Knowing the Bible . . . and living it, too!

Mike Hosey, Elder

I love how Jesus can expose our true personal situations with such clarity. Consider the story of The Good Samaritan, which by the way, isn’t really about the Samaritan at all (Luke 10:25-37).

In this story, an expert in the law approached Jesus and asked him what he could do to get into Heaven. Jesus simply asked him what the law said, and the man answered by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. These verses essentially tell us to love God with everything, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  The man, wanting to justify himself, immediately asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor.” Jesus told him a story of how a man had been beaten by thieves on the side of the road and left for dead, and how two religious leaders, who would have known the above quoted law very well, passed by the man using the opposite side of the road without stopping to render any assistance. Then Jesus described how a half-breed piece of white trash (which is what the Jews considered the Samaritans) chose not to pass   In Florida’s 21^st century economy, that would be about $360 for the average wage earner.  The expert in the law recognized the Samaritan was a good neighbor, and that the Samaritan’s love (or commitment) for others had been proven. So Jesus commanded him to go and live like the Samaritan.

George Frederic Watts

by the injured man, but instead helped him, cared for his wounds, and left him at an inn to recover until he could return. The Samaritan then gave the inn keeper two days of wages to care for the man.

The two religious leaders in this story illustrate a profound truth. It is the sad truth that one can know the law, but not live it. In fact, this may be the human condition. All of us experience this weight from time to time.  Even the Apostle Paul struggled with it (Romans 7:15-20). The failure of those two religious leaders also gives us the opportunity to ponder the nature of our spiritual knowledge and our spiritual life.  Our knowledge and our spiritual life are completely intertwined. We cannot live the Bible without knowing the Bible.  And because the Bible should be the core of our life, we cannot know the Bible fully without living it.

That very Bible teaches us to be committed to others as we are committed to ourselves.  If we examine our lives in light of that command, how do we measure up to living it?

Eating the Old 96er!

Mike Hosey, Elder

Do you think you could eat 6 pounds of steak?

There’s a John Candy movie from the late 1980s called the Great Outdoors.  In that movie, Candy’s character is on vacation with his family.  One night they go out for dinner. His brother-in-law (played by Dan Aykroyd) coaxes him to eat a 96 ounce steak. That’s 6 pounds of meat for those of you who graduated in Tallahassee. If he finishes the steak, according to the restaurants rules, his whole party eats for free. Of course he can’t do it, but his brave attempt makes for some great comedy. This is especially true when the chef reminds him after he is sickeningly and laboriously chewing on what he thinks is the last bite, that the gristle and fat count as part of the weight! Hilariously, Aykroyd tries to get the rest down him, even though he's clearly too far gone!

The task was simply more than he could handle by himself at one single sitting.

This is kind of like leading someone to Christ. Someone who doesn’t know Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, or the history of God’s people usually can’t take it in all at one time.  And we shouldn’t expect them to. We should go in steps, recognizing their limitations, praying for God’s power and guidance, and even expecting that our part in the process may be limited.

The Bible implies this stepwise progression in a number of places.  Paul told the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:2) that they were still on spiritual milk and weren’t ready for solid food.  The writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 5:12) says pretty much the same thing.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 9:38 that the harvest requires multiple workers.  And Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:6 that he planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the growth – recognizing that there were steps in the journey of spiritual growth.

So how do we plug ourselves into that stepwise process?  Well, there are more steps and methods and ways than this post can address. However, in almost every circumstance, there will be two tactics you must heed.  First, you must be in relationships with people, and love them where they are just as God did for you.  And when you have mastered that difficult tactic, you will know when it is appropriate to employ the second tactic, which is sharing the reason for the hope that you have as a follower of Christ (1 Peter 3:15).

And then you can use your influence to help your friend eat that very delicious 96 ounce steak, one bite at a time!

Are YOU Representin' ?

Mike Hosey, Elder

All nations desire to influence the world in order to serve their interests. One of the ways they do that is with ambassadors. An ambassador is an official representative of his or her nation who lives in a foreign country where his or her nation wishes to exert influence.

It’s important to understand the location of ambassadors.  They live among the people they wish to influence. They learn their customs, their manners, their laws and their culture. In fact, they learn to love them as their own.  But they are not of the country where they reside.  Instead, it is their job to influence that country for the nation to which they actually belong.

If you are a follower of Christ, then your true citizenship is in the Kingdom of God.  And Jesus tells us that God’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Paul makes the case even stronger.  In Philippians 3:20, he tells Christians that their citizenship is in Heaven.  This world is not home for those of us who are followers of Christ.

So if that is true, then what are we doing here?  The truth is that we are ambassadors.  Paul explicitly tells us so in 2 Corinthians 5:20. In that verse he actually calls us ambassadors.  He argues that it is as though God is making his appeal to the world through us! God wants to influence this dark and dead world so that men who don’t know Him can be reconciled to Him.  Just like the worldly ambassador represents his nation in order to serve its interests, we represent God in order to serve His, and His interests are the lives of men.

This all means that we are to live among the people of this world, but not be of them. We are to walk with them, eat with them, learn their customs and culture, and to love them as our own. But our purpose is not just to enjoy them, but rather to reconcile them to a new nation with a Godly influence.

How are YOU reppin the Kingdom of God?

Be an Influence Right WHERE you are!

Mike Hosey, Elder

Influence can be defined as the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something.  

There isn’t a single domain of your life that isn’t bathed in some sort of influence that wants to shape your character, behavior, or development. You are influenced (for good or for ill) by the television you watch, the music to which you listen, the people with whom you associate, the leaders you elect, the books you read, the advertisements that catch your eyes and ears, the social forces in your community, state, nation or neighborhood, the successes you enjoy, and the failures you suffer. Most of the time, you aren’t even aware of it.

Influence is, well, inescapable.

But the good thing is that you have a fair amount of choice over a great many things that might influence you.  Even better, you can wield influence yourself, and thereby have an effect on the world that is trying to influence you!

During a social gathering several years ago, a friend described to me how her family was experiencing some minor difficulties. I genuinely listened to their troubles. When she was finished, I asked right there in her living room if I could pray for her.  Then with permission, I laid hands on her and her husband. I prayed for them that instant. She had not expected that response from me, and the vibe of gratitude that radiated from her is now etched in my memory. I had influenced both her mood and her moment in a positive way.  Perhaps I even changed some small thing in her troubles for the better. Hopefully, she and her husband will pray for others just as quickly.

This small thing of wielding the influence graced to us in any given moment, and right where we are, is the very example set for us by Paul and Silas (Acts 16:22-34). Even though they had been beaten by a community offended by their power, and then imprisoned, they influenced the guard of their prison with kindness and right behavior. The guard’s whole household consequently gained salvation, and the community that had beaten them was now influenced for many future generations!

When and where will you shape the character of people with the influence that you wield?