8-4-2022

 Good Morning!    

         Ezekiel 33:7; “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.”

     As we look at the resurrection accounts in the gospels, many look for places where the accounts differ.  I find it interesting the things that are similar and even more intriguing to me is when the similarities exist even today.  One of the common elements in the resurrection accounts is one of fear.  The disciples hide for fear of the Jews.  Now before we get too irate at the disciples let’s remember that they had just watched or heard that Jesus was killed in a most horrific manner.  Their beloved teacher, their rabbi, was murdered and, for all the disciples knew, they were next on the target list.  You can almost imagine Peter and the other Galileans, recognizable by their accent and maybe dress and skin coloring, feared recognition and being executed in the same way.  They feared for their lives.  When or if you feared for your life, would you be any better?  I doubt that I would.

    Yet even today, fear seems to be a very common factor for us.  We look around us and it causes us to fear.  We watch the news and see Christians around the world killed, in horrific fashions, for their faith.  We see a media and a culture that is more and more hostile toward our faith.  I read an article a few weeks ago where the author listed a number of job/occupations that Christians should not be allowed to have because “their simpleton beliefs render them unable to properly perform them.”  So, what do we do?  Many of us cower behind locked doors for fear of _____ (you can fill in the blank).  What should we do?  Trust Jesus.

    One of the issues that I think many of us have is that we don’t fully understand what God wants us to do.  We think that we have to go out and explain everything that God does, and we have to be able to clearly and concisely debate, discuss, convert and save every single man, woman and child that we meet.  That is not what God tells us.  God wants us to simply tell the world who Jesus is and why he matters to me.  If the other person denies, rejects, refuses or attacks Jesus; let them.  In our verse, our job is to warn them.  If they don’t heed the warning, it is their loss.  In the next few verses, God tells us, “if you fail to warn them, it is your sin but if you warn them and they fail to hear; it is their sin.”  We have no need to fear.

    We have no need to fear our inadequacies; it is not about you or me rather it is about Jesus.  It is not about what I think you should do or live but rather it is about the relationship between man and God.  How do you stack up to God?  I am a sinner and need God’s forgiveness every single day and I trust his promise that I have that.  If the other person doesn’t think he needs the same, well; that is his choice.  It is the wrong choice, but it is his choice.  We are only the messenger so do not fear; it is already our victory through Christ.  We have won; believe it.

Father, give me courage to speak you word.  Give me courage to give your message of hope and salvation to this broken world.  Guide me and guard me by your Holy Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret