Scripture Matthew
4:12-17; Mark 6:30-34
When I became a Christian I quickly
realized that learning to love like Jesus loved meant there was one person I
had the responsibility of insuring knew Jesus primarily through the study of
His word – the bible. The person I was
responsible to teach, was me. How could I do that? I was a new Christian –
shouldn’t someone else be responsible for my spiritual understanding and
growth? NO! Someone else did not put
their faith in Jesus for me, I did that – I was and am still responsible.
HOWEVER, I couldn’t do that alone, I needed tools and help. So I got a bible
that worked for me – I went to worship to hear good preaching – I went to Bible
study at church and to Sunday school. I went to youth group where we had more
study. I went to hear speakers at youth conventions and camps – with friends,
we started bible studies in our homes and at our school. I became involved on a
region/state level of leading peers in Bible study and shared the bible at the
juvenile detention center once a month.
I began learning and sharing the Jesus of the Bible through drama’s and
musicals and went witnessing at the local shopping mall. I learned about the love of Jesus and began
to share the love of Jesus and His word through involvement with my church and other
Christian friends. That was my responsibility. HOWEVER, I needed the help and
support of my church.
I married a
tremendous beautiful Christian woman who grew up in the church but had a very
similar faith and experiences as I had had and we were involved in some of the
same Christian growth experiences and leadership opportunities. Then we had not one but two children; whose
responsibility was it to teach them how Jesus loves them and eventually how to
love like Jesus loves? Was it the responsibility of our children? NO! It was
and is our responsibility. They were too young to have their own faith. They
couldn’t read the bible, they couldn’t drive themselves to church in their
stroller. It was up to us to read bible stories and sing Christian songs and
take them to church EVERY SUNDAY and make sure the church provided quality
teaching for them and if it didn’t to help make it happen for them and other
children. But we could not do that alone, we needed the church’s we were a part
of and the pastor and church leadership and Sunday school teachers and youth
leaders. Eventually all of this became the responsibility of our children
themselves once they came to their own faith in Jesus – HOWEVER, for us, our
responsibility to ensure they know the love of Jesus and how to love like Jesus
never stops – we become a part of their help and encouragement and support.
(Example: My
children learned from us that you go to a corporate worship/preaching event at
least once a week, and if you can’t, you create your own. My children have
rarely missed a Sunday of worship in their entire lives – not because they were
required – but because it is a reminder that Jesus loves them and a way for
them to show others how Jesus loves. Because of physical issues with our
grandbaby, Gretchen and Gary have struggled with this for the past few weeks – esp.
Palm Sunday being Gretchen’s favorite Sunday of the year. I was hoping all
would be well and we would all go but realized quickly this would not be
possible. The local church started at 10:30 and Kim was able to provide the
support they needed for an hour without me and at 10:20 they are like – GO, you
can make it on time. They wanted to be there but couldn’t but knew how
important it is to me and I hustled to church and worshipped on behalf of my
family and returned to them as soon as it was over. – I am still teaching –
(some people would say – I think the preacher would be OK missing one Sunday
going to church. HOWEVER, I would say, I am still responsible for my spiritual
growth and that of my family and must provide an example in what I do, not just
what I say.)
I have
pastored several tremendous churches. Youth pastor at three, associate pastor
at one, Senior pastor at Owl Creek Baptist in Mt. Vernon, Ohio 2 ½ years,
Senior Pastor at FBC Urbana, Ohio 11 years, Founding pastor at Living Water
Community Church New Albany, Ohio 3
years and merged with Southwest Licking Community Baptist church in Pataskala,
Ohio for 3 years and FBC Twin Falls, Idaho for almost 9 years and will begin
June 1 at Ashland Baptist Church in Oregon, Ohio (a suburb of Toledo).
Who is responsible
for the spiritual growth, understanding of the Bible and learning how to love
like Jesus in each of those churches I just mentioned? Me? NO! Well yes and no.
Just like I am responsible for Jeff Cooper so each person is responsible for
themselves. HOWEVER, I am one part of a support system that Jesus set up over
2000 years ago called the church. Me
along with Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, choir directors,
Deacons, children and youth leaders and every member of the congregation. I am
no more important in that group of people than anyone else. We are all called
to do our part and when someone does not fulfil their call to their part in the
support system, someone is not being taught or led by example in what it means
to be loved by Jesus and love like Jesus loved. What we do as people of God has
eternal consequences and when we take that responsibility and privilege lightly
we fail to do for others what those before…did for us.
Preaching is
my call and it may be so for a few people here but not the majority. But
everyone is called to be a part of the ministry that is responsible for sharing
and teaching the love of Jesus to sinner and saint alike. AND all parents are
called equally to be responsible for their children and what I now know –
though Gary and Gretchen are responsible for the spiritual upbringing of their
son – and he is in capable godly hands – Kim and I are also responsible to do
all we can to teach our grandson that they are loved by Jesus and eventually
how to love like Jesus loves.
Matt 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been put in
prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in
Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14
to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea,
along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 the people living in darkness have seen a
great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has
dawned." 17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Matthew
tells us that Capernaum is, in the “territory of Zebulun and Naphtali”. Zebulun
and Naphtali were the very first tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel
deported by the Assyrians 700 years before Matthew wrote. It has been an
extremely long time since that region was called the area of Zebulun and
Naphtali. Matthew is trying to get us to think historically. He then
follows this up with Isaiah 9:1-2. His point? That Jesus — the son of
David — is beginning his restoration of the Davidic kingdom (and his
transformation of that into the kingdom of heaven) at ground zero where God’s
covenant judgment had fallen seven centuries before.
The King is
at ground zero preaching the good news of the kingdom HOWEVER, also that they
are responsible to turn back toward God and He will teach them and set up a
system of support for them to know and share the love of His kingdom on earth.
His love is never meant to be kept to oneself – he meant for us to give it
away.
>>>>>>>>> Mark 6:30-34
The apostles gathered around Jesus and
reported to him all they had done and taught. (that
mean they were teaching others about Jesus love) Then, because so
many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,
he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a
quiet place and get some rest." (While
sharing with others we also need to make sure we take care of ourselves and get
renewed) So they went away by
themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized
them and ran on foot from all the towns
and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he
had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
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