This week’s episode of “Oh, Lord! It’s Monday!” is all about being STUCK! As an adjective it means “unable to move, or set in a particularposition, place, or way of thinking“. So, let’s use it as an adjective on this rainy Monday morning. So, have you ever been STUCK? Maybe it was in an elevator; or in a room; or in traffic; or maybe mud? I know about that last one. I was about 20 when I bought a new Datsun truck. It was my first brand new vehicle. About the same time I was introduced to riding dirt bikes.
Just about a mile from the house was LaGrange Mountain. It was filled with great riding trails. One day, I had this dumb idea. “I’ll take my truck instead of the dirt bike!” Bear in mind it was a 2, not 4, wheel drive. I knew there were some hills it wouldn’t conquer, but there were some other trails. So off I went with my dumb idea. About 4 miles in I came upon a mud hole. I stopped, looked at it, and decided which side of the mud hole I should traverse. I was wrong. And I was STUCK! To make matters worse, it was in the middle of the week, there wasn’t anyone else out here. As I was commiserating about my dumb decision and dreading walking out, I heard a dirt bike! God sent me someone!!! Hallelujah! God foresaw my poor, make that DUMB decision and prompted another person to decide to ride his dirt bike that day! He stopped, we talked, and then he went back to get his truck and I was UNSTUCK! Needless to say, I didn’t try that again!
More than vehicles, elevators, and doors–we can get STUCK! Maybe it’s that job you’re STUCK in. Maybe it’s that home you’re STUCK in. Maybe it’s that marriage you’re STUCK in. Maybe it’s that mindset you’re STUCK in. Maybe it’s that you’re STUCK spiritually. You can’t move and it seems that no amount of effort you put into being UNSTUCK, you’re STUCK there like my Datsun truck. And if on this particular Monday you are feeling STUCK, then God has sent you this edition, just like he sent me that man on a dirt bike. Are you ready to get UNSTUCK? Well, here’s your own personal dirt biker coming your way!
You CAN’T get UNSTUCK! How is that going to help you? I’ll be glad to tell you. Even though you DON’T what it takes to get UNSTUCK, God does! All you have to do–NEED to do–is quit trying and begin trusting. For STUCK people, God has a very specific promise and process. It’s found in Isaiah chapter 42, verses 18 and 19:
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present.
I’m about to do something brand-new.”
From The Message
In the case of my dumb decision, I needed to forget about it. I couldn’t go back in time and change that decision. All I could do–all I could hope for–was to be alert to the sound of someone else heading my way. What you need to do–what you MUST do–is stop trying and begin trusting what God tells you. Don’t limit the way that God will get you UNSTUCK! It may not be instantaneous–and if it’s not–it will be a process. And in His Process, you will find that His Grace is all you need. Are you still STUCK? Wait! I hear someone coming! And He’s coming for you!
When we trust God to be there to help us get UNSTUCK, then we can say: Good! Lord It’s Monday! What shall we do together?
This is the second and last of the series Getting The Word In Our Feet. We need, more than anything else in these times of chaos and fear is Direction. Not just any direction; but a New And Different Direction. Choosing a direction is not enough. Choices without action are worthless.
Last week we learned that Any Choice That Doesn’t Come With Action Is Just Wishing And Useless. That’s what the Old Testament illustration of the Hebrews at the edge of the Promised Land teaches us. All those over 20, except Caleb and Joshua, never got to live within God’s promise. Their direction was cemeteries scattered throughout the wilderness. Now we look at a New Testament story about a single cemetery that illustrates the need for Both Direction And Action. Turn to John 20:1-9 (N.L.T.)
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside.He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.
Decades ago, before radar and computer flying, an airplane was somewhere over the Rockies in a fog that went from the ground to way above the clouds. The pilot came over P.A. and announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good new and some bad news. First, the bad news: we’re lost! But the good news is, we’re 2 hours ahead of schedule.” This describes the culture we live it; it describes people all around us—2 hours ahead of schedule but lost.
