Today's sermon really hit me hard, the words spoken through Glen felt like the exact ones that I needed to hear. I have been challenged by God to "go fishin'", to go out into the secular and invite those who don't know Christ to come and listen to the good news of his gospel. As Jesus invited Simon Peter and the other fellow (can't remember his name off the top of my head, oh my... think it was James?), we are to do the same. So the question is, why are a lot of us afraid to talk about our faith when we around others who aren't believers of Christ? Is it because we think they'll think we're "weird", or "annoying". Or is there need for our (by our I really mean mine!) faith and love in God to be strengthened. I remember back a few months ago, when I went through a period of spiritual highness, I couldn't wait to talk to everyone and anybody about God. Yet recently it seems as if I am being drawn back into the secular world because of the amount of time and the number of people I spend in the secular world and with non-Christians. Each time I do and observe how dandy life is, or can be, on the other side of the fence, I start to wonder if all this "religious" stuff is all worth it. Isn't it surprisingly how shallow of a thought I can produce of my faith, and shocking how I can be so selfish as to think that being a Christian is like joining a "happily ever after" club.
It is in times like this that I come back and ponder upon what my faith really means to me. You would think that one as involved with the Church as I am would have had that figured out long before, and tattooed on the back of my hand. Yet I suppose that is part of the mystery of God, and just how bang on they are when they say that the road to follow Jesus isn't easy. We are constantly faced with temptations. And these temptations do not necessarily rise from evil. But when we put God and our love for Jesus and our commitment to him and building his Kingdom second behind our selfish desires, we stray from the path that is walked alongside our creator.
Having spent a lot of time lately catching up with old friends from high school, college, and new friends from outside of Church, I was really starting to wonder what exact concrete thing it was that made me a Christian. And to be honest, I was giving up on God a little. My deep hope to be close to God again have been riding high in my prayers. And thought sometimes pathetic as they were (reminder of the parable of the shrewd manager), God listened. During the 12:30 meeting on Saturday morning, I was reminded of just how much I cared about the congregation. Through God's grant, I have been granted the opportunity to do serve the Lord within this group. He has also entrusted me with many gifts, and while previously I had always wondered and prayed upon what it was that God wanted me to do with my life, I think perhaps I have missed the many small ways I can be his servant by using my skills to do the little things that need to be done at Church. Though I had always prayed to be his humble servant, I was to the contrary praying for him to show me a sign that would direct me to doing something grand. I think I am realizing that he has already been answering my prayers - opening doors for me left and right. Perhaps the little voice in my head to try teaching Sunday school, or the urges to invite my friends to church, is how I can be a witness to Christ. Yes, God shows himself through others in very practical and everyday ways!
I apologize as I've gone off on a tangent! Coming back to going fishing. If I were in a relationship and I was completely in love with that person, I would want the whole world to meet him and tell them about how great he is. So if I really love God, I should make the bold move of telling others, secular or not, his greatness ;o) Often my pride stops me from saying much, because I am deathly afraid of being reject. And I don't know how to talk to others about my faith, especially those who like to argue and use a bunch of intelligent words that I don't know to counter my 'God loves you!'s... hehe. But again we are reminded that God will strengthen us if we are willing to go the extra mile for him. We are, to quote Glen from this afternoon, "dangle the bait" for those who have yet to know Christ, and leave the rest up to God. We are to do the fishing, not our pastors, and certainly not Jesus. The last thing you want is to have someone close to you who when asked why they never went to church, reply that they never did because nobody ever asked them to.
So I find it a little ironic, and refreshing (bit relieving and at the same time a little scary!) that I have a ton of secular friends. God is so amazing! All the while before I thought that they were just road blocks to my strengthening of faith, but today I see them as a sea of hungry fish, waiting to be caught! ;o)
It is in times like this that I come back and ponder upon what my faith really means to me. You would think that one as involved with the Church as I am would have had that figured out long before, and tattooed on the back of my hand. Yet I suppose that is part of the mystery of God, and just how bang on they are when they say that the road to follow Jesus isn't easy. We are constantly faced with temptations. And these temptations do not necessarily rise from evil. But when we put God and our love for Jesus and our commitment to him and building his Kingdom second behind our selfish desires, we stray from the path that is walked alongside our creator.
Having spent a lot of time lately catching up with old friends from high school, college, and new friends from outside of Church, I was really starting to wonder what exact concrete thing it was that made me a Christian. And to be honest, I was giving up on God a little. My deep hope to be close to God again have been riding high in my prayers. And thought sometimes pathetic as they were (reminder of the parable of the shrewd manager), God listened. During the 12:30 meeting on Saturday morning, I was reminded of just how much I cared about the congregation. Through God's grant, I have been granted the opportunity to do serve the Lord within this group. He has also entrusted me with many gifts, and while previously I had always wondered and prayed upon what it was that God wanted me to do with my life, I think perhaps I have missed the many small ways I can be his servant by using my skills to do the little things that need to be done at Church. Though I had always prayed to be his humble servant, I was to the contrary praying for him to show me a sign that would direct me to doing something grand. I think I am realizing that he has already been answering my prayers - opening doors for me left and right. Perhaps the little voice in my head to try teaching Sunday school, or the urges to invite my friends to church, is how I can be a witness to Christ. Yes, God shows himself through others in very practical and everyday ways!
I apologize as I've gone off on a tangent! Coming back to going fishing. If I were in a relationship and I was completely in love with that person, I would want the whole world to meet him and tell them about how great he is. So if I really love God, I should make the bold move of telling others, secular or not, his greatness ;o) Often my pride stops me from saying much, because I am deathly afraid of being reject. And I don't know how to talk to others about my faith, especially those who like to argue and use a bunch of intelligent words that I don't know to counter my 'God loves you!'s... hehe. But again we are reminded that God will strengthen us if we are willing to go the extra mile for him. We are, to quote Glen from this afternoon, "dangle the bait" for those who have yet to know Christ, and leave the rest up to God. We are to do the fishing, not our pastors, and certainly not Jesus. The last thing you want is to have someone close to you who when asked why they never went to church, reply that they never did because nobody ever asked them to.
So I find it a little ironic, and refreshing (bit relieving and at the same time a little scary!) that I have a ton of secular friends. God is so amazing! All the while before I thought that they were just road blocks to my strengthening of faith, but today I see them as a sea of hungry fish, waiting to be caught! ;o)
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