The Extraordinary Becomes Ordinary

When we went to Yellowstone, one of the things we were excited about was seeing some of the animals. They have bison, elk, moose, bears, and wolves. On your first day there, if you see one way over in a field, you slam on your brakes and pull over. After your first day of seeing a lot of elk and bison, you might stop if they are close to the road, or you stop if they are in the road, but that is about it. If you are driving along and tons of cars are stopped, you know it is a bear. One of the first ones we saw was maybe a football field away, and there were people everywhere trying to see it. I noticed, however, by the time we were blessed to see quite a few and fairly close, that we were just driving by slowly when we saw one. How did we go from slamming breaks and taking tons of pictures of a bear a football field away to just trying to get through the traffic with a bear on the side of the road? The extraordinary becomes ordinary. Funny enough, after talking to some locals at worship services Sunday morning, we found out the animals were more of a nuisance than anything.

Why am I writing about animals at Yellowstone? I think there is a spiritual parallel we can learn from. How excited were you when you first heard the gospel or any of the Bible, and how excited are you now? That might sting a little. Has the extraordinary become ordinary? I have heard that book taught before. I have heard a sermon like that before. How many times are we going to study that parable? Maybe when some of these things are said, the mouth speaks out of a heart where the extraordinary has become ordinary. Has the gospel become boring to me? Have I feasted on the junk food of the world for so long that I have lost my appetite for soul food? Let us rekindle our fire for the Lord!

Your Faith Journey

I want to thank the elders for allowing me to not preach here on May 18th. I preached in Nashville at the South Harpeth church of Christ. It is where my grandmother has gone for years. If I understand correctly, it is the oldest church in Nashville. It was a blessing to be there and see friends and family.

I have been recently thinking about those who have played a role in where I am today. My grandmother is one of those. I remember staying with my grandparents overnight, and my grandmother would read Bible stories to me. (Noah’s ark was my favorite. I like animals.) She would take me to church, Bible classes, and VBS. I might not be here today if it had not been for the impact my grandparents made in my life and in turn the impact that congregation made on me. I was probably not candidate number one to be a preacher when I grew up. In fact, I remember laying under those pews wondering if service would ever end. Those folks were planting the word of God in my life. God bless them. I do not remember the names of all those who planted the seeds of God’s word in my life, but God knows.

I want to end by thinking about two things. Number one is who has contributed to your faith journey? Family, friends, church folks, etc. Let me encourage you to encourage them. We should not do this to be praised by men (Matthew 6:1). Church work can be tough, and you might wonder if you are making a difference. You are if you are teaching God’s word. Thank you. Number two is who are you helping along the way on their faith journey? Someone, if not many, have played a part in your faith journey, and you have a responsibility to invest in others’ faith journeys. Teach a class, invite someone to worship with you, sit down and study the Bible with someone, be Jesus to someone who does not know Him. Who are you investing in for Jesus?

Memorial Day

I thought with the holiday fast approaching I would ask: what does Memorial Day mean to you? It is supposed to be a time of remembrance about those in the military who have died serving our country. People might spend time visiting cemeteries or attending special events. We are asked to remember the sacrifice some have paid for our freedom. Some look at it as a long weekend of partying or a time to find a deal at some sell. Some just simply see it as the beginning of summer. I want to look at this holiday and see if there might be any lessons I can learn as a Christian.

The first thing that comes to mind is that we have someone who has paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Jesus sacrificed a lot for our sin problem. Jesus came from heaven (where we want to go), lived a perfect life, and died a horrible death because we have sinned. A perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people. There is no doubt we should honor that sacrifice everyday of our lives, but the Father has set up a special memorial every Sunday for us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. That memorial is the Lord’s Supper. It is a time where we come together every Sunday to remember the body that hung on the cross and the blood that was shed for us.

Some view Sunday as just a day off work like a holiday. They have worked hard all week and have to go back on Monday so they rest instead of remember. There are all kinds of things to buy, and you might find a good deal so they shop instead of remember. They do not have much time off, and a lot of fun things are happening so they play instead of remember. Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, calls Christians to remember (1 Corinthians 11:23-34). We are called together to remember so we can refocus on our priority and that is to glorify God. When I remember what Christ has done for me, I must ask: how can I glorify Him?