When times seem to be the darkest, people struggle to find the right direction and the subsequent actions that will bring them out of the darkness. And here is the One Thing you need to remember today and it’s a principle that will always work: Actions, Not Intentions, Produce The Right Outcomes. The Good News Of God’s Kingdom isn’t about changing our intentions—it is about changing our actions. It’s not all that complicated. Intentions cannot produce faith. Cannot manufacture hope nor deliver us from our fear and despair.
I can intend to do something all day long and will accomplish nothing. If you don’t believe this, just trust me on this because I’ve done it enough to be an expert. Just suppose Debbie asks me to do something before the day is done, I’ll say, “OK, dear, I’ll do it.” Well, I intend to get that done. But come the evening, if I haven’t done that, she’s going to get upset at me.
But why? I mean I intended to do what she asked. I intended to do it better than she thought I could do it. Why is she so upset? I intended to do it. It’s just unbelievable that she would get upset that I didn’t do that—even when I intended to do it. Are you starting to get the picture here?
Let’s bring this down to this principle and the passage behind it. Easter Morning. I don’t know what went through your minds then I read the text. Maybe you thought that Easter’s not here yet. Lent doesn’t even start until Wednesday. I still have a couple of days of indulgence left.
When I read this, I focused on what was happening to the people. Mary Magdalene RAN to tell the disciples. The disciples RAN to the tomb. These folks were RUNNING! There was motion and movement by these people. The Resurrection got the disciples involved with direction, motion and movement. They no longer stood still! Christians are people who Run! The question for us here and every church is this: How Can We Get The Word In Our Feet So That We Can Get Motion And Movement On Our Part Into God’s Promises?
Well you have to understand that there are Sitters and there are Runners. One of the ways you can sort out people in church is to say they come in 2 types: Sitters and Runners. OK, let’s look at each.
1. First, Let’s Look At The Sitters.
The best way to describe sitters is to image them in a rocking chair, rocking and watching the world go by. Sitters Are Those Who Are Content With Motion Without Movement And Momentum. They Have Been Deceived Into Thinking Motion Is Movement When It’s Clearly Not Producing Momentum.
Well, here, let me show you with this rocking chair. There’s motion, but nothing is really changing. If you’re not prone to motion sickness, rocking really is relaxing—if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s activity and motion, but look—this rocking chair is still here. Am I right? I’m moving; I’m just not going anywhere. If I turn the rocking chair around, nothing’s really changed—I’m just looking in a different direction. OK, I’ve changed direction, but I still in the same place. The only thing that has changed is my view. I’m not in a different place—I’m in the same place, just a different view. And nothing has really changed.
Sitters Are Those Who Are Deceived Into Believing That Because They Are Rocking—There’s Motion—That This Motion Is Enough. While rocking in a chair may be relaxing and enjoyable it is not accomplishing anything—other than make us feel better about ourselves.
2. Now, Let’s Look At Runners.
Runners are different! They don’t stay in the same place. And their view is always changing. Runners have direction and motion—just like the sitters—but runners add the all important element of forward movement. It Is Movement Not Motion That Always Creates Momentum. Movement and momentum described what was happening in that cemetery just outside of Jerusalem. Transformation began when they started running. Running Produced Movement And That Movement Starting Producing Momentum.
Churches Are Dying Today. It’s Not Because Of A Lack Of Direction. Everyone is pointed in some direction. It’s Not Because Of A Lack Of Motion. Ever heard the phrase “Going through the motions”? It’s Because They Have Lost Movement And Without Movement There Is No Momentum. Remember the rocking chair. There is always motion—but no real movement or momentum.
There was a runner by the name of Saul of Tarsus, running as hard as anyone against Jesus. But God grabbed him on the Damascus Road, turned him around, and he kept right on running, this time as Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles! Give me a church full of runners every time; even if like Saul, they are running in the wrong direction.
