who have freedom to rejoice. We’d expect it to be the other way around. There are some layers we must peel back here.

 

First, rejoicing and happiness are not the same. We tend to use those words interchangeably. Happiness is based upon what is happening. There are many things in a day that happens which does not bring happiness. Changing dirty diapers would be high on the list. Paying bills is up there. Stuck in long lines of traffic. Waiting in waiting rooms for what seems to be hours. Getting shots, whether you are a little one or a big one, is no fun. Cable going out during a ballgame you are watching. Getting pulled over by the police. Stepping in a puddle of water and getting your foot wet. Those happenings do not bring happiness. Joy is not based upon what happens. The problem with happiness is that it is based upon the exterior things that are beyond your control. Rain during an outdoor wedding. You can’t do much about that. It happens. Joy is internal, not external. It’s based upon who you are, not where you are. It’s based upon being forgiven by Christ and walking with the Lord in fellowship. This is why a tired, old apostle, in a Roman prison, could tell others to rejoice. He was rejoicing. The prison wasn’t nice. The conditions weren’t good. What was “happening,” wasn’t worth bragging about. But on the inside, he was one with the Lord and he knew that he would be with the Lord very soon. This is why we can have a joyful outlook and a joyful spirit while awaiting chemo treatments, or going to a funeral, or having to deal with the hassles of insurance forms. Our joy doesn’t change because of what happens to us. The insides are not affected by the outsides.

 

Second, it’s interesting that Paul had to remind the Philippians to be joyful. You’d think it ought to be something that they were by nature, but it’s not. Paul in prison, in Rome. Things looked bleak. Life is hard. Things can get confusing. And all these exterior things can keep us from forgetting who we are on the inside. Forgiven. Heaven bound. Declared to be one of God’s children. Blessed by the Lord. Included in the mighty work of God’s kingdom. Those are things that the weather doesn’t change. Those are things that sick days, traffic jams, piles of work to be done, bills to be paid, never touch. There is much to rejoice about. With God, we see this world from His perspective. We see what really matters in life. We see that Satan is soon to be defeated once and for all. Why tell the Philippians to rejoice? Because we forget these spiritual treasures. We get caught up with what is happening at the moment and fail to look deep within us at the blessings of God.

 

Third, being joyous changes your outlook and your attitude. You tend not to be bothered so much with superficial things that are temporary and do not last. So, there is long lines of traffic. Use the occasion to pray. So, you are waiting and waiting in the waiting room, use the occasion to read God’s word. While paying your bills, be thankful to God that you have a job and the money to pay those bills. As you pay them, it reminds you to consider not only how generous God is, but are we being generous? It makes us think of others who we could drop a note to, or send a text to. Cheer someone up. Put some sunshine in someone’s day. The joyful look opens your eyes to a wonderfully big world that you can help others with. Being joyful, makes you thankful. Being joyful makes you be helpful.

 

Fourth, being joyful is a choice that one must make. We leave the house and we can be grumpy, bitter, sour, discouraged, mean, annoyed, or we can be joyful. It’s a choice that we make. Many wake up and the weather determines their mood and spirit for the day. A sunny day and they might be cheerful today. A dark gloomy day and that’s the spirit that they will carry. The joyful person doesn’t need to look outside the window to determine what he will be like. He looks within. He sees how God has been good to him. He realizes that he is blessed and that God is counting on him today. So, on the darkest of days, the child of God can be joyful. People at work won’t understand. They may even ask, “What are you so happy about?” They do not understand that it’s joyfulness not happiness that is radiating through our hearts, smiles and outlook.

