Monday, June 18, 2012

Obedience and Growth by Imitation

Crosspoint family,

I friend of mine is into watches.  It seems like the bigger it is, the cooler it is.......to him anyway.  He likes names like Breitling, Rolex, Bell & Ross, Omega and others.  Here’s the funny thing though.....while he likes these top end brands, he doesn’t feel like he needs to actually own a real one.  In fact, he LOVES the fakes?!?!  Feiko, Folex, Fomega, etc.  I don’t know why......but it makes me laugh.  He’s probably the wiser for not spending lots of money on something that just marks off time as well as any cheap old Casio.  Maybe what’s funny to me is how different we are in this regard.  I don’t want to have one unless it’s real and genuine.  I don’t want a knock-off of ANYTHING.  Even if, by chance, it’s well made.  I’d rather not have one at all.  I just won’t accept imitations.
 
That’s OK with watches I guess......for people to have different preferences.  Some like imitations......some don’t......who cares?!?  But when it comes to faith, God is clear that imitations are not only acceptable but encouraged.  You may have noted this passage from yesterday:

Philippians 3:17   Brothers, join in imitating me; and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” 

Paul’s encouraging the Philippians to imitate himself!?!?  And to watch those who walk well.  It seems weird to me.  Maybe because I don’t like imitations.  But when I start really considering how we learn and grow, I realize how important imitation is.  Maybe it’s a lad learning to shake someone’s hand by imitating his dad.  Or a girl learning to be a lady by imitating her mom.  Or a little-leager imitating Josh Hamilton at the plate or Dirk Nowitzki on the court.  The little boy or girl doesn’t have a problem with imitating because they’re not old enough to be proud and pompous yet.  It’s us adults that don’t like to humble ourselves by imitating anyone.  Yet that’s how we learn and grow.  Paul’s encouraging the Philippians to imitate his life and he can do that without being proud because he knows full well anything worthy of imitation in him came from the Lord. 

Here’s how I personalize the concept.  Were I satisfied with being a recreational cyclist, I’d likely ride by myself or with people generally in my ability group.  If though, I want to grow, I need to ride with people better, stronger and faster than me.  I need to ride with the imitatable knowing it’s the only way to improve.  What goes along with that is heavy and regular doses of humble pie, but over time I find myself riding better than I would have had I not humbled myself.  Pride would keep me from getting into cycling gear in the first place.......looking like a tootsie roll on wheels.  Pride would keep me from riding with anyone faster or stronger....ever.  Pride would keep me from being around anyone better than me at anything.  Period.  But humility, on the other hand, will escort me into places and relationships of imitation that will result in growth for the glory of God. 

Here are some other passages reinforcing this important principal:

2Th. 3:7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you,

2Th. 3:9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate.

Heb. 13:7  Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

3John 11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

So here’s the encouragement.  Imitate those who lead their families well.  Imitate those who love their husbands well.  Imitate those who parent well......or obey and honor their parents well.  Imitate those who share their faith well.  Imitate those who are salty, bright and aromatic in dark and difficult places.  Imitate those who relentlessly go to God in trial and triumph.  Imitate the imitatable in others........for your growth and for His glory. 

Have a golden day.  :)


Ben McGraw

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Consider This...

Is. 41:18    I will open rivers on the bare heights,
                  and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
                  I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
                  and the dry land springs of water.
Is. 41:19    I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
                 the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
                 I will set in the desert the cypress,
                 the plane and the pine together,
Is. 41:20   that they may see and know,
                 may consider and understand together,
                 that the hand of the LORD has done this,
                 the Holy One of Israel has created it.

I read this Monday morning and reflected on Sunday’s message.  I love that God takes everyday common things.....and even in this passage worse than common......bare heights, valleys and wilderness and grows rivers, fountains, pools, springs of water.  And He takes wilderness and desert and plane and plants cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress and pine trees.  Sounds pretty wet and pretty lush to me......smack dab in the middle of the unlikely.
  
And He does all this “that they may see and know....and understand together.....that the Lord has done this!!!”
 
That’s encouraging when I look at the all familiar wilderness or valley or desert or bare height or plane and wonder what can be done with this barrenness.  I love this about our God.  I pray that we’ll be faithful in walking and trusting and worshipping and gathering and drawing near and holding fast and stirring one another up to love and good works IN the mess..............because of what He did with our mess.  (Hebrews 10:14-25)

Ben McGraw

Monday, June 11, 2012

Common and Unimpressive

Crosspoint family,

In the preaching of the message yesterday something came into focus for me.  I realized as the common and unimpressive message was being delivered by a common and unimpressive man about a the Day of Atonement and Christ’s work as a faithful High Priest.......that everything He uses is common and unimpressive.  Aaron washed with common water and offered common farm animals to an Invisible God.  He placed two common hands on the head of a common goat and confessed the death-securing sins of a common people.  Then the common goat was led into the wilderness by another common man carrying away the transgressions of the common people.  Fast forward to Jerusalem 1500 years later, a common carpenter makes the lonely trek through common streets to a common cross of wood and bears the sins of some more common people.  In the eyes of the world, it’s all pretty lame......water, farm animals, a tent in the desert, a ritual that looks like it accomplishes nothing other than making a mess.........and 1500 years later.....a man, some rusty nails and a cross.  This is the hope of the world?!?!? 

