Anxiety in the Pandemic Age

There are many reasons why we worry. The current times we are living in raise a lot of concern for everybody. It is unbelievable that we have lost 166,000 Americans in just a handful of months to COVID-19. To put this in perspective we lost over 58,000 Americans in the Vietnam War. We lost over 36,000 in the Korean War. We lost over 116,000 in World War 1. We have blown those totals away in just a few short months. Jobless claims have also been extremely high because of the pandemic we are currently in. We are living in anxious times. It is easy to be in a perpetual state of anxiety and fear.

During the month of July, I saw first-hand the efforts being made to help those in Loveland who desperately need the basics of life when it comes to food and education. Our youth group participated with the NEST which is a mission that stands for nutrition, education, safety and transformation. Each week I had a different group of teens who would help to serve this mission in its efforts to continue to provide good food and educational tools to continue the mental and physical growth of the low-income kids in our community. The CEO of NEST, Evangeline DeVol, took time out of her schedule each week to share her story and vision for caring for the children and families within our community who are trapped in poverty and struggling just to make ends meet. I had the privilege of hearing the story 4 times! Each week if she left out a detail I would chime up and remind her to include it. This is a Loveland resident who could very easily keep to herself and ride out this pandemic and be just fine through the whole process. Instead, God laid it on her heart years ago to take care of the poor children who desperately need the basics of life and help to have a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty and excel in their education. Instead of being consumed with worry for herself, she has used her giftedness and blessing to be a blessing to others. And this is just one example of ways in which we can overcome worry.

Today’s passage comes out of a famous section of the Gospel of Matthew that we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is talking to a group of people who we see in the end of Matthew 4 are the poor, the suffering, the sick, the hurting. These are a group of people who have a lot to worry about. These would not be considered the middle-class or upper-class. These are people who are used to living day-to-day not fully knowing where their next meal might be coming from or what they may wear in the upcoming days ahead.

Our passage today comes from Matthew 6:25-34. But here is the deal. Verse 25 begins with a big THEREFORE! So, what that typically means is that we need to see what came before our passage. Let’s just look at verse 24. It says:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Jesus just finished a topic in which he defines what is our treasure. What is the difference between material treasure as opposed to spiritual treasure? What should our focus be on? He points out that where our heart is, that will also reveal what we treasure. If we store up treasure on this earth, it will depreciate in value, it could be stolen or destroyed, what seems to be important for me to have right now may be meaningless later. Instead, Jesus is encouraging his audience to focus instead on making investments in spiritual things, investing in the lives of others, caring for others, loving others. The pursuit of selfish materialism is contrary to a life of service. Jesus makes it very clear that either we serve ourselves or we learn the value in serving others. With that said, he now says THEREFORE!

So let’s take a look at our passage for today. It begins with:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

I don’t know about you, but lately I have found myself to be in a perpetual state of worry. I worry about this virus that is hurting and killing fellow Americans. I worry about how ministries are surviving during this time we are in. I worry about my daughters starting new jobs in the medical field. I worry about my son who is trying hard to juggle 3 different jobs. I worry about my youngest son who I am going to have to take to Ohio State on Monday and drop him off. Now my other kids were a little bit easier to drop off at college but considering all that is going on I am a bit more nervous about this drop off. Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely proud to be a Buckeye parent. And I am really looking forward to visiting the campus and familiarizing myself with the local cuisine. I want my Ohio State Dad t-shirt! And as a bonus there are a lot of kids from the youth group who are also going to Ohio State so I am looking forward to checking in with many of them on my frequent visits. But I am nervous this time around because of this dang virus and how it may or may not impact schools on every level this Fall. I pray that we quickly find a vaccine and are soon able to resume our lives back to a somewhat normal state of living if that is even possible.

Jesus sets us up in the passage by saying first of all that we need to stop worrying about our life. Then he goes into two specific categories that were very relevant to his audience. He talks about food and clothes. Now we live in a society where most of us eat for pleasure rather than for survival. And many of us are blessed to have a lot of clothes so much so that we tend to be fashionable and trendy here in Loveland. But keep in mind that Jesus is going after the heart here. Is God the God of our abundance or has our own wealth become our God? We can’t serve God and money.

The first illustration that Jesus uses relates to birds. He reminds us that birds, unlike humans, do not worry about what they are going to eat and drink. Birds do not store food away in barns. They are not in a perpetual state of worry about where their food is going to come from. Yet, even though they are just birds to us, God cares even for them and makes sure they are feed.

