[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey, thanks so much for listening to this message. My name is Jason and I'm one of the ministers here at the Madison Church of Christ. It's our hope and prayer that the teaching you hear today will bless your life and draw you closer to God. If you're ever in the Madison area, we'd love for you to stop by and study the Bible with us on Sundays at 05:00 p.m. Or Wednesdays at 07:00 p.m. If you have questions about the Bible or want to know more about the Madison church, you can find us
[email protected] dot. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast as well as our Sermons podcast Madison Church of Christ sermons thanks again for stopping by. I hope this study is a blessing to you.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: We are excited tonight as we're beginning our new summer series and we are talking about the topic or the theme of resiliency. And so we are excited tonight to have with us Steve Smith from Beltline congregation there. He's been there for about twelve years, I think. That's right. He has been married to his wife Cindy, which is a great name if you got to have a wife, I think. Amen, right? Got a couple other amens out there. And so he's been married for 27 years. He has a son and a daughter, Clay and Julie. And Julie is actually his clicker with him tonight. So we're excited to have her with us as well. And he was brought up in Yuma, Arizona, preached over in Southern California for a while, but he came back to Alabama. And the reason we say he came back to Alabama is because he played basketball at Una.
[00:01:25] Speaker C: Right.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: And so we're going to claim he's a bama boy. He may sound a little California, but I think he's actually worked pretty well on that southern accent. So we're excited to have him with us. Just from a personal standpoint. I have heard Steve speak several times and I know he comes with a lot of energy. He comes with a lot of insight into the scriptures, does a great job. I'm super proud for him and thankful for him to be here with us tonight. We love him very much. I'm going to ask him to come up, we're going to have a prayer real quickly and then I'll turn things over to him.
Let's pray.
Father in heaven, we thank you so much for everything you do for us, for the blessings that we have all around us. We're so reminded of these things, Father, when we gather together as your family. And tonight Father, we pray you'll be with Steve as he shares his message with us. Father, we pray that you'll speak through him, that his message will touch our hearts and lives, that we will recognize just how important it is to put our confidence and our trust in you, that through even the most difficult times. Father, you're there with us and you can help build us back up. And we thank you so much for that. Give us a great night tonight. In your word, Father, in Jesus name we pray.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: Amen.
Thank you, brother. I appreciate that. So glad to be with you guys. I do bring greetings from the Beltline church of Christ. Just thankful for the fellowship that we get to have together. We don't get to do as much together as I would like, but we do get to spend some time together. I've had the privilege of eating lunch a few times with everybody over here and it's always a great time. So I'm glad to be with you. I want to begin this evening by telling you about the impala. Now, I'm not talking about the Chevy automobile. I want to talk to you about the amazing animal that God created that typically lives in the regions of Africa. The african impala has some incredible God given gifts and blessings that it has been bestowed on. An african impala from a standstill position can jump 13ft straight up in the air. So you picture a basketball goal. Since I'm a basketball guy, this impala can jump on top of the goal. I mean, it's really impressive and it's kind of a defense mechanism that God has given this animal. If a lion or something sneaks up on them and charges, they can jump. There goes the lion and boom, they're off to the races. And here's what's awesome about an impala. Not only can they jump 13ft up from a standstill position, but an impala on the run can jump 30ft with every bound. Think about that. You know what a top speed for an impala is? 60 miles an hour. Can you imagine how incredible this animal is? It's just, there's this YouTube video that I came across that was just so cool. A cheetah is actually chasing a bunch of impalas and they are literally jumping over cars on the freeway. You can go or I don't know if it was a freeway, I don't know what they call it out there, but it was jumping over a roadway of some sort. You can go check it out if you want, after the service, or do it now if you have your phone, it doesn't matter to me, but, I mean, it's just an incredible animal. But here's where the story gets really interesting. Even though the impala can jump 13ft high and 30ft out, you can actually go to a zoo and you can see african impalas all over the place. And, you know what holds them in their enclosure?
