Pastor Brian's Article for 01/13/2008

Jesus was a carpenter.  We assume that He was a good carpenter.  He was not getting rich being a carpenter, but it was a good, honest living.  One can only assume that when Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum that He had to continue his trade while He taught and began to build a following.  At some point Jesus closed His shop, sold His tools, and began His itinerate ministry.  Given human nature I am sure that someone said, “Such a nice young man and such a good carpenter.  I wish him the best of luck as a Rabbi, but it seems ashamed to waste such good carpentry skills.”  Jesus left His profession to do what the Father had sent Him to do.  There were things that He could only experience as the Savior, and people who would only come to know God because He gave all to be the Savior. 

Have you ever noticed that it is hard being different?  Our kids hear things like, “Do what your heart tells you.”  “Don’t be afraid to draw outside the lines.”  What they are not told is that in the real world if you don’t tow the party line, you will be smacked down.  We all want to belong.  It doesn’t matter if you are a businessman, hourly worker, a stay-at-home mom, student or a Goth, we all have groups in which we want to belong.  What you find out quickly is that no matter how mainstream or radical your group, you don’t dare step outside of the lines.  If you do you will be looked down upon, ridiculed, or even ostracized.  Our desire to belong and the party line make it hard to fulfill the requirements of self-denial put forth by Jesus. 

One would think that at least in the church there would be encouragement to follow the model of Jesus in self-denial, but sometimes the church can be as critical and condemning as its secular counterparts.  People who want to put aside their desires for the spiritual wealth that awaits them when they surrender to God are seen as fanatics.  They are seen as taking their faith too far.  Frances of Assisi was thought to be a fool when he renounced his father’s wealth.  Only when he was a peasant did he see the injustice the peasants lived under, and he worked to bring them justice. 

We praise our missionaries who leave home and family to serve the Lord in another state or in another country.  They often live and work in surroundings and circumstances that are difficult.  They reap the spiritual benefits of their sacrifice, but you can be sure that someone thought they were crazy for giving up a good job, benefits, and a strong company to go and share about Jesus. 

The rich young man of Mark 10 walked away from Jesus with all of the wealth in the world, but because he walked away from Jesus, he walked away poor.  His wealth was his identity.  Without it who would he be?  We cling to things because we do not know what we would be without them.  We fear that we would be an empty shell, but the unwillingness to yield to the demands of the Savior shows that we are nothing more than an empty shell. 

It is those who have followed Jesus and set aside comfort, wealth, position and the expectations of others who have found intimacy with their Lord.  It is the ones who have given their lives in service to others who have proven that their treasure in not of this world, but in the world to come.  People may think us odd and out of step to pursue intimacy with the Savior, but the pursuit of intimacy with our Lord will give us the greatest wealth we will ever know.

That Jesus May Be Revealed,

Brian

Taken from Hunger for The Holy, Calvin Miller, chapter 3

Order of Service:

Opening chorus “The Family Prayer Song”

Welcome - “We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise”

Scripture and Prayer

Hymn - “Redeemed” # 531

Time of Meditation

Lord’s Supper

    Scripture Reading         

    Partaking of the Cup

    Hymn -“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” # 144

    Scripture Reading         

    Partaking of the Bread 

Hymn - “Shine Jesus, Shine”    # 579

Offering -Genesis 2:8-9

Special -  Becky Neely and her Aunt

Message -Matt. 5:16

Our Response - “Let Others See Jesus in You"  # 571

Announcements and Sunday School Report

Benediction

Hymn of Fellowship - “Lead Me, Lord”

Scripture References:

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Genesis 2:8-9 – The earth was designed by God to give us food, water, and air to breathe – all of our necessities. He created us to hear, to taste, to feel, to smell. In gratitude, let us worship God with our giving.