Because when you get runners going in the right direction, things happen! Communities change for the better. Families become stronger. People quit complaining and whining so much. People meet and follow the real Jesus. And The Very Foundations Of Hell Tremble And Shake In Fear! God Wants Runners!
We need to get the Word in our feet and start running! How? Well, the Nike commercial says it best: Just Do It! Don’t talk about it, plunge in with both feet. The problem with a lot of congregations is that they want a pastor to be successful for them—to do the praying, serving, witnessing and get more members. But this is not what God has called the pastor to do.
The pastor is one called out of the life of the church, trained and approved to help you, the lay people do your ministry. The pastor is not to be a busy body, his job is to get the body busy! Now, I can back this up with scripture, Eph. 4:11-12—“These were his gifts: some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the building up of the body of Christ!”
Who is the body of Christ? Those outside waiting to be saved? NO! You are! How do we become Runners rather than Sitters? Allow me to give you a few principles:
Begin By Being Still. We can’t be running in just any and every direction. We need focus. Being still before God gives us the direction to begin running. Think about Elijah in that cave at Mt. Horeb. He was running in the wrong direction. But when he stood still before God, and listened, he found that new direction—and that new direction created Movement And Momentum.
Don’t Question Or Think About The Direction, Just Run. Try to do a cost or risk analysis on the direction—and Satan will convince you it won’t work. Think about that day Jesus told the disciples to find something to feed that crowd. They found a boy’s small sack lunch. They should have been ready to run—but they did the cost/risk analysis and concluded it wasn’t enough. If Jesus sends you to do something, then He knows what’s out there and He knows it will be more than enough.
Build Upon Even Small Successes. Your running doesn’t have to produce things worthy of a page in Guide Posts. Think about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. After discussing buckets and wells, Jesus led her to thinking about the Messiah. In the world’s economy it was a small success. When He had her thinking about the Messiah He was able to get her thinking about herself. And when He got her thinking about herself and The Messiah, she went and told her whole village about Jesus.
Sustain Momentum. Keep on praying. Keep on studying The Word. Keep up the pace. Keep on living this Life In Grace. Don’t ever settle in one place of success. Think about those Disciples after Pentecost. About 3,000 people were saved. Hey, that’s a lot. Time to rest, right? Wrong! They kept it up—sharing life together in meals, Holy Communion, praying and growing in maturity.
And since you can’t follow Jesus and stay where you are, here’s your Next Step:
Decide Right Now If You Are Going To Be A Sitter Or A Runner!
Years ago, someone gave me this poem, called “Sitting By The Fire” and it’s on the back of your sermon notes page:
Sitting By The Fire
He wasn’t much for moving about, it wasn’t his desire, No matter how hard the others work, HE WAS SITTING BY THE FIRE! This went on from day to day, he never seemed to tire, when others were working so hard in the church, HE WAS SITTING BY THE FIRE! He died one day as all must do, and some say he went up higher, but if he’s doing what he’s always done, HE IS SITTING BY THE FIRE
Last week I was thinking about all the places I’ve lived. In my Tribe, most churches provide the pastor with a home. We call it a “parsonage”. Most churches seem to have the attitude, “It’s just the preacher’s home. It doesn’t need much upkeep.” And it seems to me that some of my colleagues have the same attitude by how they treat, and leave the parsonage for their successor. I remember what one Bishop said every year, “When you move, move. And take the dog and piano with you.” Obviously they weren’t listening because I’ve inherited everything from rusty bicycles to used auto parts. But that’s not me. Over the decades I have spent considerable time, effort and $$$ to improve its appearance.
This is a “before” picture of a door I once repainted.
I do not know who attempted to paint this door and I do not want to insult anyone, but it is a very poor job of painting. It had runs, drips and errors, lots of them. I spent over an hour trying to sand and scrape all those runs, drips, and errors before I added the paint. Had I not done that, then those runs, drips and errors would have still be there. The paint I would add would not have removed them, it would have just added another layer. There was no attempt to do this job with excellence. It seemed to be just an alleged attempt to paint without caring about the result.
Here is something I’ve recently learned at the feet of the Holy Spirit. Many who claim to love Jesus is that while they do “their best” AT church, they don’t put much effort into doing “their best” IN the ordinary days. I’ve come to realize that this lackadaisical attitude toward the ordinary things is a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem. That problem is living without the desire for excellence in everything, all the time. I’m not talking about being a Rembrandt at painting doors. It’s simply desiring that whatever we put our hands to doing, that it be done with great care and the desire for it to be good.
When we don’t do ordinary things with the desire for excellence, it becomes a habit in the spiritual things. The cancer of mediocrity has spread from the workplace into the body of Christ. Though we could never repay Jesus for what He did for us on the Cross, we should have the desire to be thankful for that Sacrifice by honoring Him through our commitment to a (if you will allow me to borrow a baseball image) “No Runs, No Drips, and No Errors” attitude in the ordinary things of life.
In Colossians 3:23, Paul spoke into how Disciples of Jesus were to live in the unjust system of slavery. He wrote: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” But there is an application beyond how those who were slaves should live. It can and SHOULD be applied to everyone, everyday, and every situation. Think it doesn’t matter what we do in an ordinary day? Take a moment to read, meditate and analyze Jesus’ parable about The Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Every task before you is an opportunity to break free of mediocrity into the life that God expects, even demands, from all of us.
One of the very best ways one can give witness to the transforming Grace of God is to do everything as if we were offering a gift to God; because we are whether we realize it or not. I’m not taking about perfection–but excellence that produces something you can take pride and joy in offering it to God. Your workday, your house cleaning, your painting doors, would you feel comfortable in offering it to God? God accepts all that we offer Him when we desire to do it with excellence.
Remember Romans 12:1 and from The Message it goes like this:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
At the end of the day, remember: No Runs. No Drips. And No Errors.
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way HE loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!
23-26 Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master Himself and passed them on to you.
The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this to remember Me.” After supper, he did the same thing with the cup: “This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you. Each time you drink this cup, remember me.”
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
The definition of familiarity is: “close acquaintance with or knowledge of something or someone; or to a feeling of comfort and closeness with someone or something.” Familiarity can lead to know someone or something so well and in such a way as to cause you to lose your admiration, respect and sense of awe. That is unhealthy familiarity. One of the synonyms of unhealthy familiarity is presumption.
And we end up simply Going Through The Motions. And this is something we need to give up for good. And if you can remember only 1 thing from tonight’s message, this is it:
We Need Healing From The Spirit Of Familiarity With God If We Are To See The Power Of God In Our Lives.
This was what was happening in Corinth. And it can just as easily happen to us as it did the Corinthians. We cannot treat God as nothing and at the same time expect Him to do something for us.
But when we honor His name, honor Him for who He is and reverence His name, He will do greater and mightier things in our lives than ever before. When we honor His name He honor’s us with His presence and power. Honoring God’s name also means to honor the Body of Christ—the Church.
The problem is that we have turned the church into our dwelling place instead of His dwelling place. Our voice, opinion, will and desires are bigger than God’s. We worship self more than we worship Him and yet we desire Him to do something big in our lives.
Tonight we remember the Sacrifice Jesus made for each of us and everyone else. And it’s time to ask ourselves some hard questions:
Do you want to get God’s attention and to have Him look deeply into our lives?
Do you want to walk in the power of The Holy Spirit?
Do you want God to come through in our lives, and nation?
And do you want to see the Real Fire of Revival burning in your life, in your communities and nation?
If your answer is yes, then you must avoid growing too familiar with who God is in our lives. This means we change our attitude towards God and honor His name above everything else. The Church today is not experiencing a tangible presence and power of God simply because of the “spirit of familiarity” that is sweeping through the hearts of men and women in Churches around this nation and especially in our own Tribe.