Just last weekend I went up north to visit my in-laws and parents. My in-laws live in a condo in Vermilion. They have made their backyard into a little bird sanctuary. I was able to sit out on their back patio drinking my coffee as I watched several birds pick away at their bird feeders while the squirrels ate the crumbs that fell into the grass. I was also easily entertained by the hummingbird that frequented their feeder. The many birds I was able to watch were not worrying about their next meal. They were not stressed out about where the food was coming from. They simply enjoyed the food that was available to them. Jesus points out that when it comes to value, are human being not more valuable than birds?

When we think back to the Creation Story we are reminded that when God created humans he marked that as the pinnacle of his creation by stating that it was VERY GOOD. And God empowered humanity to rule over the creation, birds being part of that creation. We were created in the image of God. God created us to be in relationship with us. This was the intent we see in the Creation Story. So to look at what Jesus is saying is that we are valuable to God and He cares deeply for us.

Now how do we rectify this passage with the fact that there are quite literally people every day who die of starvation and preventable diseases? I am reminded of a quote from Ghandi in which he said, “There is enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed.” Greed and the hoarding of wealth is a real problem today when you consider that God expects those who are blessed to use that to be a blessing to others. If we have the means and resources to help others, the last thing we should do is hoard it for ourselves. There are plenty of resources to meet the needs of everyone. The question is, are we the type of people or church willing to show care and concern for others in the same way that God takes care of the birds?

God cares for you. He cares for your physical well being as well as your spiritual development. All that we have is a gift of God to be used as a blessing from Him and to be a blessing to others. If you need food assistance I would like to think that the church would be the first thing you would think of. Not that we have warehouses of food stockpiled in the basement of the church, but we are connected within the community to take care of those who are in need. We are connected with the LIFE food pantry, Loveland Initiative, Milford/Miami Ministries, the Goshen Food Pantry, and the NEST. Many of our local churches support these ministries to help provide food and supplies to sustain families in need.

Jesus goes into his next illustration by looking at the fields, possibly even looking around in the very context of where he is speaking. He says:

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Now Jesus takes a look at nature. He is admiring the landscape of where he is speaking. He talks about the flowers of the field. If you are a person who takes advantage of our bike trails or canoeing down the Little Miami River, we are constantly reminded of the beauty of nature. To watch the seasons pass with all of the beauty around us is a awesome experience to behold. One of my happy spots is to be up North to admire Lake Erie and the beautiful sunsets up there. God’s creation is just amazing when we stop for a moment to appreciate his creativity and wonder. But in this passage he is talking about the beautiful fields that are here today and gone tomorrow. We are reminded of this with the cycle of the corn seasons in our state. As a native, die-hard Ohioan there is something about traveling up 71 or 75 and being excited about the various stages of corn fields! I know, “Nerd!”, right? But it is always a little bit shocking in the Fall when you have gotten used to gigantic fields of corn stalks one day, then to see empty fields that have been mowed down the next. Here today, gone tomorrow. Do I lose any sleep over it? No. It is just the cycle of life for plants.

For years now I have teased my wife that she is a plant murderer. There have been many Springs where we go out and buy flowers, or I should say SHELLY buys flowers. She then proceeds to plant them with all the good intentions of having a bountiful harvest of flowers throughout the Summer, only to have her life get busy with other things where the plants die a horrible death of neglect. But I am happy to report that the cycle of death and destruction has been broken with the Summer of Covid-19! She has done a fantastic job of caring and loving all the flowers she has planted this year. Now in a few weeks or months they will all be gone as we head into the Fall and Winter. But it was a good year for plants on the Russ homestead! I suppose I am not allowed to move forward without showing you some pictures so here you go.

Jesus uses this analogy to point out that in nature very little has to be done to see magnificent beauty which is here today and gone tomorrow. And the beauty of nature far surpasses even King Solomon in all his splendor. If the natural world is taken care of by God in such a profound way will he not make sure we are clothed? Grass is worthless when compared to the greater value of people created in the image of God. He will care for us. He will provide for us.