A three foot wall.
How is that possible?
How is it possible that a three foot wall can contain an animal that can jump 13ft up and 30ft out on the run? Well, when the impala is young, the zookeepers there teach it that it cannot jump over that three foot wall. Zoo personnel do this by emphasizing a weakness that they have found in the adults. You see, an adult impala is hesitant to jump if it can't see where it's going to land, and because it can't see where it's going to land, it won't jump. In other words, the impala has no faith.
The inability of the impala to see the end of the jump keeps it from doing what it was created to do, what it could do naturally. It keeps it from doing what God has designed it to do, what it was born to do.
And I want to kind of transition now and ask you this. What three foot walls are holding you back?
What three foot walls are keeping you from being a resilient disciple, a disciple that God has called you to be? And so my charge to you tonight, as we get started is, man, I want to. I'm going to call everybody here, man, let's. Let's jump. I mean, even David Lee Roth, right? And the group van Halen said, you might as well jump. Go ahead and jump. Right? And I'll probably date myself with some of these other examples. But you remember the 1990s? That was, you know, when I was coming up in the world, the 1990s group, house of pain reminds us to jump up, jump up and get down and jump around. So, I mean, there's all of these things out there and it's calling us to jump. And here's the truth. There's going to be three foot walls that will threaten you for the rest of your life. Life. Three foot walls that tell you you're not good enough. Three foot walls of temptation that threaten to keep you stuck right where you are. You know, the enemy that we have is really good at building those three foot walls, and he would like nothing more than to keep you from doing what you were born to do, what God has created you to do. And again, I just want to call you tonight, let's jump. Into the adventure of life that God has for us. Don't let the fear of not knowing how it's all going to turn out keep you from the adventure of doing what God created you to do. Remember, in Ephesians chapter two and verse ten, we are called something pretty special. In those verses, God says that we are his workmanship, we are his masterpiece, and we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works, right? And so that's part of the call of our life. And part of the call of our life is not that we would just be churchgoers, but that we would be resilient disciples. And since that's kind of the theme for the summer, I want to spend a little bit of time right now telling you some characteristics that I see of resilient disciples. Here's the first one characteristic of a resilient disciple is this. A resilient disciple continues to follow Jesus faithfully and keeps showing up despite the tensions that it finds in contemporary culture.
A resilient disciple just keeps on. Keeps keeping on. He keeps or she keeps showing up. Right? Hebrews ten reminds us in chapter ten, verse 24, to hold fast the confession of our hope. And then the writer adds two words that are really important. He says, without wavering, this is what a resilient disciple does. They hold the truth of God without wavering. They're not going to be tossed to and fro like the wind. They're going to keep on keeping on. They're going to be who God has called them to be. And not only that, a resilient disciple is concerned and is thoughtful about how their faith in Jesus Christ intersects meaningfully and missionally with the world around them.
A resilient disciple also wants others to see Jesus reflected in their lives through their words and through their actions. In other words, worship for them is not an event. Worship for them is a way of life. That's what a resilient disciple. Paul talks about this in Romans chapter twelve, verses one and two. When he says, I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as living sacrifices. He says, this is your reasonable sacrifice, your spiritual worship. He says, don't be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Right? So a resilient disciple views worship as a way of life, not just an event that we go to on a weekday evening, on a Wednesday or a Sunday. And finally, a resilient disciple sees the church as a place where they feel they belong. And not only that, resilient disciples go to churches that do a good job equipping them on how to live out their faith in the workplace. And church is a place where they regularly receive wisdom to live faithfully, like we just sang about in this very secular world that we live in. So let me ask you something. As you look at those four things, is that the kind of faith you would want for your children?
I think all of us would say that, right? Yeah. This is exactly what I would love to see in my kids. And not only that, I think all of us would agree this is the kind of faith that we want for ourselves.
