The Presbyter's Page
Electronic Edition – February 2002
Original articles published February 2002
Section 12 - LA
District UPCI
Donald Bryan - Presbyter
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Sermon Thought: “Running
With The Giants"
“Running
With The Giants”
Hebrews 12:1-3
“1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who
for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
We’re in a race! The race for eternity and heaven. But, we’re not alone. The writer in Hebrews 12:1 basically says, “Consider them.” Consider who? That great crowd of witnesses who are looking over the balconies of heaven and saying “you’re going to make it!” In verse 2, the writer says, “Consider Him.” Who? Jesus Christ. He is the author and finisher of each one’s life story. And as author, He can write another chapter in your life. In fact, He writes the final chapter. If you don’t like the chapter you’re in, let God write another one.
In verse 3, the writer says, “Continue On.” Keep running the race. The cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. The Lord will help you finish the story. Continue on.
Often when a great crowd is cheering you on, you can’t always understand what they’re saying. But, what if they could come down individually and run one lap with you? What would they say? If David were to come down, what would he say? I believe David would say that, “You can overcome your limitations.” David was probably a despised, underestimated boy. When Samuel told Jesse that one of his sons would be king, no one thought that it would be David. Jesse thought surely it would be the oldest, maybe the second, but not David. Jesse didn’t think David had king potential.
David’s brothers didn’t think he had warrior potential. Although terrified on the battlefield with Goliath, the brothers never dreamed David would slay the giant. David, if he were running a lap, would say, “You can overcome your limitations.”
If Esther were to speak a word with you, I believe she would say that, “God has a place for you.” Esther had felt out of place all her life. Having been adopted, she didn’t know about a normal family. She was a Jew in a new country. And when she was selected queen, she really felt out of place. She never felt like she belonged. But when the threat comes against her people, Mordecai tells her you have come for this time. There’s no place like God’s place.
Consider Noah. If he were to run one lap with you, what would he say? I believe he would say, “One person can make a difference.” In Noah’s day, the whole world was wicked. But one man made a difference – for a family, a nation, even God! Noah teaches us not to be afraid to do something new for the first time. Further, if you don something new, don’t be afraid to stand alone. Every time Noah saw a rainbow, he knew one can make a difference.
Finally, consider Rebekah. If Rebekah were to say a word to you, I believe she would say, “Give and serve others generously.” When Abraham’s servant came to Rebekah’s country, she had no idea what was at stake. But the servant had already asked the Lord to show him the one who would become Isaac’s wife. He fleeced the Lord and Rebekah became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ because she served others.
She gave 10 camels water to drink! I’m glad Rebekah didn’t say, “I don’t do camels.” I’m glad Noah didn’t say, “I don’t do boats.” I’m glad Mary didn’t say, “I don’t do virgin births.” I’m glad Jesus didn’t say, “I don’t do crosses.” The cloud of witnesses is saying “Continue on.” Run the race. You can finish.
How People Think Today
The Gospel is relevant in any
age. But what does it take to
effectively communicate it to people today?
When you look across the congregation, there are at least four adult audiences. Each has a different way of seeing the world. Here’s who they are and how the gospel might be presented to them.
1. Older adults – People ages 55 and up. This need-me, show-me generation possesses skills and money. Since they may live to age 80 or 90, they’ve got almost half of their lives in front of them. In our culture, being old means being worthless, so people in the over-55 group need to do something worthwhile. They’re looking for positive examples of older adults. They are searching for the sense of importance that only Christ can give. Church leaders can challenge the culture notion that those over 55 are half-dead. Older adults don’t feel they’re half-dead; they feel they have much to offer, but nobody wants it. They need to feel appreciated.
2. Boomers – Ages 40 to 55. This entertain me, earn-me generation tends to be faddish and intellectually lazy. Boomers are looking for spiritual definition. They want talk about meaning, self-definition, and self worth. They relate best to new church models and media presentations. They greatly desire stabilizing influence, which can come only through faith in Jesus.
3. Busters – Ages 30 to 40. This why-me generation doesn’t like crowds or mingling with other generations. Busters are skeptical of guarantees. They crave relationships and want to talk things over with peers. They want to create a better world. They are stable and work well together. They have a firm foundation and could make up a strong leadership pool for the body of Christ in the future.
4. Generation X – Ages 20 to 30 years old. This feed-me generation suffers from low self-esteem. GenX-ers prefer to retreat from the world into small groups. They crave unconditional acceptance, but have a very short list of what’s really important. They’re looking for written reinforcement of key concepts, such as what you might explain in a spiritual notebook. They long to hear that there is hope.
(Building Church Leaders)
There’s a big difference between leadership and management. Management consists primarily of three things: analysis, problem solving, and planning. If you go to any management course, you’ll find it revolves around those three things. But leadership consists of communicating your vision and values. If you don’t clarify the purposes as a leader, who will?
The problem I see is that most churches are over managed and under led. You need them both, but when the church is over managed, you end up with a paralysis of analysis. It’s like, “Ready…Aim…Aim…Aim!” and you never fire. You’re always analyzing and looking. So, I want to encourage you to cast a large vision within your church, and here are a few guidelines:
¬ Believe it or not - The bigger your vision, the easier it is to reach. People are rarely motivated by small visions.
¬ Don’t worry about solving the problems before casting the vision. A good example of visionary leadership would be the United States President John F. Kennedy. Regardless of what you think about his politics, Kennedy stood up one day in the early 1960’s and said, “We’ll put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.” He was clear; he was precise; and the vision was something people could look to. Now, here’s the interesting thing – when he said it, the technology to put a man on the moon hadn’t even been developed. That’s visionary leadership!
¬ Your God determines how big your goal is. So, how big do you think God is? The issue is not who do you think you are, but who do you think God is? In your dreams for ministry, don’t limit yourself by saying, “What can I do?” Instead, ask, “What can God do? What can God do in this place?”
¬ Be pragmatic even as you cast a vision. John Kennedy didn’t say we were going to explore the known solar system. He focused on the moon.
¬ You have to be committed to the vision. We overestimate what we can do in one year, and we underestimate what we can do in ten years or twenty years. That’s very common. The trouble with most goal setting is we set our goals too low and try to accomplish them too soon. Instead, we need to set bit goals – huge goals – enormous goals – but plan plenty of time in reaching those goals.
¬ Finally, make a frank appraisal of your own gifts. The Bible teaches that there are one talent people and five talent people and ten talent people. That means you may be good at several things, but you’re not good at everything. If your vision is properly large, you’re going to need lots of help, and that means you’re going to have to share responsibilities. Maybe you need to step back from counseling or doing all the marrying and burying. Even if you don’t have paid staff to help, you could develop lay pastors.
How large is your vision? As a Christian leader, you need to put it before your congregation and then keep it before them.
(Rick Warren Ministry Toolbox)
By Chaplain Mike Sanchez
Life in Prison is a letter written to inform us about men and women living inside the walls of prisons and is a link to help us to stay in contact with our loved ones and family members. Prison is a place that houses men that have made some bad choices in life, and now are paying for those choices.
In prison, a man has time to reflect on life and the choices he has made and how it will affect his remaining time in this world. We hope by going and serving these men with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can make a difference in helping them choose a more perfect way.
If you know someone in Angola Penitentiary and would like for us to visit him, please contact Mike Sanchez, Chaplain Angola Penitentiary, or my pastor Donald Bryan at (985) 643-8760.
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