 

Finally, being joyful doesn’t mean someone has to be on vacation, lazy or taking a day off. A person can be up to their eyeballs in work and have a schedule full of things to do and still be joyful. A person can be sitting in a Roman prison and be joyful. It’s not the location and it’s not what we are doing, but it’s the state of our heart as we are connected to the Lord. So, for the young couple in a small apartment. Don’t assume that you can never be joyful until you get your own house and have some room. If you can’t be joyful in an apartment, you’ll probably never be joyful in the largest house you can afford. Here is a person who has an entry level job. He doesn’t make much and the work day is long. He assumes that once he moves up, makes more money, gets his own desk that he will be joyful. That probably won’t happen. If he can’t be joyful now, he won’t be joyful later. Here is a young couple with lots of babies. They demand all kinds of time and attention. The parents are constantly worn out and tired. If we can just hang on until they are all in school, then we will be joyful. Most likely not. They may be better rested, but joyful? No. If you can’t be joyful now, you won’t be when they are in school. Here is a man who is soon to retire. He has the days numbered. He dreams of travel, sleeping in and finally doing whatever he feels like. Then, he believes, he will be joyful. Nope. If he can’t be joyful now, he won’t be later.

 

Maybe Paul was telling the Philippians to be joyful because the days would come when some of them would be in prison. The persecution would be worse before it got better. If you can’t be joyful now, you won’t be joyful then. Paul was joyful. He was the example. He was showing them that it’s an inside concept. What happens on the outside doesn’t change the inside.

 

Oh, if we could only get this. Nothing worse than a bunch of grumpy Christians shuffling into the church building to worship on Sunday morning. They are cranky, crabby and spreading their misery. It’s cold they say. Yep. It’s raining outside. So? It’s too early. And in the background of my mind are the words written from a prison, “Be joyful.” We get to worship the King! We get to put a smile on the face of God.

 

Joyful…yes. Joyful…always. Joyful…it’s up to you.

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 2226

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2226

Psalms 68:19 “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God who is our salvation.”

Our verse today is a gentle reminder of how great the Lord is. Not only does the Lord bear our burdens, but he does it daily. Just think about this promise and blessing we have in the Lord. Just think about this in terms of God’s children. Just think about this in terms of today. Here’s an expansion of this:

There are many prayers going up this morning for safety. We have ice on the ground. The roads are slick. Many are without power. Schools are delayed or closed. Those who have to get out are especially concerned today. There is a heaviness and an uneasiness upon them. The Lord bears our burden.

Out West, it’s the fires. Many are missing. The fires continue to burn. Many are concerned about loved ones. The Lord bears our burden.

A family I know has to prepare for a funeral this week. A loved one passed away. The Lord bears our burden.

A mother is dealing with a troubled teen. He’s been in trouble with school. He doesn’t seem to want to make the right choices. The Lord bears our burden.

A man has learned that his wife has been unfaithful to him. She no longer wants to remain in the marriage. His world is coming apart. The Lord bears our burden.

A man is beginning his first series of chemo treatments this week. The dreaded word cancer is now part of his conversation. The Lord bears our burden.

A preacher in a third world country struggles to support his family. He wants to preach, but the money isn’t there. The Lord bears our burden.

A couple is facing the tough decision about moving an aging parent into assisted living. The parent doesn’t want to go. A battle looms on the horizon. The Lord bears our burden.

A congregation faces going forward without elders. They have had wonderful shepherds for years but now due to health issues and job transfers, all the elders have resigned. The church is worried. The Lord bears our burden.

Our list could go on and on and on. You know things in your part of the kingdom that I do not. All of these things reveal some truths for us.

First, life is hard. It was Job who said “man born of woman is short lived and full of trouble.” There are burdens. These burdens take the breath out of us. They keep us up at night. They steal our appetite. They invite worry, fear and doubt into our hearts. We want sunny days. We want worry free vacations. We want interstates that are free of traffic. We want arteries that never clog. We want smiles on the children’s faces, and wagging tails on our dogs. But life is not like that. Burdens come. Stress mounts. The world, because of sin, leaves us with broken promises from others, jobs that are not completed, people that are not true, and a heartache cuts us to the core.