It’s so liberating for me to see this in focus.  Because sometimes I listen to the lie that our weekly gatherings are common.....our sermons are common.....the songs we sing are common and unimpressive.......and the supper we take is just a wee piece of bread and an unsatisfying shot of juice.  But then days like yesterday remind and stir me to remember that He uses the common for His glory.  It’s the common stuff that’s the furniture of His house!!  He uses common weekly gatherings to stir His people to BE His people.  He uses the wee supper and song and sermon to remind us and refresh us in the colossal news that we now enter the throne room of the Living God boldly because of Christ’s work. 

Don’t listen to the lies, People of God.  Be about the common...........trusting that in God’s hands nothing is common. 

Ben McGraw

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Redeem Summer

Crosspoint,
At this point I believe that most, if not all, of the kiddos are out of school. The family dynamic is shifting into summer mode. I was thinking this morning about a handful of conversations that I had last summer, where I found a number of parents explaining how difficult it was to stay spiritually disciplined during the summer. What they meant was that the flow of life had changed and the schedule was much less rigid, and in result, it was more difficult to be disciplined to take the time to sit with the family to pray and study the Word.

So I write to encourage you this morning: DON'T LET YOUR FAMILY LANGUISH SPIRITUALLY THIS SUMMER!!!
Redeem the summer months. 1 Corinthians 15:58 states, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Whether we are in the middle of a busy school year or the many opportunities provided by summer, there will always be something competing for our time and attention. But we must not be foolish in regards to our call. I am not writing to encourage to simply make sure you have devotionals. I am writing to encourage you to ENJOY GOD THIS SUMMER! There is wonderful flexibility in the summer months where you can go to different places and spend unique time with your family enjoying God in new ways. Devotionals, Bible studies, prayer times and other spiritual disciplines are all things that we do because we treasure our relationship with God in Christ.

One resource that CF has put together to assist you in this is the weekly Family Devotional. It is written in response to the Word preached the previous Sunday, to help the body continue to walk in the Word, being doers and not hearers only. I have copied this week's Family Devotional below. We are praying for you that your summer is filled with sweet times with family and friends as you enjoy our great God!

J. Scott Sutton


FAMILY DEVOTIONAL:
This week our Kidspoint crew read Philippians 2:1-11 and talked about our humility in response to Christ’s humility in becoming like His brothers.  Below is a devotional to help facilitate family discussion of the preached word.   


Read Hebrews 2:14-18

What does verse 17 tell us about Christ becoming like his brothers?  Did he become sort of like his brothers? (No, he became like them in every way)

Read John 1:1-4 and Isaiah 6:1-5 and talk about what Christ was like before he became like his brothers.   Spend some time talking about the details.   Draw a picture on paper or in your minds.    Describe how His train filled the temple, what seraphim look like and how loud their voices were when they cried holy, holy, holy!   Talk about how the foundations of the thresholds shook and what that might have felt like…  

Now read Isaiah 6:5 and Leviticus 10:1-3 and talk about how different his brothers (humankind) are from His holiness. Talk about that because of sin, these guys are nothing compared to the holiness of Christ.  List some other examples of “humanness” that you have read in the bible (David, Jonah, Abraham, Cain, Peter …   EVERYBODY)   List some examples of “humanness” in our own lives…

Read the following verses and talk about just how human Christ became:

Luke 24:36-40  - had flesh and bones
Luke 2: 48 -51 – was submissive to parents
Mark 6:1:1-6 – was a carpenter, day laborer,  and we was astonished
Matthew 4:1-2 – was hungry
Matthew 21:18-19 – was hungry
John 4:7-8  – was thirsty
John 19:28 - was thirsty
John 13:21 – was troubled
Luke 10:21-24 – was happy
Mark 4: 35-38 – he got tired and needed rest
John 19:26-27 – loved his mom

Now read Philippians 2:1-8 

Humility is an accurate view of who He is and an accurate view of who you are relative to Him. If Christ, in all His holiness, humbled himself to take on humanness in every way, we too should humble ourselves in the way that Philippians 2 describes.  Read Philippians 2:1-8 again.   Thank God for what He has done and pray that that we can become more like Him in humility.