Friday, December 12, 2008

Mark's Remarks 121208-- 2009 and Preaching

Remarks for Friday, December 12, 2008

It's Friday, but Sunday's coming
I love this time of year. There are a lot of parties and activities to attend, nevertheless, it is still a fun time. This Sunday our church will have its annual Christmas party, where we really try to reach out to people and share food, share fellowship, share gifts, share fun, and most importantly of all, share Jesus.

2009--How It Affects My Preaching
Anybody out there heard word of a coming economic disaster? I have too, over and over again. Preaching to this climate, I'm aware of two traps to avoid. One is to downplay the seriousness of the situation. The other trap is to participate in the creation of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Navigating the middle is a challenge.
There is one positive I see for 2009. I believe for this congregation, 2009 will be a tremendous opportunity for evangelism, especially for the middle class and upper class people. The reason is simple. Those in the lower economic classes always face economic issues, and I feel that we at Shiloh are doing a good job of reaching out to these folks. However, we have found it a real challenge to reach those who are enjoying their prosperity, and I do not believe this is unusual. If a husband and wife have good jobs, a decent marriage, 2.2 kids, and a good Ford Taurus, they usually do not feel there is much else they need. It is only in crisis that they'll awake to the possibility that something is missing in their lives.
As for those in our church, who will be losing their jobs, I anticipate aching for them. Yet, I have typically found that those who experience pain get through their crisis better if they feel there is some meaning to their pain. If I can help members who lose their jobs or experience hardship and economic crisis believe that these events will give them previously unknown opportunities to reach out to others who are in similar situations, I can be helpful to their lives.
My elders have already asked me to preach a series on stewardship in January. I will honor that request and use that forum this opportunity to sow seeds. In February, I plan to begin a series on the book of Philippians. In Philippians, Paul is obviously suffering. He is imprisoned, and evidently there are preachers who are slandering him. Still, he finds great joy in the fact that the gospel is being proclaimed through his hardship. In chapter 2, he explains his source for inspiration. Jesus is the epitome of one who considers the needs of others over his own needs. Ultimately, Paul, armed with this attitude, will be able to experience great joy and contentment. Using this book as a template, I hope I can be an effective instrument of God to allow His Word to instruct our people how to cultivate the mind of Christ. In doing so, I hope to be able to inspire our folks to feel great joy and contentment no matter what the circumstances and to be willingly disposed to be instruments for God. 2009 may be our greatest year yet in the kingdom.

Choosing Life--Tim Tebow and Family
Last night my wife and I caught a portion of the College Football Awards on ESPN. Tim Tebow, quarterback of the University of Florida, won an award presented by the Disney Company for his humanitarian efforts. What is significant about this is that Tim Tebow was last year's Heisman Trophy winner and this year's Maxwell trophy winner. And perhaps tomorrow night he will win the Heisman Trophy for the second time. