Majoring in Minors

It is so easy to get cought up in unimportant things. I will watch my three children spending more time arguing about whose turn it is to feed the dogs than it takes to feed them. I would swear sometimes that they would let the dogs die of hunger before one of them would give in and feed them. In my mind, the major issue is that the dogs need fed. The minor issue is who will feed them. But to them the minor issue is that the dogs get fed and the major issue is who is going to do it.

In the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, we have a major and minor issue. Often the minor issue so grips us that we miss what Jesus really wanted us to know. Let me tell you the story. A rich man, who was dressed in purple is living in luxury every day. He has all that he wants and all that he needs. But on the steps of his house sits a poor man named Lazarus. He is covered with sores and hungry. Lazarus hopes that he can eat the scraps that fall from the rich man's table. Both men die. The rich man is delivered to hell and the poor man is guided by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man looks across the chasm between Heaven and Hell and asks for Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch his tongue to quench the fire in his mouth. Abraham said that Lazarus can't get there. So the rich man pleads with Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers to warn them of the torment of Hell. Verse 29-31, "Abraham replied, 'they have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.' 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' Abraham said to him, 'if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

In the last week, I have had a number of conversations about, "Abraham's side." It is the place that Lazarus went after he died. Most of the questions have centered around where a Christian goes after he dies. I have heard that people stay in the grave until Jesus returns, I have heard that there is a holding place, I have heard that we go straight to heaven, and all comments have included scripture in their answer. Let me lovingly say as your pastor that this is the minor in the text. Everyone falls into the trap of majoring in this minor. It is a great question and fun to think about. But can I say that the major comes at the very end of the text. Abraham says, "they will not be convinced even is someone rises from the dead." Someone did rise from the dead. His name was Jesus. And even after the most amazing event in history people still do not believe. God's son came to this earth and took on human flesh. He died the most horific death imaginable. And after three days he rose from the dead as the Savior of the world! Salvation was attained for mankind through death and the proof of salvation through a resurrection. And still, people do not believe.

Jesus wanted us to know that heaven is real, hell is hot, and eternity is long. There is a place of eternal peace and we will be beside Abraham there. And there is a place of eternal torment and the rich, well dressed, well fed, only concerned about himself rich man in the text is still there. He is hoping someone will put his finger in a glass of water and touch his tongue 2000 years later. We are given a choice as to where we want our eternity to be. And even a man like Jesus raising from the dead will not change the minds of some.

If I spend some time in a holding place, go to heaven immediately, or even have to wait for the trumpet call to get to heaven that is a minor issue. Fact is, I am still getting heaven. And those who have confessed and believe will be there as well. And those who do not confess and do not believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead; well, there is a place for them as well. In my mind, that is the major point that God wants us to know. Sure it is fun to seek the answers to Abraham's side, but don't miss eternity in the process.

In His Love,
Pastor Aaron 

Wishy Washy

Peggy and I had an evening without the kids and decided to go out for dinner. We were in Kokomo and had recently visited a new restaurant and loved their onion rings. On  the way there, we decided that we were going to get an appetizer of their wonderful onion rings and split a meal. But when we got there, things changed. As we sat down, the waitress handed us a menu and we began to look at all the wonderful options. Suddenly, our minds were open to possibilities that were not present in the car. I had been thinking pulled pork, but their catch of the day looked like a better choice. Peggy saw the smothered chicken, what a terrible way to die, and thought that sounded good. By the time the waitress returned we decided on fish, chicken and no onion rings. When the meal came we were both disappointed. I thought the fish had a batter on it, instead it was breaded. Peggy's chicken was just okay but the veggies were tough and salty. At the end of the meal, we left disappointed. 

What was the problem with our meal? It was not the food that was the problem. The problem was that Peggy and I were not resolute about our decision. Remember why we went to that restaurant? We wanted onion rings and pulled pork. We ended up with fish and the real white meat. We allowed choices to deter our desires and ended up not happy with what we had done. Does that sound familiar? We have a plan, then we get other options, then we tinker with our plan, we make a different choice, and in the end we are not happy with our actions. 

There is a name for this type of living. It is called being wishy washy. Dictionary.com says wishy washy is, "lacking in decisiveness; without strength or character; irresolute." We see it in politics all the time. Politicians never give a straight answer. Instead they seem wishy washy when they speak. Their "yes" in never a yes and their "no" is often a maybe. Let's not get political because we all do the same thing. It is easy to be wishy washy on many things. I grounded Jessica for the rest of her life one day; now she is not grounded, so evidently, I was wishy washy on that. Jenna does things that Jeremy would have never got away with. That seems wishy washy (Really the kids just wore us down). And there are days I sit at my desk and wonder what direction I should lead the church and that too can be wishy washy at times. It is not always easy to be resolute.

If you are reading our year through the bible at church, I hope you noticed a statement made in Luke 9. It is one that you should remember as you read the next couple of weeks. It says in Luke 9:51, "Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." Why is that important? Let me say that Jesus had many other options in front of him. There were a number of people that needed healed. Jesus could have stuck around and took care of their needs instead of heading to his death. The Pharisees could have been converted if Jesus just proved, as he did on the mount of transfiguration, that he was the Christ. Jesus could have headed in a different direction to get away from the beating he would receive in Jerusalem. Being fully God, he knew the pain that was before him in the city. Peter will try to get Jesus to change his mind. We see times where if Jesus would have been wishy washy the Pharisee's, Sadducee's, and people would have loved him more and not killed him. But Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He would not change his message. He would not change his plans. Jesus would not change his mind. His plan was Jerusalem, his purpose was the cross, and the decision was made.

How resolute are you? Maybe dinner is not easy to plan and disciplining your kids varies on how tired you are. But how resolute are you on eternal principles? How effective is your resolve to reading your bible, to pray, to witness, to invite your friends to church? Do you have a resolve to attend church weekly, tithe off of every paycheck, serve when the opportunity arises, show up at a small group and develop new friends, to feed someone who is hungry, to come to bible study so you can learn and grow, to pray at meals, to lead your children in devotions, and to fast from worldly things to get your mind back on God? (The list could go on but I imagine that is enough for now) So much of what I have just mentioned is about resolve. It requires us to not be wishy washy. It requires us to quit looking at the menu of all the other things that the world affords and follow the words of Jesus closely.

Why don't you pick a couple of things from above and resolutely set out to accomplish them. Set in motion a decision that you will not allow the world to change. You may be amazed at the blessings that come when we decide to take Jesus seriously and do what he says.

In His Love,
Pastor Aaron

Get rid of your Leisure Suits

Jeremy and Jessica were in the Light Up Logansport Parade with the children's choir this year. While we were waiting for the kids to sing, I struck up a conversation with a couple standing nearby. I found out that they grew much of their own produce on their small farm and were very much into organic farming. The woman said, "We are really locavors." Locavors? Now, I have had some trouble keeping up with words now days, but what the heck is a locavor? It seems that more words are added to the English vocabulary than I can keep up with. With this woman, I just acted smart and pretended to know what she was saying (I looked it up on-line later). Other times I just say, "Say what?"

Jesus has a few of the, "Say what?" statements in his teachings. I read one of them on Friday. It comes from Luke 5:37-39, "No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wine skin will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'the old is better,'" Say what? Is this about not getting drunk? What does wine, fasting, pharisees, the disciples, and wineskins have to do with anything? Maybe a little explanation will help put understanding to this story. Remember that Luke wants you to know that Jesus came for the Gentiles, also; that the gentiles were not accepted by the Pharisees, and that Jesus was making some changes in His kingdom. Let me begin with a story that may help you understand this better.

I saw a gentleman in a leasure suit the other day. It was right out of the sixties. I went to Goodwill awhile back to see if they had any sports jackets and I found a rack filled with leasure suites. I thought about buying one just for the fun of it. Can't you see me preaching in a plaid leasure suit? LOL! I just might do it for an illustration. Anyway, the old guy in the old leisure suit was like the old wine in an old wineskin. He was comfortable, it fit him, and he was happy. There was no way that you could get him to go to Joseph A. Banks and purchase a $1,000.00 suit. As much as the suit was old, out of place, and not of this generation, it was his and he was happy with what he had. No matter how much I may have wanted to change his suit, it was not going to happen.

The Pharisees were trying to put Jesus into a leisure suit. They all wore leisure suits, they liked leisure suits, and they thought Jesus should wear a leisure suit. You see, the Pharisees wondered why the disciples were not fasting. It was a custom of that day (and something that we can still practice today). But the disciples didn't fast. They were with Jesus, why should they fast. But the Pharisees wanted them to fast. They wanted the disciples and Jesus to walk around in leisure suits because everyone should have a leisure suit. But Jesus says that you can't put the Messiah into a leisure suit. He just wouldn't look right in a leisure suit. As a matter of fact, if you put Jesus in a leisure suit, then why didn't we just keep things the way that they had always been. The Pharisees didn't need one more person walking around in a leisure suit telling them what they were doing wrong. They needed a Savior to break out of the mold and actually save people.