So once again, many of us do not wrestle with the miniscule amount of clothing we have, wondering where we will get our next outfit. Instead, if you are like me, you have an excessive amount of very nice clothes, or in my case, jeans and t-shirts. If there is one thing that every youth pastor has an over-abundance of it is most definitely t-shirts. Every significant moment in the life of a youth group is marked by a fashionable t-shirt. Confirmation = t-shirt! Mission Trip = t-shirt! My spiritual growth can be measured in t-shirts. But once again, if we are blessed with a lot when it comes to clothing, are we hoarding what we have or allowing it to be a blessing to others? Make it a habit to regularly go through your closet and get rid of things you don’t wear anymore so that it can be passed on to someone else and be a blessing to them.

Then Jesus wraps up this section of his talk by stating that:

  31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus hits hard here about where we are focused. What is our priority? Are we in a perpetual state of worry and anxiety with all that we have going on? Jesus calls us out on the fact that that is actually pagan. Not only that, but it is unnecessary because our heavenly Father knows what we need. So he is telling us not to be consumed with that. Instead, Jesus gives us our #1 priority which is to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Now what does that mean? When some think about what Jesus means by kingdom they think of heaven and the after-life. But I believe that Jesus established His kingdom here and now when he went to the cross. He is inviting us to be a part of his kingdom work RIGHT NOW! We are to live into the fullness of His kingdom now! This is an important message for us to hear as we are currently in a political season. Jesus is on His throne. I know that some of you are not comfortable with hearing this but our nationality is as temporal as the grass of the field but his kingdom is now and forever. That helps to put things in better perspective at least for the next couple of months here!

One of my most favorite authors is N. T. Wright. He is our modern-day C. S. Lewis. In his book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection and the Mission of the Church, he states that:

It is the story of God’s kingdom being launched on earth as in heaven, generating a new state of affairs in which the power of evil has been decisively defeated, the new creation has been decisively launched, and Jesus’s followers have been commissioned and equipped to put that victory and that inaugurated new world into practice. . . . To put it another way, if you want to help inaugurate God’s kingdom, you must follow in the way of the cross, and if you want to benefit from Jesus’s saving death, you must become part of his kingdom project. (p. 204-205).

Our consuming priority is to live as kingdom people in the present. How do we do this especially during a pandemic?

Well one way we can do this which is modeled for us all throughout the New Testament and church history is small groups. Believe it or not, in the New Testament there was no such thing as a church building! They all met in small groups! This is how we know each other, how we learn to pray for each other, and how we care for each other. While the church wasn’t established until Jesus’ resurrection, I believe that Jesus saw the need for believers to trust in God and care for others. Our first priority, above all else, is to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. A kingdom needs a people. And these people become the church. This is Jesus laying the foundation of what becomes the church.

While we attempt to begin opening up the church I know that there are many of you that are just not comfortable yet getting together in large crowds until a vaccine is found. I get it and I don’t blame you. But we have the resources and technology to meet in small groups. That has never stopped. Every Friday I look forward to seeing the Facebook post of the Men’s small group that has been meeting on Zoom. I literally zoom in on the picture to read the names of all the guys who are a part of that morning small group and find hope as a pastor that they are finding a way to continue meeting together.

I really do believe that this is the greatest way for us to pursue His kingdom and his righteousness; by living and sharing life with others who can pray with you, hold you accountable and be a source of encouragement and love for one another. All of you need to be involved in a group. Even if it is just meeting with a few church members in your neighborhood in your home or online. Do not be like a caterpillar and cocoon yourself away from those who can help you grow spiritually. Don’t hide in your house consumed with worry about all that is going on. We need each other. More now than ever. We are relational and spiritual people of which it is necessary for us to be connected in a way that promotes growth. Spirituality was never meant to be a solo experience. It is meant to happen in community. Sometimes I wonder if the American church has been so preoccupied with building bigger buildings for mega-congregations that God is teaching us through this pandemic that we need to invest in relational small groups more so than bigger arenas and sanctuaries.

This Fall we want to kickoff a variety of small group opportunities for you to get yourself involved in. And just because I may have a list for you to choose from does not limit you. If you feel led to start your own small group, then do it! Let me help you, let me resource you, let me pray for you but let’s do this! Our target date that we would like to launch all small groups is the week after Labor Day starting on Sunday, September 13. Many of you who are already leading a small group have talked with me about what you are doing for this Fall but if there are any others interested in starting a small group in your neighborhood or with some affinity group then please call me or email me this week as I would like to add you to the list of small group offerings and make that available to our list. I can not stress enough the importance for you to make a plan for how you are going to continue to grow spiritually especially as we head into the Fall. Who can you learn with? Who can you pray with? How can you learn to serve together? Pray about it and let’s get back to being the church. While it is not ideal, we have technology today that people have never had in the past. Let’s take advantage of that if you don’t feel comfortable meeting in a small group in person. If you do want to meet in a small group, the church building is available to you. Just call and schedule a time and a place for your group to meet.