Here's what's interesting. Barna has done some extensive research on the topic of resilient disciples. In fact, at Beltline about four years ago, we walked through all of this research and did a whole series of lessons right in the middle of COVID It could not have come at a better time.
So we did this whole series of lessons on resilient discipleship. And one of the things that the data shows us is that although this is what we desire for our kids and for ourselves, the data says that there's only 10% of christians that are classified or characterized as resilient disciples.
Think about that, only 10%.
And we wonder why most churches find themselves in decline. Most churches find themselves struggling. We wonder why another church of Christ closes its door every week, never to reopen. And it's been that way for the last 20 years, every single week.
And so resiliency is so important. A resilient faith is a strong faith. A resilient faith is a faith that rests not in our own strength, but in the strength of his might. Right? A resilient faith is grounded and rooted in the truth of scripture. It's rooted in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's a faith that doesn't give up, that doesn't quit when everyone else around you is telling you that you should. It's a steadfast faith. It's a faith that abounds in the work of the Lord. It's a faith that says, I don't know about the rest of you, but as for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. And that's not just a plaque that they, they hang on their walls. It's something that they live out every single day. It's a faith that says, give me a sling and a few rocks and I'll take care of that giant. It's a faith that says, listen, I don't care. I'm not going to worship this image that you have set up. And if we die, we die. It's a faith that says, I am here for such a time as this, and I will stand with the people of God, and if I perish, I perish.
That's the kind of faith that God's calling all of us to jump into and to be a part of. But if we're gonna live with that kind of faith, it's gonna take sacrifice and it's gonna take courage. My topic tonight is how sacrifice builds resiliency. And that's absolutely right, because without sacrifice and without courage, we're gonna be unable to live distinctly in the world that we find ourselves living in. And it's getting a little bit crazier every day. Can I get an oh yeah from you on that? I mean, it's just wild, the things that are happening all around us. And without sacrifice and courage, we're not going to live distinctly. We're going to go with the flow. And that can't be who we are as God's people.
We're not going to live counterculturally if we don't have sacrifice and courage. Without courage, we won't think differently, and we won't live differently from the norm that's going on around us. And without courage, we won't even stand up for the right things at the right time and the right ways. But here's the truth. Courage doesn't just happen, does it?
Courage is something that has to be taught. It has to be reinforced. Think about this. In scripture. You go to the book of Joshua, for example, and especially in the first six or seven chapters, how many times? I mean, it's over and over and over again. God has to remind Joshua, be strong and courageous. Be strong and courageous. Be over and over and over again. Especially in those first six or seven chapters, right? It's like God is saying, I need you to remember this. I need you to get this, I need you to understand this. And then Paul comes to his son in the faith in two, Timothy, chapter one. And he says, listen, God hasn't given you a spirit of fear. He hasn't given you a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of sound mind. That's who I need you to be, Timothy. And then Jesus, he says to all of us, you're going to have trouble in this world. You're going to experience difficulties in this world. But in John 1633, he says, take heart, have courage, because I've overcome the world. I want to invite your attention to Luke, chapter nine. We're going to spend most of our time tonight right here. And so if you have a Bible, I would encourage you to open it up. We're going to read verses 57 to 62 together here in just a second. And so this is just such a powerful section of scripture, and I hope that it will be good for us as we walk through it together. So let's read Luke chapter nine. I didn't put it on the screen, but I do want to read it together. Verses 57 through 62. Here's what the word of God says.
