Day 13 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 8
Engaging Others: Culturally
Ramon Vielza, Campus Pastor | Southside

One of the reasons the life and ministry of Jesus is so powerful is His ability to include others when it comes to serving and influencing their lives. Matthew ch. 8 shows us this beautiful reality:

• We see Him involved in the healing of a leper, making a difference by touching an unclean man, rejected by the society. 
• We see Him addressing the plea of a Roman centurion, recognizing the great faith of the foreigner.
• We see Him healing a woman, Peter's mother-in-law, who was also marginalized in a society where women were seen as inferior to men.
• We see him freeing those possessed by demons, people feared greatly by their peers.

How did He do it so effectively?  He showed His love by revealing its power over disease and demons. Oh to see him showing his disciples his power over the forces of nature, I can almost hear the amazement of those followers of Jesus when seeing such power, they said: “Who is this man that even the winds and the seas obey him?”

TWEETABLE QUOTE: Jesus cleanses, treats, heals, frees and calms the storm...involving everyone in His great work of redemption.
 

Day 12 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 8
Engaging Others: Generationally
Truett Williams, Associate Pastor | Student Ministry

In this chapter we see Jesus encountering many different people with different yet significant needs. Jesus goes against the culture by engaging even touching a man with leprosy. He then demonstrates His power by healing the Centurion’s slave from a distance. Jesus was willing to go to the home but the Centurion’s faith impressed Jesus so much that He healed the man from a distance. Next Matthew records Jesus and his encounter with Peter’s mother-in-law. Jesus healed her. Jesus then pulls away with His disciples and encounters a storm that frightens his disciples and demonstrates His power over the weather. Finally, he has an encounter with two demon possessed men who recognize that He is the Son of God and Jesus cast the demons out. 

In this chapter we see Jesus encountering many people of many ages. He engages with them, listens to them and seeks to meet needs in their life. We see a compassionate Jesus, a powerful Jesus, a teacher, a healer, a savior that people are drawn to. Today as we encounter people may we been drawn to those who have needs different than our own. We don’t have the power to heal, but we do possess the love of Christ. We have the tool of prayer. We have the obligation to show compassion. Jesus used miracles to demonstrate His power, to satisfy claims that He was the Messiah, but also and most important was to reveal His saving truth to people.

My challenge for you today is to touch the young and old, your coworkers, your neighbors, your family. Meet a physical need for someone! Meet a spiritual need by proclaiming the saving truth of the Gospel with your words and deeds.

Tweet this:  Jesus always encountering people, touching lives and meeting needs. Imitate Him!

Day 11 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 8
Engaging Others: Economically
Kent Oviatt, Associate Pastor | Deaf & Multicultural Ministries

In the past 20 years, my wife and I have had the opportunity to serve with our Internationals and Deaf members - to engage others who are not like us. This is a focused ministry on people groups different than our own. A pastor friend reminded us once that because we were serving as missionaries to these people groups, we found ourselves constantly immersed in a different culture and language. His point at the time was to counsel us that we periodically needed a break from the strain of living outside our own culture. Then it occurred to me – in nearly every situation, whether serving as a missionary, a carpenter, a mechanic or a nurse, we will be exposed to people who are “not like us.”

In some way, as this passage in Matthew illustrates, we will cross paths with those of a different economic, generational, cultural or religious background.  So the question is not are we exposed to people who are different than us, as this is inescapable. The question rather is are we engaging these people. This is the bridge that connects us into the lives of people who are searching for the Truth of the Gospel. Engaging others is an intentional connection, a partnership between the believer and the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit leads us to people in need, we submit to this leadership with eyes to see the brokenness, and respond – engage them by speaking the peace of Christ.

Intentionally engaging others who are not like me is the bridge that the Holy Spirit can use to connect the Gospel into the lives of people who are searching for the Truth.

Day 10 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 17

Connect Up: Family Worship

Ryan Showalter, Associate Pastor | Family Ministry

Just as God the Father had a message for Jesus' disciples at the transfiguration, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him," so the Apostle Paul had a message for Jesus' followers in Ephesians 6:4, writing, "bring them (your children) up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." In other words, teach your kids to listen to Jesus! The words of our Father in heaven are echoed by the Apostle Paul as they point us to an inescapable fact: Jesus demands our full attention, and we are called to lead our children to give their full attention to Jesus as well. 

 But how do we lead our families to worship God together? Donald Whitney, Professor of Biblical Spirituality and Associate Dean of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, suggests a streamlined time of family worship in his article Simplify Family Worship at Reformation21: read, pray, sing. Whitney suggests reading a passage of appropriate length for your children, perhaps one chapter a day, prayer prompted by that passage, and a song or two together as a family.

