ARE YOU READY?

ARE YOU READY? This week I have been reminded how precious and fragile life is. That seems so obvious but we too often live in a way that does not proclaim that truth. I know that I am not the only one, but much of the time, I live in a way that says I am indestructible. I see the pain that others are feeling and I think to myself “that can’t happen to me.” But that is really far from the truth. There is an old statement that I remember hearing a lot growing up. When I would think that I am indestructible, I would hear someone say, “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” On Monday, I saw this play out. In one moment Mark Nienow was arriving home from vacation, in the next he was headed to the hospital, and just like that, Mark was with our Savior. Like many of you, I was in utter shock when I got the news. Why do things like this happen? Why does God take a godly righteous man away so early in his life? Why? Why? Why? …Why not? The Bible does not promise us a specific number of years to live on earth or a life without pain. It does promise us a life filled with joy. At first that seems like a contradiction. How can a life filled with pain still possess joy? Happiness is determined by my circumstances, but joy is determined by my position in Christ. What does the Bible say about this topic? All flesh is like grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass, the grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:6-8 Isaiah elaborated on how transitory humanity is: here today, gone tomorrow. People pass away like plants under the hot breath of a withering wind. In 1 Peter 1:24-25, Peter uses this passage to illustrate the passing nature of everything related to humanity. In those verses, Peter is not only pointing out the temporary nature of our earthly lives; but he is also pointing us to the eternal nature of the Christian’s life. All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the Word that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25 So what is the Word that Peter and Isaiah refer to? It is the good news of Jesus Christ. That good news is the difference-maker. It is what exchanges our painful experiences for joy. The good news is Jesus Christ. For those of us, like Mark, who have accepted the forgiveness of our Savior, we have a promise of joy everlasting. We may have to endure pain while on this earth but one day (and maybe soon) we will see Jesus face to face. “He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4) Are You Ready? Aaron Hodges

A LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL

A LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL Last night I was once again reminded of how important our actions are when we interact with those outside the Church. It is so easy to behave one way at church and then let our guard down and contradict our profession of faith in Christ when we leave. We need to realize that there are people watching us at all times. For that reason alone, we should be very careful how we act in the community. Now let me tell you about my encounter just last night with my new friend at the gym. As we were talking a spiritual lesson came into sharp focus. There were two ways our conversation could have gone. Over the period of time our friendship has been developing he could have observed that I act like everyone else at the gym and found nothing compelling about my faith. If that was the case, he would have been unimpressed by the Gospel of Christ if not altogether turned-off. Instead, he has seen in me a difference, which appears to be drawing him to our Lord. He told me that his biggest problem with “organized religion” is the hypocrisy. I agreed. He has become disillusioned with the Church, and in turn the gospel, because he has seen too many professing Christians acting one way at the “church house” and acting in another way in the community. Have you ever wondered how many people in Canton have been turned away from the gospel because of the way we Christians behave in public? I wonder if I have in any way participated in disillusioning my neighbors. Is it really important how we treat the cashier at the grocery store? Is it significant to the Great Commission how we respond to the people we interact with every day in the restaurant, at the ballpark, or in the front yard? Does it really make a difference how we treat our co-workers and how diligently we perform our responsibilities on job? YES, it is crucial to the Gospel! Then how are we supposed to live? “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27) “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1) “…Encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His Kingdom and glory.” (I Thessalonians 2:12) What does it mean to let the way you live be worthy of the gospel of Christ? Is that even possible? Isn’t the whole idea behind the gospel the truth that we are not worthy of it? Nothing we have ever done merits the Holy God’s love and mercy displayed in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. How then are we supposed to live in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ? Paul goes on to describe what that might look like: humility, gentleness, patience, bearing one another with love, eager to maintain unity, standing firm in one spirit, and having one mind to name a few. Although these passages call us to what seem like impossible goals, Paul teaches us that when God saves us He transforms us, and thereby, we can be empowered daily by His Spirit to live worthy of the gospel all the while validating the reality of our faith. Hence, we have the commandment to live worthy and Christ’s blood is not wasted. My point here is this, if we are not living according to Paul’s instruction in these passages, we could cause a non-believer to think, “If that is how you’re living, what need do I have of Jesus?” What a tragedy that would be! Aaron Hodges

IF...