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head to. Another, he said, follow me. But he said, lord, first let me go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their own dead, but as far as you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. And another said, I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to those at my home. And Jesus said to them, no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. It's an interesting section of scripture, isn't it? Three different men in Luke chapter nine, all potential followers of Jesus. But from what we see in this text, it looks like Jesus talks them out of following after him, isn't it? And I think this is a really important story because it tells us, it shows us that God calls all of us to make a decision. He asked them to make a decision, and he asked us to make a decision. And the decision he's asking us to make is this, are we going to relentlessly follow Jesus wherever he goes? Wherever he wants us to go? Are we going to relentlessly follow Jesus? Listen, I'm not asking if you're going to say a prayer. I'm not asking if you're going to read the Bible. I'm not asking if you're even going to get baptized or go to church or to give. I'm asking you, are you going to follow Jesus with all of your life, no matter the cost, no matter where that he might lead you? Are you still going no matter the cost? Because that's what resilient disciples do. And if we're going to live that way, it's going to take. It's going to take sacrifice. And so, looking at Luke chapter nine, I want to ask three questions tonight that you need to consider, and I need to consider as we think about resilient faith and what it looks like and how it works in our life. Are you ready? So here's question number one.
Are we going to choose comfort or the cross?
Are we going to choose comfort or the cross?
The first man here in Luke chapter nine says to Jesus, I will follow you wherever you go. Now, we know from other accounts of this story that this man was actually a teacher of the law. And it was customary for men like him to attach themselves to another teacher in order to promote their status and society. And by this time, Jesus was quite popular. People loved him everywhere he went. And so Jesus seems like a really good candidate for his position, growth in that society. So he comes to Jesus and he says, I'll follow you. And Jesus says, the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. In other words, Jesus says to him, if you follow me, homelessness is likely to follow.
And one of the points that I think is being made here is that Jesus Christ makes clear that Christianity is not a path to more comforts in this world. Christianity is not a path to higher status or greater ease in the world. No, the road jesus walks is not even paved with the prospects of self advancement. Instead, Jesus demands that we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow after him.
So choosing the cross over comfort, and that's a requirement, actually, that Jesus has for us, isn't it?
And here's the reality. We are living in a time when holding fast to the gospel, I mean, actually believing the Bible and putting it into practice will mean risks for you.
If you're going to honestly live out scripture, especially those younger here among us, if you're going to, you're going to live out scripture and be true to the word of God, you are going to risk your reputation, you're going to sacrifice your social status, you're going to find yourself disagreeing with some of your closest friends. And here's the reality. It may even jeopardize your economic security and earthly stability. So the question is, will you choose comfort or will you choose the cross? Gone are the days when everybody thought like a Christian. We have had 250 years where we have had relatively no problems as christians. Those days are gone. And now we're going to have to make some hard choices as followers of Jesus. Are we going to follow him when it gets tough?
And this isn't some far off idea. This is happening among us in this country, right here, right now, people losing because of their faith in Jesus. Are we still going to choose the cross or are we, we going to rally to comfort instead.
As you look to acts chapter two, one of the incredible things there, as you see the beginning of the church is you see that they chose the cross over comfort. And when they did, I mean, don't you read acts and fuel, just an electricity when you do? I mean, there's been so many times that I've read the book of acts and I'm like, man, I want that for us. I want that energy. I want that electricity for the church. Today. They were on fire because they recognized that they were part of the awesome and powerful work that God was doing through that church. Right? And there's really no reason, as we look to acts chapter one and acts chapter two, there's really no reason to think that they ate and praised God together daily because they were commanded to. That's not why they came together. There's no reason to think that they sold all of their possessions because they had to. No, they made these extreme sacrifices because they wanted to. And the atmosphere was electric, people coming to Jesus, people being saved left and right. Persecution couldn't stop them, turn the world upside down in just a few generations. I believe that electricity, that fire is available even today. That our God is not tired or retired or out of business, that he still can and will and does new, amazing faith building things in the life of his people. Can I get something from you? Right? That's who he is.
He hasn't changed.
We just have to make the sacrifice, build that resilient faith, choose the cross over comfort. And if we will do that, if we will make those bold decisions, I think God can and will do even more amazing things in and through us. And here's the thing. Even if you don't see it in your lifetime, the fruit. If you don't see the fruit in your lifetime, that doesn't mean there is none. Many times God has taken seeds sown in one generation and brought an incredible harvest in the next. Doesn't always happen in our lifetimes, but you can see the harvest in the next. So whether our, whether plans succeed or not in the way that we want, God still gets honored and he will reward those who get out of the boat and try to walk on water. I think it's time for us to jump to choose the cross.