Second, the expression, “The Lord bears our burden,” is enormous. David wrote this from the standpoint of Israel. We read this from the standpoint of our homes. But just among God’s people, there are a lot of us. There are a lot of things going on. There are many prayers reaching Heaven every day. There are many concerns among all of us. This task would overwhelm us. There are too many people and too many problems, we’d declare. We’d have to list them in order of importance. We’d have to limit the number of times a person could share his burdens. We’d want to give everyone a fair chance. We just couldn’t do this. But there is the Lord. He is bearing all of our burdens. There will be prayers today that come from broken hearts. There will be prayers offered from those who are joyful and blessed. There are prayers coming from those who are scared and unsure. There are prayers seeking advice. There are prayers begging for forgiveness. There are prayers wanting someone to come back home. There are prayers seeking reconciliation with family members. This one principle illustrates for us how big the Lord is. Not only can He bear our burdens, but He can do it all at once. Some of these burdens are very complicated. Some of them take time to work through. Some of them are decades old. These burdens, every day, are not too much for the Lord. He never gets to a point where He must take a break. He never gets to a point where He cannot carry one more burden. He’s not like that. Daily burdens. The Lord bears them.

Third, the Lord wants us to burden Him with our burdens. Cast all your anxiety upon Him, is what Peter wrote. He wants us to do that, because He cares for us. He wants us to do this because these burdens are more than many of us can handle. He wants us to do this because He has answers when we do not. He wants us to do this because when we don’t these burdens get the best of us. They run us empty. They overcome us with worry. They defeat us and we are left feeling alone and we wonder about God.

Fourth, the Lord wants to bear our burdens because He can do things. This is more than sitting on Heaven’s couch and unloading to the divine therapist about our problems. This is praying to God, a God who loves us and can do something. If God couldn’t do anything about our burdens, then why give them to Him? It would be nothing more than an exercise in talking things out. But it’s more than that. God is our hope. God is our refuge. We pray because prayer accomplishes much. We are not alone. We are not without options. We are not without help. There is the Lord. When others seem too busy for us, God is there. When others do not seem to care, God is there.

Finally, what a blessing it is to have the Lord. Without the Lord, who is there to help us? Without the Lord who is there to bear our burdens? Without the Lord we barely push on, weighed down, burdened, heavy hearts and doubts surrounding us. This is the world. This is most people you see today. There isn’t much to be joyful about. There isn’t much to be thankful for today. Life is hard. But with the Lord, what a blessing. I don’t have to figure everything out. I don’t have to know what tomorrow will be. I have the Lord to help me. I walk with Him and He carries my burdens. We have much to be thankful for. We have much to look forward to. God is good, He is good to me.

Now, I wonder how many times we try to carry our burdens by ourselves. We don’t allow the Lord to help us. Too private. Too much pride. Too much independence. And, as a result, we walk not much differently than the man of the world.

The Lord daily bears our burdens. That includes today.

Roger

14

Jump Start # 2225

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2225

Philippians 2:2 “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

One of the marvels of the N.T. is how God expects and even demands that His children to be like minded. In Corinthians, the expression is “one mind.” In Romans, it is glorify God with “one voice.” Here, our verse today from Philippians, is being of the “same mind.”

 

In an age of individualism, tolerance, acceptance of all things different, how can the people of God get their thinking to be the same? This is more than doing what everyone else is doing. It’s more than showing up, but keeping your mouth quiet. These verses deal with the way one thinks. Same mind. One mind. One voice. These principles involve the way we think. It begins on our inside, the way that we think.

 

It’s not uncommon to find this spirit missing, even among God’s people. I hear people saying, “Well, that’s them. I don’t go along with that.” Or, “I certainly do not believe like they do.” And immediately we realize that there is not one mind, the same mind or one voice. Often what the elders say is not how others feel. This is especially true when it comes to discipline. Instead of the sheep following the shepherds, the sheep are going a different direction. An undercurrent of mistrust, suspicion and rebellion develops. When enough feel the same, it is not uncommon to find some breaking away and starting another congregation. The new place faces a huge mountain to overcome if it will survive. Most within a decade have drifted away and the doors close. It’s hard to maintain a group that is built upon not having one mind, one spirit and one intent. Diversity of mind generally splinters a group.