With all that being said, let me end with one more passage from Paul as he wraps up his letter to the Philippian church. He tells the church in Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So, let’s not focus so much on what we DON’T have and focus instead on what we do have. We have each other. We have God. He is a big God and can take on all our prayer requests, our concerns, our grief, and our lament. In exchange for all of that we receive his peace! That’s not a fair trade! But that is the generosity of our God. He takes away our anxiety and gives us His peace, which, by the way, transcends our feeble attempts to try and understand everything and helps to guard our hearts and minds, our emotions and our intellect, in Christ Jesus.

Fear not church. Let’s kick this anxiety to the side and live into the kingdom He has called us to be.

Amen.

Andrew: Bringing People to Jesus

One of the greatest joys of being a pastor is to see someone come to know Jesus and watch the Holy Spirit transform a person into a Christ-follower. This is what energizes me and empowers me to continue doing what I am doing. I especially love watching teenagers engage in the faith because they are at a critical stage of life where God can do the impossible in their lives as they discover their giftedness and make important decisions as to what they would like to do with their lives. It is what gets me up every day and what brings me back to the church each and every day: to see the life-transforming power of Jesus change someone from the inside out.

If you have been paying attention to the news lately things just seem to be crazy right now. It is easy to get overwhelmed and feel despair. But as a follower of Jesus how do we rise above all that is going on? What is the proper response? When we are faced with personal and social issues what is our knee-jerk reaction?

I know that when it comes to social issues, it is good for us to consider better rules or laws for everyone to follow in order for there to be more justice and equality. But even if we had the best, most well thought-out laws that protected everybody would that finally take care of all our social ills?

I would propose that with all the right laws we would still face problems because the external laws do not change the heart! We see this with the Israelites in the Old Testament. And their laws were not man-made! They can from God Himself! We believe that the most powerful change factor that we profess to is the radical, life-transforming work of the Holy Spirit which comes through faith in Jesus. Quite simply, we call this the Gospel, the Good News. That despite whatever social, political, or personal ills we might be facing, Jesus can come into any situation and bring healing, hope, restoration and power that transcends our laws and politics. Jesus is our King and God’s Kingdom is our primary identity. What if the church acted like this and believed this 100%?

I would like to do a case study today. I want us to look at one of Jesus’ disciples named Andrew. He is mentioned just a handful of times throughout Scripture but every time he is mentioned it is important for us to observe his actions and see how he responds to his circumstances.

Let’s begin in the Gospel of John.

CASE STUDY: Andrew: Bringing People to Jesus

John 1:35-42 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

In this story we see that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. When Jesus happened to come in contact with John and his disciples, John called Jesus “the Lamb of God”. This piqued Andrew’s interest enough to go and follow Jesus for the day. After processing his experience with Jesus, what I want you to notice in each one of these passages 3 things:

1) What is Andrew’s first reaction,

2) Who is the focus group that he is in contact with,

3) and what are the future consequences, or ripple effects of his interaction with the people in the story.

In this story we just read, did you catch what Andrew’s immediate reaction was after spending the whole day with Jesus? He went right away to his brother Simon to tell him that he found the Messiah. This is Simon who’s name Jesus changed to Peter.

So what is the focus group here? We see that Andrew’s first reaction was to share with his immediate family.

And what are the consequences that we know of as a result of Peter meeting Jesus? Peter ended up being one of the primary disciples that Jesus spent the most time with. Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times and yet after the resurrection Jesus sought Peter out and affirmed him three times to feed his sheep. Peter was called the rock that the church would be built on. Peter was a primary figure throughout the book of Acts who launched the church movement. He wrote some of the letters found in the Bible. We would not be where we are at today as the church of Jesus Christ if it weren’t for the courageous faith of Peter boldly spreading the message of Jesus to thousands of people. Why? All because of Andrew who was willing to introduce his brother to Jesus. If Andrew did not act on that impulse just try to imagine the New Testament without the presence of Peter.