Question number two connected to question number one, but it's a good one. Are we going to settle for maintenance or are we going to sacrifice for mission?
Are we going to settle for maintenance? A lot of churches have made up their minds. They're just going to try to keep the doors open until the Lord returns. Maintenance mode.
Are we going to settle for maintenance or are we going to sacrifice for mission? What's interesting about the second man that we encounter here in Luke chapter nine is that Jesus actually approaches him, right? He comes to them and he says to this man, he gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. He says, follow me, right? And the man says, okay, but first I need to go bury my father.
And we look at this and we say, all this man wants to do is bury his dad. I mean, this is not something that he, this is something he's expected to do, right? In that culture. If he doesn't do that, I mean, it's just shame, shame, shame. And yet Jesus response, it just, it kind of hits wrongs to us, doesn't it? Let the dead bury the dead. You come follow me, you go proclaim the Lord. We read that and we think, hmm, woo, that's a little harsh, Jesus, did you really mean that?
Can you imagine what it would have been like to hear those words?
Now let's get to the heart of this. Jesus isn't saying that going to a funeral is wrong, not at all.
But what he is saying is that the kingdom should not and cannot take second place to anyone or anything else.
And so for this man in Luke chapter nine, it means the immediate abandonment of everything else to the most urgent of missions. You see, even more important than honoring the dead was proclaiming the gospel, proclaiming the kingdom to those who were dying.
And now, 2000 years later, I'm convinced that a similar, if not greater urgency surrounds us today.
And there's so many needs around us, aren't there?
But the greatest need, beyond any shadow of a doubt, I don't think anyone here would disagree with me, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so in Luke chapter nine, Jesus tells this man to go and proclaim to go preach the kingdom. In Luke 24 47, Jesus says that same word again. He says to his disciples that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed, preached to all nations. This call to proclamation is interesting, right? I mean, Jesus of all people knew the depth of people's physical need. He tells us, the poor you have with you always. And he understands that because he spent time with the sick, he sat with the dying, he served the impoverished. When he saw the crowds, what does the text say? He was moved with compassion over and over again. Yet his last words to his disciples are the exact same words he says to this man here in Luke chapter nine. Go proclaim the gospel in light of worldly suffering over and above everything else. Jesus was calling them, and he's calling us to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
I think all of us mentally know, but I think sometimes we forget that all of us have sinned against God and are separated from him.
All of us, all of our lives, not only on earth but also in eternity, are at stake.
Heaven and hell literally hang in the balance. And God has made a way for all people to be reconciled to him through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And all who trust and obey will receive eternal life, and all who reject him will suffer eternal everlasting torment.
And you don't have to like it for it to be true.
That's what people need to hear. There's a great day coming when we will all stand before God, and God has made a way so that we can be with him forever and ever and ever.
I don't know who said it, but I love this.
Someone said, gospel possession requires gospel proclamation.
Here's the point. If you have been touched and influenced, and if the gospel has come to you, if you have found yourself saved by Jesus Christ because of your obedience to that gospel, then you cannot keep it to yourself.
Gospel possession requires gospel proclamation.
And I'll say this, if we serve our communities and we help people's physical needs, that's great. But if we do all of that while ignoring their spiritual needs, we have missed the entire point.
You see, often we settle for this because it's easier and it's less costly for us. It's easier to give someone a cup of water and then walk away than it is to give them that same cup of water and stay and share about the living water that comes through Jesus Christ alone. So we have to care about physical needs? Yes, but more important than that is the eternal suffering that people will go through without Jesus. So are we going to settle for maintenance or are we going to sacrifice for mission? You know, Jesus has given us our marching orders. This isn't in question. Right? We recognize that his final words to us should be our first priority. Go into all the world and preach the gospel. Make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Teach them to observe everything I've commanded you. His last words must be our first priority. I heard somebody say this again. I don't know who said it, but I love it.