With this format in place, you can effectively train your children (and yourself!) to "listen to him" throughout the normal ups and downs of day-to-day life in a fallen world. Sure, you won't always feel like it, and neither will your kids, but God's gracious commands transcend our emotions and point us to what is truly good for us--learning to love the ways of the Lord and walk in them together with your family.

If you have ever tried to start a family worship time and failed, God's grace is for you! If you have never tried to start a family worship time and are not sure how it will work, God's grace is for you! If your family already worships together regularly, God's grace is for you too! May we all be encouraged by God's grace and spurred on by one another as we seek to lead our families to follow God together!

TWEETABLE QUOTE: Jesus demands our full attention, and we are called to lead our children to give their full attention to Jesus as well. #RareElements 

Day 9 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 17:9-13

Connect Up: The Transfiguration (Part 2)

Richard Hardee, Associate Pastor | Head of School

Peter, James, and John had just witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Him. They were so awed that Peter immediately spoke up and proposed a plan to build three tabernacles on the mountain; one for Jesus, one for Moses, and another for Elijah. But in the middle of his proposal, a bright cloud covered them and God's voice spoke from the cloud. God redirected their focus back to His Son and commanded them to listen to Him.

All mountain top experiences, where we clearly see God move, hear His voice, and sense His Divine Presence must come to an end. We must eventually come down from the mountain. We have the natural tendency to want to linger there with God and not have to return to our normal routine of life. But an important truth we see from this passage shows that Jesus comes down with us. We are not left alone to make our way or carry out His work.

Another truth is found in verse 12 where Jesus explains to Peter, James, and John that Elijah had already come but the scribes did not recognize him. The disciples came to understand that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist, His forerunner, who came in the power and spirit of Elijah. The important message is that the scribes - the religious people of the day - did not recognize what was taking place right before their eyes. They had all the knowledge of what was to come, but their eyes and minds were closed to the Truth.

Let us not be guilty of failing to recognize God's plan unfolding before our eyes. May we have eyes wide open as we look up to Him and seek to carry out His work in our day.

TWEETABLE QUOTE: Let us not be guilty of failing to recognize God's plan unfolding before our eyes. #RareElements

Day 8 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 17:1-8 

Connect Up: The Transfiguration (Part 1)

Carmen Menser, Director | Journey Kids

Spurgeon once said that it is better to hear the Son of God than to see the saints or build tabernacles. When Peter, James and John joined Jesus on the mountain, they encountered Elijah and Moses. It was life changing; they were in awe. Peter was so moved to worship that he wanted to build tabernacles there to remember the experience. Then they heard the voice of saying “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” They missed it. They missed the point. They missed Jesus in the mountaintop experience. 

Worship is described as a feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. It is that sense of awe we get when we have been with God. We so often get caught up in that acts of worship, the raising of our hands, the signing, or even our giving of our time or resources—that we forget the awe, we forget Jesus, we forget that the point of worship is to listen to Him. This is what happened to Peter, James and John. They didn’t need the experience of worship, they needed to listen to "Listen to Him,” they needed Jesus. It is not enough for us to worship or the sake of worship, if we don’t listen and then act. We could waste our time on the mountain trying to remember the experience; instead, we must focus on hearing the Son of God and doing what He says.  

  

TWEETABLE QUOTE: It is better to hear the Son of God than to see the saints or build tabernacles. #RareElements

Day 7 :: Rare Elements

Matthew 17
Connect Up: The Gift of Worship
Larry White, Associate Pastor | Worship

Have you ever received a gift from someone and asked the question, “Who were they thinking of when they bought this?”

Many years ago, while traveling in Vermont, Pat and I visited a Teddy Bear factory. The bears were soft and cuddly therefore reminding us of the two sweet daughters we were missing while away. We were thrilled with the two that we chose for our girls.  After all, for years we had enjoyed buying stuffed animals for them as gifts of our love.

However, when we gave the bears to Stephanie and Brittany upon our return, we immediately realized that they had long ago out grown their appreciation of Teddy Bears.  These bears were a prime example of a gift being appreciated more by the giver than the receiver.

The term “authentic worship” is often used to help us describe our most effective worship to the Father.  It’s important that this describes our “gift” of worship and not our “experience” of worship.

Psalm 29:2 says, “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

As we are worshiping God, whether it is during our quiet time or in church on Sunday morning, we must focus on our “gift” of worship to Him instead of our “experience” of worship.  Are we genuine in our love/worship of Him or are we only going through the motions?  Are we focusing on what we want to receive out of worship instead of what we are offering Him?  Are we truly adoring Him for who He is or are we focusing on what He can do for us? After encountering God in worship, do we serve Him?

When we worship, are we giving God a gift we enjoy and hoping He will like it?