 

How do we get to “one mind?” And, whose mind is it?

 

First, we must all unite upon the Scriptures. It’s not my way, nor is it your way, but rather, it is His way. Selfish ambition should have been ditched when we denied ourselves and took up our cross and followed Him. Unspiritual men who do not understand the nature of the Scriptures, jockey for position to run the church. They thrive on power and position and want to boss others into obedience. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. This has nothing to do with running the church. It is about all of us agreeing upon the Scriptures and following the Scriptures. How can we play a game, any game, sports, board game, card game, ping pong, if we cannot agree upon the rules. Our minds merge and become one when we agree to follow the rules of the game. We don’t make the rules. We don’t change the rules in the midst of a game. We agree to follow them as they are stated. This is why there are printed rules on board games. This is why there are rule books and refs and umps in the game of sports.

 

Second, to have the same mind, is not a matter of you having my mind or me having your mind, but both of us having the mind of Christ. When we set forth to act like Jesus, think like Jesus and do what Jesus would do, suddenly our minds have become one. But for this to happen, there must be a willingness on our part. There are times when I would rather fire the missiles than forgive. Jesus would forgive. There’s my answer. There are times when I would rather be served than to serve. Jesus would serve. There’s my answer. There are times when I would rather complain than count blessings. Jesus would count blessings. There’s my answer. The reason why strife, division, and ugliness thrives in many congregations is simply because someone does not want to act like Jesus would. My feelings get hurt. I don’t get any attention. My name wasn’t included in the bulletin. I didn’t get a shout out from the pulpit. No one thanked me. That’s all it takes for me to leave the one mind of others and start thinking about myself. You know Jesus was mistreated. Jesus was reviled. Jesus was threatened. Yet, Jesus chose not to respond that way. Having one mind in a group of individuals can be hard. We are all different. Let’s say, for example, after services, everyone decided to go to the same place to eat. That would never happen. There would be some who just don’t like the place that was chosen. Some would say that they don’t like the food or the service there. Do the same with a movie. We couldn’t all agree. Do the same with painting the walls of the church building. We can’t all agree. Having the same mind begins by cooperating, compromising where you can, and being a team player. Individualism kills one mind.

 

Third, great things are accomplished when we think alike. I’ve had people talk to me about serious issues in their lives. I encouraged them to share that with the elders. Many times, the response is, “I know what they will say.” How do you know that? We are of one mind and we stand together on the Scriptures. I know what they will say, too. This ought to eliminate the thought, “My church teaches that, but I don’t believe that.” That very statement shows a lack of one mind and a lack of Biblical understanding. The church doesn’t make the rules. The church isn’t what we follow. It’s the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is going to read the same. Stay home and be a party pooper, yet, your Bible will read the same.

 

However, when we are all thinking like Jesus, and we are all Bible focused, just image the good that is done. People step up and serve, just like Jesus. People are patient with one another, just like Jesus. Bible answers are given as advice, just like Jesus. Our intentions are pure. Our motives are clear. We are wanting to help people get to Heaven. No double standards. No backroom deals. No under the table stuff. All honest. All the same. All following the Bible. Strong. Biblical. Moving forward.

 

Is it possible to have the same mind? Yes. When we want to and when we pull ourselves out of the picture and when we surround ourselves with a standard, the word of God. Not only is it possible, but it is being done all over the world. And the world cannot appreciate this. They see this as a surrender of individualism. They see this as herd mentality. But what the world offers is chaos, disunity, and misery. There is not one voice to listen to but thousands all saying different things. There is not one direction to follow, but a million and they all lead away from God. Pride, individualism, independence are not the stuff that makes a great church.

 

The same mind. It’s necessary in parenting. It’s helpful in government administrations. It’s a must when it comes to a congregation. Thinking like Christ, that’s what all of this comes down to.

 

Roger