And man, I hope that this cuts you the way that it cuts me. You ready? I don't know that you're ready, but we're going to put it on there. Anyway.
When will the concept of unreached people become intolerable to the church?
That's the question.
If the gospel is true and if God is worthy of the praise of all people, then we've got to spend our lives proclaiming the kingdom.
Because Jesus hasn't just given us a commission to consider, he's given us a command to obey, has he not?
So are we going to sacrifice permission or are we going to settle for maintenance?
I remember what one president said. We are the ones we've been waiting for. I don't remember which president, but that sticks in the back of my mind.
We're the ones we've been waiting for.
If we don't rise up, we may very well leave nothing of lasting value for our children.
Maintenance or mission? What will it be? All right, question number three.
Will our lives be marked by indecisive minds or undivided hearts?
Will our lives be marked by indecisive minds or undivided hearts? So the last man approaches Jesus and he says, I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to those at my home.
It seems like a simple request. I mean, he just wants to say goodbye to his family and friends. What's wrong with that? Yet it seems, though, as we look at this, that Jesus knows as soon as he goes back to his family and friends that the lure to stay and not go out on mission with him will be strong. And so he says to him, and man, this is powerful words. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. In other words, keep your attention and affection wholly fixed on me and the plan that I have called you to.
It's not uncommon for the lure of family love to lead to faithless living.
I have heard many a would be missionary who stopped because the parents were afraid of the place that he felt called to go.
And it's not just that. The lure of family is strong in us. And I think this is why Jesus says what he says in Matthew, chapter ten, verses 35 through 37, when he says, your love for me has to be so huge and so big and so strong that everything else looks like hate.
You see, following Jesus isn't just about sacrificial abandonment of our lives. It should be the supreme affection of our hearts.
So, three questions for you to consider. But now I want to kind of wrap up by asking this. How do we build this resilient faith in our lives?
Well, I think first we've got to make those sacrificial decisions that we just talked about. We've got to not just answer those questions in the way that Jesus would have us, but we actually have to start living that out on a regular and a consistent basis. If you're a parent here, your children need to see resilient living from you so that they have a model to follow, not just from scripture and Jesus and the apostles, but from you, a real life walking, resilient disciple. And so we've got to make some sacrificial choices. But second, not only do we need to make sacrificial decisions, we've got to follow Jesus.
You understand? I'm sure that when we sacrifice, we're just following Jesus, who sacrificed first for us.
He willingly went to the cross and died the death that we deserved so that we might live. You see, Jesus sacrifice changes everything.
I mean, think about the disciples. They had seen him killed. They had seen him raised. And then at the end of Luke 24, in the beginning of acts, chapter one, they get this incredible moment when they literally watch Jesus ascend back into heaven, seated at the right hand of God. I mean, can you imagine how awesome that would have been? And Luke tells us that they, after that happens, they go back to Jerusalem, the very place that crucified him.
They go back to Jerusalem. They wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. They worship him over and over and over. And I want you to think about this. When they go back into the city and the text says that they worship Jesus, this is the first time they've ever had to do it without actually having him there.
Wow.
And what you see is no official gathering of the saints. I think what we read here in Luke one or in acts one, and Luke 24 was, it was just unadulterated and unhindered worship because they recognized the sacrifice that Jesus Christ had made for them.
And shouldn't we be so overwhelmed by what Jesus has accomplished by the resurrection that we cannot help but break out in unhindered praise, not just when we're here together, but everywhere that we go.
Can I remind you again of what Jesus sacrifice and resurrection means for us?
It means forgiveness.
Forgiveness.
It means redemption.
It means second chances.
It means hope.
It means adoption. It means sonship. I love Galatians four. Four. It says, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And if we're sons, he goes on to say, then we are heirs. Right. Co heirs with Jesus Christ. Imagine that. How awesome is that? Look at what Jesus has accomplished through his death, burial and resurrection. And if that weren't enough, there's so many more. Let me just share with you one more. We get fellowship with God again.
