FCC Etown Podcast

Poetry reigns in the imagery of the Tree of Life. The presence of the tree in the Garden was the picture of God’s want for our relationship. A tree that would need no work or effort from us to survive. Trees are the longest living parts of our earth that do not really need our help to survive. The Tree of Life in the Garden was to constantly be with mankind, but it was coupled with the temptation of the other tree. The presence of this same everlasting, ever-giving tree is so familiar and loving in Revelation. But noticeably absent is the other tree of temptation and sin. There will not be any purpose or presence of that in the paradise of heaven.

In the book of Mark, Jesus curses and allows the withering of a fig tree to teach His disciples that some people can appear religious on the outside but are truly dead on the inside. Jesus encourages true followers of the Lord to be faithful, pray boldly and display the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. There is an emphasis to be attached to the Lord (the vine), so true Christians can bear fruit. Jesus states, in the end, it’s essential for Christians to show the world how to be fruitful, genuine disciples of Christ, mirroring the true character of God.

“Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody, 40 years learning he was a nobody, and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody.”

-D.L. Moody

 

Near the end of his 40 years of “learning he was a nobody,” God appeared to Moses through the burning bush. Moses’ willingness to acknowledge God altered the remainder of his life for the better.

There are burning bushes all around us, and our Heavenly Father beckons us to look. God reveals Himself to us all. We choose to notice God as Moses did or ignore Him. Are you willing to acknowledge Him, respond to Him, listen to Him, and allow Him to remodel you for the better?

God is over all, through all and in all.  Our Heavenly Father is sovereign.  Those little phrases such as, “it just so happened,” are those moments when His sovereignty is noticed.

God is rarely conspicuous, but He is always involved in the details of our lives. He cares about you and me, but the approach of the God of the universe is not one of attention-seeking.  His approach is subtle, so we have to be aware, looking for the work of His hands.

God created mankind to have free will. He didn’t want puppets or robots to follow and love him because they had no choice; the man was created to love and serve God willingly. Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect communion with God, but when they ate the forbidden fruit, they separated themselves from God and separated all of humanity from God. We often choose to put other things besides Jesus on the thrones of our lives. Because of Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, we have a renewed relationship with our God. Thank you, Jesus, for doing for us what we couldn’t do on our own!

What do our lives and our choices tell people about what matters? What do our lives tell people who are watching us about what’s significant for them to mimic? Ultimately, the question that you have to ask yourself is, "Is Following me, following Christ?"

May we be people who are Christ-like in our patience, Christ-like in our hospitality, Christ-like in our love, Christ-like in our humility, Christ-like in our forgiveness, Christ-like in our peace, Christ-like in our self-control, Christ-like in our goodness, Christ-like in our faith and Christ-like in our kindness.

Our whole mission can be summed up with one question, “Are you for me?” It is that simple and specific. Because when you know that someone is for you, is wanting the best for you and is pulling, for you and have you at the center of the story and not themselves, it changes everything about how you hear anything from them. When I believe you are not for me, it breaks down trust and I start to assume that you are selfishly trying to manipulate me and count me up as a project. Which is all the negativity that our world has towards the church right there.

The people of this planet need to know everything Jesus did was for them because he is for them. Every person who walks in the door of your life is someone whom Christ loves, someone for whom Jesus gave himself. Therefore, every person needs to know we are for them, and they are worth it.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less," C.S. Lewis.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the father's humility is often overlooked. The father saw his son in the distance, and his heart went out to him. He ran to him, embraced and kissed him. A prideful father would have stood his ground watching each humbling step, forcing his son to feel the weight of his transgressions. Instead, the father threw off his dignity and pride, not mentioning his son's past misbehavior. 

Living Out Humility looks at how we should imitate Christ's humility by valuing others above ourselves, displaying tenderness, compassion, and forgiveness.

Love is a word we often use flippantly. We say we love food, clothes, and cars. But when love is used in the Bible, it’s almost always being used about people.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God (1 John 4:7 NIV).

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13 NIV).

God is clear that we are to love one another. Memorial Day is a special time to remember those who loved us and sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.  To be empathetic we must be willing to listen to another’s story, be in their story with them and most of all, don’t look for a way to turn it into our story.

Jesus elevated everyone, every hurt, every opinion, every situation, every choice above his own. The cross is the ultimate picture of that elevation. Part of Empathy is humility that allows the goodness of God to shine through us.  It’s as simple as asking, “When someone is hurting, who are you placing at the center?” Is it them, or is it subtly becoming you?