Let’s take a look at another story found in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 1:29-34 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Andrew is with Jesus and the rest of the disciples as they leave the synagogue and go to his house. As they come to Andrew’s home it was discovered that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Now notice what was the first reaction of Andrew and his brother Peter in realizing that their relative was sick. Andrew, with Peter, brings Jesus into the situation. Now this circumstance is different from our first story. This is not necessarily about meeting Jesus for the first time more than it is about Jesus entering into a major issue and bringing peace, healing and wholeness to it.

Imagine if we did that with all the personal and social ills we are experiencing in our country right now. When we face a major problem in our life or community our immediate reaction ought to be to invite Jesus into the problem.

So, who was our focus group being brought to Jesus here? It was Andrew’s extended family. So not only did he introduce his primary family to Jesus but also distant relatives. We see the circle expanding here.

And then what was the consequences of Andrew bringing Jesus in to heal Peter’s mother-in-law? Many, many other people came to find healing through Jesus, both physical and spiritual healing. We can never underestimate the ripple effect that can be caused by bringing Jesus into every situation we find ourselves with whether it be personal or social.

Our next Scripture passage comes from the Gospel of John.

John 6:5-11 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Many of you are familiar with this passage. This is where Jesus miraculously feeds the 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. But notice what happened. Jesus wanted to offer food to the crowd. He threw out the request to the disciples to see what would happen. Keep in mind that they would have seen Jesus perform many miracles already. What is the reaction of the disciples here?

Philip complains and the others remain silent. I can relate to Philip. I can imagine him thinking “Are you crazy? Do you know how much that would cost to feed everyone?”

But notice Andrew here! He is the only disciple once again, bringing someone to Jesus. He brings a child to him who has a basket with bread and fish in it. At the very least, Andrew is thinking of “Who can I bring to Jesus in this situation?”.

Who is the focus group here? It is a child. So what I gather here is that the circle that Jesus influences in Andrew’s life is not just immediate and extended family but now it is breaking out to being inter-generational, old and young alike.

What was the consequence of Andrew bringing this child to Jesus? He was able to take what the boy had and miraculously multiply it to satisfy the hunger of all the people. It is just another illustration in Scripture and in our lives where God can take what little we have and multiply it in ways we could never imagine.

Our final Scripture comes from the Gospel of John. Once again, pay attention to Andrew and the ripple effects of what he does.

John 12:20-22 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Philip was at a festival and some Greeks approached him wanting to meet Jesus. It appears that Jesus wasn’t immediately available so what does Philip do? He takes this situation to Andrew for help. Andrew took Philip, with the Greeks, and introduced them to Jesus. Now Jesus goes on to give a lesson, but I want us to focus in on what Andrew did. He modeled to Philip what it was like to introduce people to Jesus.

What is the focus group here? It is the Greeks. Or more radically speaking it is the non-Jewish people. This shows us the multi-cultural nature of Jesus. He not just the Messiah of the Jews but for all the nations.

And what is the future consequences of Andrew’s actions here? In the book of Acts we see Jesus commission his followers to go and make disciples of all the nations and then He ascends into heaven. Many of the followers continue the work of the Gospel in Israel until persecution breaks out and scatters everyone. As we follow Philip in Acts, chapter 8, we see that he goes into Samaria to proclaim the good new of Jesus. Now if you know anything about Samaritans these are people who the Jewish people had no love for. Samaritans we looked down upon as second-class citizens. Yet Philip, with his experience with the Greeks, had no problem introducing the Samaritans to Jesus. Many miracles happened and we are told that there was much joy in that city.

Now if that weren’t enough, God used Philip to go and speak to the Ethiopian eunuch. Here is our first reference to anyone from the African continent coming to know Jesus. The Ethiopian was reading a passage from Isaiah that was a prophecy about all that Jesus just accomplished at the cross. Philip had the honor of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to this Ethiopian who immediately put his faith in Jesus and asked to stop the chariot they were riding in so that he could be baptized. Amazing!

So who is the focus group here? It is the Ethiopian. When we combine that with the Greeks we see that this focus group comprises of those who are different that you. For Andrew, the gospel of Jesus came first to his immediate family, his extended family, it was multi-generational for the young and the old, and it is now multi-cultural. It transcends all cultures, races and people groups.

The consequences here are that Andrew is responsible for missionary efforts through the work of Philip to a wide cross-section of non-Jewish people both Greek and African.