In Colossians chapter one, verses 20 to 23, we are reminded that we have been brought back into fellowship through the death and resurrection of Jesus. That fellowship that was destroyed is now restored. Wow, man. Aren't you excited to be a follower of Jesus? Look at what we get. And I think sometimes we forget these things that I don't want you to forget, man. We serve an amazing God. He is the first and the last. He's the beginning and the end. He's the keeper of creation and the creator of all. He's the architect of the universe. He's the manager of all times. He always was, he always is and he always will be unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone. That is our God.
He was bruised and brought healing. He was pierced and he eased our pain. He was persecuted and brought freedom. He was dead and he came back to life and brought life back with him. He has risen and brings power. He reigns and brings peace. He is light, he is love, he is longevity, and he is the Lord. He has goodness and kindness and gentleness in God. He is holy, he is righteous, he is mighty, he is powerful and he is pure. His ways are right. His word is eternal, his will is unchanging. And his mind is on me. And his mind is on you.
He's my redeemer, my savior, my guide and my peace. He's my joy, my comfort, my lord, and he rules my life.
Does he rule yours?
I serve him because his bond is love, his burden is light. And his goal for me is not only abundant life now, but eternal life when this one's over. And I follow him because he is the wisdom of the wise and the power of the powerful and the ancient of the day, and the ruler of rulers and the leader of leaders and the overseer of the overcomers and the sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come.
And if that's not enough, his goal is relationship with me.
That's his goal.
You're included in that too. But I mean, really, it's me, me and you.
He'll never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me, never cancel my appointment and his appointment book.
When I fall, he lifts me up when I fail, he forgives when I am weak, he is strong.
He's worthy of my praise. He's worthy of my worship, and he's worthy of my whole life.
Because of Jesus, I can be a resilient disciple. I can grow in strength. I can grow in might. I don't have to give in to the nonsense of the world. I don't have to go with the flow. I can grow in knowledge and power. I can grow in love and devotion because of his sacrifice. I can sacrifice. And as I sacrifice man, it just builds this resilience in me, and I hope that it'll build it in you, too. Listen. Jesus jumped.
He jumped out of heaven and he came to this world. He jumped and sacrificed for us. He jumped into the world that he created that had consistently and regularly rejected its creator. He jumped into the sin and the muck and the mire and the darkness that so often marks our eternal, our human existence. He jumped and he took on human flesh. He jumped and became a man. He jumped, and the blind received their sight. He jumped, and the lame got up and walked around. He jumped, and the outcasts found forgiveness and purpose. He jumped, and the dead came back to life. He jumped into the world and they killed him, and they put him in a tomb, and they said, good written, but three days later, he jumped out of that tomb.
And because he jumped, you can too.
Because he sacrificed, you can too, because he died for you. You can live for him.
I hope that's something that will bless your life this week.
Let's pray. Father, in Jesus name we come into your presence, just grateful for the incredible God that you are. Thank you for your love and your mercy and your great grace. Without it, Father, we are hopeless. We are helpless. We are lost. But with it, we can be resilient disciples who give our lives to you, who recognize that whatever the best this world has to offer is nothing compared to what you give us. When this life is over, Father, give us a new courage. Give us a new boldness. Give us a new fire. Help us to jump into our world with the good news of Jesus and proclaim him to those that don't know him.
Father, I pray for this church. Particularly, I pray for the Madison church of Christ. I pray that you will light a fire and electricity in them that can never be put out, that people will know that there's something different about every one of them, and they'll know that it's because they've been with you. Let the world see their boldness. Let this community know that they are here and that you love them. And that they loved you.
Oh, Father, be with us. Give us grace, give us peace. Give us confidence. And help us to be your people, not just when it's easy, but most of all when it is hard.
Help us to grow in resilient faith. We love you, Father, and we praise you in Jesus name. Amen.