IF… "If therefore you have been raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God: have your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth; for you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4) Last week in rehearsal I told you about a recent teachable moment with my son, Wade. Teachable moments come all the time if we look and listen. The premise of this specific teachable moment was people without Christ act like people without Christ. We should never be amazed and shocked when we see nonbelievers acting in ways that are obviously contrary to the Scriptures. As we look through the Bible it is obvious that there should be a distinction between the lifestyle of the lost and the lifestyle of the saved. Someone might think I am inferring that if you act saved then you are saved. Definitely not! I know many good, ethical and moral people that are as lost as a needle in a haystack. Good behavior does not make you saved. Our shock should come when people with Christ act like people without Christ. We are and should be held to a higher standard of living. Some may say, “That is not fair!” But I did not invent this higher standard, God did! In Colossians, Paul is not assuming everyone he is writing to is saved. That is why he starts out chapter 3 with a conditional phrase. He understood nobody can live a righteous life without Christ. But with Christ all things are possible. Paul tells us that as Christians we are to live in a manner distinct from the world. Even our thinking should be different. The world sets its mind on – its ambition is set on – acceptance from man, but we should be striving for acceptance from God. The world has earthy gain as its chief ambition, whereas, heavenly rewards should be the primary passion of the Christian. Too often I look around and see little difference between the actions of the lost and the actions of the saved. If we expect people outside of Christ to act according to the world’s standards, then we should also expect people who claim to love Christ to act in manner consistent with that claim. There needs to be a commitment to serving our Lord that far exceeds our commitment to the things of this world. In light of this, here are a few questions you and I can ask ourselves today: Does my love for Christ show? What things do I need to change in order for my lifestyle to be consistent with my profession of faith in Christ? Let us examine ourselves and see if there is any wicked way in us, and then repent! Aaron Hodges

NEVER BE SHAKEN

Never Be Shaken You, O Lord, you keep my lamp burning You have turned my darkness to light Set my feet high on this mountain And put my enemies to flight So I will praise you as long as I live I will praise you again and again And when I walk through the valley I will not fear For you are my strength and my shield And when everything around me is overtaken I know I will never be shaken As I evaluate songs, I look to see if what they say is Biblical and true before I sing them. This song I have quoted is “Never Be Shaken” by Jared Anderson. It a great song to sing and true based on what I read in Scripture. The last phrase of the song says, “I know I will never be shaken.” As I read this I wonder how a statement like that could be true. I don’t know about you but the adverse winds of life have swayed me to and fro many times. It’s a pretty big statement to say that I will never be shaken. My momma always told me to never say always or never. But there are some things as believers that we can confidently say never about. The idea of never being shaken comes right out of Psalm 15, but there is a prerequisite. Psalm 14 focuses on the way of the wicked and Psalm 15 focuses on the way of the righteous. In Psalm 15 the believer is described as exhibiting a certain lifestyle. Beginning in verse 1, King David goes through a question and answer process to get the point across. “Lord who may dwell in Your sanctuary, Who may live in your holy mountain?” These are questions that require an answer. The answer can be found in the succeeding verses. David begins by telling us that we must demonstrate some positive characteristics: a right lifestyle, a right walk and right talk. In verse 3, David goes on to say that we must not do certain things. We must not speak negatively to each other, we must not treat our neighbors wrongly, and we must not say ugly things about each other. He then goes on to tell us that we must despise the wicked, honor the Lord, and stay true to our word. We must not be fickle, greedy or be one who accepts bribes. After going through the litany of characteristics of godly people, he gets to the best part, “Whoever does these things will never be shaken (Ps. 15:5).” So in our daily lives let’s act the way God requires of us and watch Him grant us the endurance to survive in this world. By the way, I don’t know if I have told you this before, but I love you and I appreciate your willingness to be used by God in the worship ministry at FBC Canton. Words cannot fully express how extremely proud I was of all of you this past Sunday. Keep up the great work. We can and should make every Sunday special if we commit ourselves to serving Him with the level of enthusiasm you showed on Sunday. Aaron Hodges