So, what do we make of all of this? 2020 has proven to be a very tough year for all of us. I would encourage every one of you to be careful about all the directions and causes that could potentially pull you into certain camps. Our primary identity is in Jesus Christ and we are representatives of His Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. It is our responsibility to invite Jesus into all of our situations, our issues, and our relationships. We must be vigilant about this.

We have been given the task of making disciples of all the nations. This seemed to come naturally to Andrew. Was there a person hurting, or a social situation begging for a solution, or just a friend or relative who was going through something? Andrew’s immediate reaction was to figure out how Jesus could come into the situation or relationship and breath His power into every situation. And guess what? Jesus did not disappoint! Jesus brought healing, salvation, and multiplication into every situation.

How are you with your relationship with Jesus? Have you considered how he can speak into your personal life, your social life, your political life? Or are you limiting the potential of what Jesus could do through you?

If it weren’t for Andrew there would not be Peter or Philip. The missionary efforts of these two stalwarts is legendary. Yet none of it would be possible if Andrew didn’t introduce them to Jesus first. Never underestimate the impact that God can do through you simply by inviting Jesus into your situations and your relationships. How can you step out in faith and trust Jesus to use you to impact others?

We have the same Holy Spirit power within us that the believers had in the New Testament. The only problem is that we here, in 21st century America, have domesticated our faith and relegated it to our “private” life. Many of us are guilty of draining the power out of our faith. It is time for us to be brave like Andrew and invite Jesus into all areas of our lives and relationships.

As we are in the midst of a very, very crazy political year imagine if our connection to Jesus was what shined through all of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and relationships. This is who we are called to be. Kingdom people who are reflecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ. We can change a lot of laws to try and create a more just society, as we should, but only Jesus can transform the heart and mind of people as we are invited into his kingdom here and now. Let’s not lose focus of that and make sure that this is our primary identity above all else.  

John Wesley got it. He said,

“Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.”

He knew that if he had a bunch of people similar to Andrew, willing to take the good news out to everyone, the world would be forever altered as the Kingdom of God would continue to expand and the effects of Hell would be destroyed.

May we enter into this Summer allowing the Holy Spirit to change and transform us to be more like Andrew, introducing Jesus to all types of people and situations that we encounter. How can you do this right now?

Who are you going to impact?

How are you living into being a disciple of Jesus?

Step out of your comfort zone and allow God to use you to impact others through you. You may never know what kind of ripple effects that the Holy Spirit may use with your ability to bring Jesus into all of your situations. Think about it. Pray about it. And do it, trusting God to use you in amazing ways! Amen.

A NEW REALITY

Imaging going back in a time machine to December 31, 2019. Everybody is waiting in anticipation for the new year and thinking of what they want to do differently to make their lives better for 2020. Knowing what you know now, how would you advise yourself with the 2019 version of you on what your New Year’s resolutions should look like? Imagine a conversation between your present self and your December 31, 2019 self!

2019 Self: I think I want to try and get in shape and lose some weight!

2020 Self: Um, everyone is going to turn into a couch potato and that will be a goal that will actually be very hard to maintain. Just accept that you are going to gain some weight.

2019 Self: Ok. I think I would like to spend more quality time with my spouse.

2020 Self: Well, in a way, you will have this but more like QUANTITY TIME instead of QUALITY time. You will both be working from home on your couch annoying each other.

2019 Self: Okay, I want to get out more and enjoy the outdoors.

2020 Self: There will be MURDER HORNETS!

2019 Self: I need to spend more time with the kids.

2020 Self: Oh really!?! Wish granted! You will become a homeschool parent!

2019 Self: Wait! What?!? That is not what I was wishing for!

If we are honest with ourselves, 2020 could not be anything we could have every imagined. Our world has been turned upside-down.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have every guessed that we would not be holding graduations as the Cintas Center and having graduations parties all over our communities for the next several weekends.

Never would I have ever guessed we would not be going to Memphis and Mexico for our mission trips.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that church buildings, for the most part, all across out country, would be closed to their parishioners.

I would like to suggest today that we are in a similar situation that the Israelites were in as they were heading into the Promised Land. If you recall, they were enslaved in Egypt. God called and empowered Moses to go and confront the Pharaoh to “Let my people go!” Through a series of plagues, the Israelites were released and sent away to a land that God would provide for them. They were in a transitional time. There was “WHAT USED TO BE” as they were heading to “WHAT IS TO COME” but in the meantime, they were transitioning, they were in-between.