Here is the reality, Jesus did not come to keep things the same but to make a great change. Salvation was now offered through the Lamb of God. The blood of Jesus would be enough! We would not need to follow 660 laws and have hundreds of hoops to jump through for salvation. Jesus changed things and invited us gentiles to join in the heavenly party. But the Pharisees liked life the way it was. Thus, "The old wine is better" in the scripture lesson. They even wanted Jesus to fit into their old way of doing things, "Old wine in old wineskins." But Jesus was not old wine, he was new wine that was going to make some great changes. Old wineskins are hard and brittle. If you put new wine in them, when the wine expands it will blow the old wineskins to pieces. Jesus was new wine! They didn't like Jesus coming along and giving people freedom, forgiving people of their sins, and healing people who were in bondage. That was new wine and they didn't like it. But Jesus could not allow people to stay in the same state they had always been in. It was time for a change and Jesus was willing to make that change. He was throwing off the leisure suit and getting a custome fit at Joseph A. Banks that people really needed. The Pharisees liked their rules but Jesus liked forgiveness. The Pharisees liked their regulations but Jesus liked relationships with his creation. Jesus was new wine and it could not be contained in the Pharisees way of life. So Jesus poured his new wine in what we call today the Church. Maybe that is why the church changes so much. The wine of Jesus just keeps expanding to bring more people into His kingdom.

Pastor Aaron   

P.S. By the way, a locavore is one who eats food grown locally whenever possible.

Wet Willy

Jessica and I were playing around the other day. She thought she was big enough to give her dad a wet willy (Sticking a wet finger in my ear). I said, "Jessica, you know how this is going to end. I am not going to get a wet willy and you are going to get hurt." That was not a deterant. She continued to try to stick her wet finger in my ear. Ten minutes later my words became true. Jessica was laying on the ground hurt and my ear was dry. It seemed that the warning was not enough. It took my words actually happening for her to learn. I call this the pain approach to knowledge; pain is required to learn something.

Having three children with different personalities helps me to understand that not everyone learns the same way. Jeremy is a kid that will normally just do what he is told. Not always the first time, but usually the words of his father are enough to move him to action. Jessica needs to find out for herself that what she is being told is right. She often learns through the school of hard knocks. Jenna just does what ever she sees her brother and sister doing. She examines the situation and makes a decision according to what bubby or sissy are doing. Of the three, my personal preference is Jeremy who just does what I tell him. It seems like the consequences of his life are less because he simply follows directions. Jessica, on the other hand, learns things the hard way and ends up with some bumps and bruises along the way. Jenna has the possibility of taking the wrong advice from the wrong person.

As you begin this New Year reading the word of God, you may read with the mental framework of Jeremy, Jessica, or Jenna. Maybe you will believe what you read because the Word says it. Maybe you will believe or not because you have life experience, or maybe you will believe or not because a so called expert tells you what is correct. It is interesting that Luke gives us the reason why he wrote this Gospel. He says to Theophilus that he wrote these things, "So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:4) Now we don't know who Theophilus was or even where he was from. But evidently, Theophilus was questioning whether or not the things he had been taught about Jesus were true. Maybe he had heard rumors or even gotten his hands on an early manuscript of Mark or Matthew. But were these words true? Should he believe what he had been taught? Furthermore, how would he live because of the things that he knew?

We don't know how the mind of Theophilus worked but we probably can figure out our personality. As you read the word of God this year: you will either read it and believe because it is the word of God, read it and wait until you experience something that will cause you to believe it, or read it and follow what someone else tells you. There are probably many other options but these are the ones that affect me the most. People come into my office facing problems or needing guidance many times a week. Some of them hear the word of God and change their behavior. Others hear the word and run it through their personal experience to determine what they want to do. And some just follow the direction that I give or the advice of someone else. Can I say that I get the greatest joy out of seeing someone who hears the words of scripture and takes it at face value because it is God's word. Usually, these people walk out with great joy and a changed life. Those who need experience to believe are often frustrated because God's word does not match up with their past. They have no reference point and often have a difficult time making changes because of experience. Finally, there are some who just follow someone else's advice. My words, the words of their family, or the words of a co-worker are what will impact them. They will make their decision based upon who they think has the best advice. Sometimes the advice takes them toward God and sometimes the advice takes them further into pain and suffering.

Someone once said, "God said it, I believe it, and that is enough!" I wish that is the way that it worked for everyone. But maybe this year we can all strive to follow this statement as we read God's word. What would happen if we actually tried living by the written word of God? How would our lives be different if we just did what God said? Lots of people like to argue about the written word; my plan is to follow it. I want to take what I read this year and apply it to my life. So let me challenge you to try it first. Before you get the advice of a friend or family member, before you experience the opposite and find out that the word is correct, before you follow the wrong person down the wrong road, why not live by the word first. Try living by what you read and see how your life is changed. Maybe, just maybe, you will have the best year ever.

In His Love,
Pastor Aaron