We’re still deep in a series on Timothy. This week’s sermon was about responding to Jesus. Jesus invited us, maybe we accepted or RSVP'd, but did we ever really show up? Did we say we were coming, but maybe haven't yet? We forgot, or we got busy and our priorities maybe are out of whack...and while it's a little rude to be late (many people are fashionably late though...), it's always better late than never. So don't just minimally RSVP. Actually show up.
Pastor Bobby broke it down into RSVP. Here’s the highlights:
Respond with Grace - As Pastor Bobby said in his sermon, "You wanna show the world you're a believer? Be strong in grace." Grace is a gift that we do not deserve, but God gives it to us anyway. Since we get it, we should also give it to others. Like…a lot. Matthew 18:21-22 drives this home: “Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I still forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times.” Some translations even say Jesus said seventy times 7 (that’s 490 for my fellow non-math people). That’s a lot of grace. But over our lifetimes, Lord only knows how much we have exceeded that number.
You’re going to get wronged by someone and it’s going to take effort to forgive them, to show them grace. But that’s part of the assignment.
Strive for the Standard - Preach the Gospel, don't leave it for someone else to do. Own it. "We're the ones." It is our job, in the present, to spread the Good News about Jesus, to educate others, to bring people to Jesus. To serve.
Value Devotion - 2 Timothy 2:3-6 | Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Focus. Eyes on the Prize.
Keep in mind Paul's situation during all of this. He praises God, preaches the Gospel, tells Timothy all of this, all while sitting in prison. "His situation did not affect his submission." Wow. Just wow. If anyone had any reason to wallow in self pity and "woe is me," it was Paul. But look at him. Teaching from the walls of that prison, even all these thousands of years later.
Pursue Jesus - Be intentional. Invest in your relationship with Jesus. Be proactive. Dig into Scripture. Pray.
Walk the walk, don't just talk the talk. Be kind. Love your neighbor. Give effort. Being a Christ-follower isn’t always going to be easy, and it can’t just be an after-thought. Surround yourself with a community that is going to encourage you, that are motivated to also pursue Jesus with you. That way, when you’re feeling a bit off of your path, they can help direct you right back to where you need to be.
The big takeaways:
"Too many of us want to follow Jesus, but we don't want it to cost us anything."
Sometimes, it’s going to be hard. You’ll have to forgive someone that your earthly self really does not want to. You’ll know you should be reading your Bible instead of binge watching another episode of something on Netflix. You’ll have to say no to things that non-believers will say yes to. You’ll be driven to say yes to things that non-believers will say no to. But in the end, whatever the “cost” to you, it’s always going to be worth it.
"Are there things in my life I am pursuing more than Jesus?"
If I’m being honest, this one kind of stung. Because if I’m being real, I know that there are definitely times when I am focused much more on other things than I am on Jesus. And that’s got to change. It is a good reminder that I’m not perfect and I’m never going to be, but refocusing on Jesus, remembering as a believer what I’m directed to do and striving for that close relationship with Jesus brings me right back on track. I’m forever grateful that no matter how many times I fall down, Jesus is right there to help me back up.
**If you have a prayer request, question, or comment, please feel free to comment, reach out via e-mail, Facebook Messenger, or any other means.**
City Hope Church meets Sunday mornings at 10 AM at the John Paul II Catholic School at 4211 N. Okatie Highway in Okatie, SC (technically, GPS and mapping list it in Ridgeland, SC, but it is off of 170 between Beaufort and Bluffton). Please come join us and see what we’re all about!
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