As they came to the land of Canaan, it was time to send out some spies and get a glimpse of what the new land looked like. 12 men were picked out among the tribes. They were given 40 days to scout out the land and come back and give a report.

When they returned they gave their report. The land was amazing but the people there were scary. Fear began to spread throughout the camp. But one person in particular stood up and defied the others. That man was Caleb. He stated that:

READ Numbers 14:7-9

“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Caleb had a vision for what God could do through them. Instead of focusing on the immediate fears that the others were consumed with, Caleb believed in God’s strength and power to forge a NEW REALITY for the Israelites. Now Caleb is one of my most favorite Old Testament characters. While everyone was consumed with fear and panic, he was looking forward to a NEW REALITY that God was creating with them. He was able to RISE ABOVE the negativity and stand firm on the possibility that God was doing something new here and it was up to the people to believe and trust in the possibility of this NEW REALITY.

While Caleb’s speech was inspiring and encouraging, look at the reaction he got from his audience. Now keep in mind, these very people are the ones who publicly witnessed all the miracles in Egypt which God used against the Pharaoh and the Egyptians in order to free the Israelites. They were witnesses to the cloud and the pillar of fire leading them through the transitional time. They saw God meet with Moses on Mount Sinai and forge the Law. They have witnessed miracle after miracle, blessing after blessing, and yet, as they look towards the Promised Land, they come to the conclusion that:

READ Numbers 14:2-4

“If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness!Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

This BLOWS MY MIND! In light of all that they have seen in the past, they are willing to forget all of that and allow themselves to be consumed with fear and give up on trusting that God was going to create a NEW REALITY for them. Instead, they wanted to GO BACK TO EGYPT! They were afraid for their future and longed to go back to the past with all the oppression and slavery.

Now, I want us to consider our current situation. We are living into trying to figure out this coronavirus pandemic. Depending on who you are listening to, there is a lot of fear out there. And for legitimate reasons.

Losing 100,000 Americans is shocking and appalling. We should be mourning as a nation over the recent losses due to the pandemic as well as the continued acts of

domestic violence,

gun violence,

and racism as seen through the untimely death of George Floyd and Ahmed Aubrey

If this isn’t bad enough, we are heading into a political season where fear is going to be stoked to gain voters like we have never seen before. America is really, really sick right now.

Not just because of a virus,

but mentally,

emotionally,

politically,

spiritually sick, sick, sick.

When we see all that is going on, we have to be careful not to give into the messages of fear and cry out like the Israelites and say “If only we could go back to Egypt!” Your “Egypt” might be what things were like on

January 2020,

or 2010,

or 1980,

or 1950.

Just like the Israelites, we tend to look back on the past and idealize a time when we thought things were so much better. We forget about the systemic sins of the past and just remember the “good old days” longing to get back to an idealized time, even 4 months ago. We forget all that God is trying to teach us as we leave our Egypt and travel through the desert.

So, I beg to ask the question: What is God teaching you through this pandemic? The beautiful thing about our God is that He will always bring something good out of difficult situations. If we channel our inner Caleb what can we take from our past and our present situation, and look forward to the NEW REALITY before us? I will dare to say that there is no

“Going back to Egypt”

for any of us. We will never fully go back to the way things were 4 months ago or 40 years ago.

Now let’s connect this Old Testament story to the Gospel story. Jesus died on the cross. The disciples thought that they were following a political leader who was going to overthrow Rome and establish His kingdom once and for all. Even though Jesus told them again and again that He would die and rise again, they never heard that message. When Jesus died on the cross and was buried, what became of the disciples in this “in-between” time they found themselves?

They were scattered.

They were hiding in fear.

They were confused.

They didn’t know what to think

and they were in fear for their lives.

Jesus then appears to them, opening their eyes to this NEW REALITY of his kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus tells them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit and then He ascends into heaven. In Acts 2, we see that on the day of Pentecost, the disciples’ fears, doubts and confusion turned into

boldness,

courage

and power as the Holy Spirit descended on them and empowered them for the NEW REALITY of His kingdom on earth.

So, once again, what is God teaching you through this “in-between” time? We are living through legitimate fears right now. How are we going to

adapt,

adjust,

and forge a NEW REALITY?

Do we protect what we like about the past, dig our heals in, and hope to return to the way things used to be?