There are some obvious dangers of going through the motions—of allowing that vile spirit of familiarity control our minds and hearts. There are 5 dangers when we simply go through the motions:
Familiarity Causes Us To Look At What Worked In The Past To Copy And Then Recreate It. This is a deadly way in regard to the Kingdom of God because the Kingdom of God is always advancing into the new thing. {Isaiah 43:18-19} “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Holy Communion is not just about looking backwards—it’s all about looking forward to the future!
Familiarity with God causes us to lose the respect and fear for the Lord. Fear of the Lord isn’t terror—it is living in awe of Him—His Glory, Power and Wisdom. Awe and Reverence is what creates our hunger for God’s Wisdom {Proverbs 1:7} “Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning. When we lose that respect and fear, we close the door to learning from God. Like concrete, we get set in our way. When we get set in our ways, then we do not respect His ways.
Familiarity with God, causes us to lose respect and honor for the Body of Christ. We disrespect and dishonor the Body of Christ when we make it more about us and less about Him. {Mark 11:17}. “And then he taught them, quoting this text: My house was designated a house of prayer for the nations; You’ve turned it into a hangout for thieves.” Jesus rebuked the people who had turned the house of God into a market place because of their familiarity with God. Familiarity reduces the church to an institution and museum rather than a living movement of God’s power.
Familiarity with God prevents the Holy Spirit from working effectively in us and in the church. Inevitably familiarity creates presumption, and presumption leads to assumptions, which is a slippery slope when it comes to the ways of God. It will lead to the most terrible place for anyone who considers themselves a Christian—The Place of Taking For Granted. {2 Timothy 3:5 NLT} “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.” This was what was happening at Corinth. They were using this Sacred Meal as a party for just themselves. And God was left out.
How we can stop going through the motions?
Live each day by the word of God. {Psalm 119:105 NLT} “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Life gets complicated. The world offers the wrong advice. Even our own minds trick us. But God’s Word is dependable. Whatever we face—His Word will guide us.
Spend time with God in prayer. {Psalm 42:1-2 NLT} “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” Prayer is that glass of cool water for our thirsty heart. Prayer is all about taking in the Holy Presence of God. Too many treat prayer like it’s the Divine Vending Machine—insert money, make your selection of what you want. Receive item. Prayer is intentionally focusing your attention first and foremost on God Himself, not what we want or need. And God will always amaze us with His presence because He is always showing Himself in fresh, new ways.
Come to Church with an expectant heart. {Numbers 14:9} “Just don’t rebel against God! And don’t be afraid of those people. Why, we’ll have them for lunch! They have no protection and God is on our side. Don’t be afraid of them!” This is from that moment after God promised them the Land in front of them. But they wanted to go back to slavery. They didn’t expect God to move. Every Sunday people walk into churches expecting nothing powerful to happen—and it usually doesn’t. When we walk into this place expecting God to show up, He does. And now we can walk out there expecting God to show up and He will.
Give Yourself to the Mission of God. {Matthew 28:19 NLT} “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Our identity and purpose is found only in the Mission of God. God gave Adam and Eve a Mission in the beginning. He gave Noah a Mission. He gave Abraham a Mission. He gave Samuel a Mission. He gave Elijah a Mission. He gave The Prophets a Mission. He gives us the most important mission of all—helping people see Jesus.
Desire God above everything else. {Matthew 6:33 NLT} “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” There is nothing physical in this building that you must have for life. There is absolutely nothing physical out there that you must have to experience real life. What we need cannot be seen with the natural eye. It is only found through the heart.
These symbols of bread and wine, are nothing—mean nothing—until we stop going through the motions of doing. This is our moment to proclaim the greatest event in all of human history—God becoming human—dying for us—so that we can be made right with Him!
love Jesus is that while they do “their best” AT church, they don’t put much effort into doing “their best” IN the ordinary days. I’ve come to realize that this lackadaisical attitude toward the ordinary things is a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem. That problem is living without the desire for excellence in everything, all the time. I’m not talking about being a Rembrandt at painting doors. It’s simply desiring that whatever we put our hands to doing, that it be done with great care and the desire for it to be good.
Kingdom Pastor 