Or do we learn from our past and present to forge a NEW REALITY that looks more, and more like the kingdom of God?

Consider some of the businesses that we have seen come and go throughout the years.

Kodak used to own the photography field. Remember those little Kodak huts where you could drop off your film for development and then pick up your pictures days later? I know I am speaking a foreign language to the younger generations. But then digital technology came along. If Kodak would have adapted to the new technology, they would still be around. Instead, they dug their heals in and protected their product instead of adapting to the new technology.

Or a more recent example, when I moved into Loveland back in 2006, our town was littered with video stores. There was Family Video, Hollywood Video, and Blockbuster. They owned the market in entertainment. I remember spending more time trying to choose a video to watch and the frustration of the store being rented out of the very movie I wanted to watch. But then Netflix came along. What did Blockbuster do? Did it adapt to the times or protect their past and present reality? Within a few years after the birth of Netflix, video stores are now a thing of the past.

We are currently witnessing businesses and churches that are digging their heals in and waiting to “return to normal” while others are

adapting,

adjusting,

and creating a NEW REALITY.

Now let’s think about our church. Consider this pandemic as our “desert experience”. We are in a transformational time. A lot is changing before our very eyes and we are not out of it yet.

What will the NEW REALITY look like?

Will we dig our heals in to protect our idealized view of the past or are we willing to consider our past and present and, with the power of the Holy Spirit, forge a NEW REALITY as we live into the future?

What is God trying to teach us in all of this?

I can tell you this, we are not sitting on our hands here at church just waiting for us to return “back to normal”. This past couple of months have created a HUGE learning curve in what ministry can look like in the future.

Now, what I am NOT saying is that we will never return back to using the building. Personally, I can’t wait to have our church family back together again. But we can’t just forget about all we are learning through this pandemic and then pitch it when it is over.

Churches all around the world have created digital experiences that are reaching people in ways we never could have imagined.

Throughout this pandemic people are developing a hunger for God as they try to seek out answers for all that we are going through.

Just through our own digital church experiences we have expanded beyond ministering just to our community and we are reaching others within our state, country and even in other countries such as Mexico, Jerusalem and even India. Families spread out across our country are come together for some type of digital experience to share together through Epiphany. We are seeing some amazing things happening that leave us scratching our heads and wondering what God is up to.

So, as we are heading into this NEW REALITY let’s learn from Caleb and look to the future with hope and expectation that God is forging something new through us. Let’s not be like the Israelites who gave into fear and wanted to just return back to the past, forgetting about the reality of their slavery and oppression, and just idealizing their past.

Let us not be like the disciples who forgot all the things that Jesus tried to teach them and instead hunkered down in fear until Jesus sought them out and empowered them to live into the NEW REALITY through the Holy Spirit.

What is God teaching YOU through this time?

Are you able to look to the future with HOPE and EXPECATION that through this time God is up to something amazing?

Let’s consider our teens who have also been going through some difficult times here. I had all 4 of my kids graduating from college and high school. Our graduates did not get the traditional end-of-the-year experiences like previous classes. But I will tell you this, God is up to something with our teenagers.

Many of these teens were born in the looming shadow of 9/11,

they were raised through endless wars,

they grew up during the financial crisis of 2008,

and now they are living through a pandemic on the scale of nothing we have seen in our lifetime.

In some ways I have grieved over the years for what they have had to experience mostly because of the bad choices and decisions that have been made by my generation and others. But I believe in all my heart that

God is not only doing something amazing with our church,

but He is doing something amazing with our young people.

 As much as we parents want to shield them from bad experiences and evil in the world, they have gone through the fires of testing and have emerged with a hope and strength like no other generation I have pastored. I am so excited about the future of these teenagers.

Let’s all promise to be more like Caleb and commit to seeing a future that is blessed with God moving us forward.

Let us be like the disciples after their Pentecost experience and start a movement of the Kingdom of God that continues to spread and spread into all areas of this world.

In some ways, we may have been thinking too small.

Let’s allow God to blow up our past and present realities and create a NEW FUTURE REALITY where possibilities are more than we could have ever imagined. What might that look like:

in your context,

with your family,

with your business,

and with your faith?

I encourage you to wrestle with this just as we are here up at the church. What is God trying to teach us as we look to the NEW FUTURE REALITY? These are the discussions we need to be having with one another.

Amen.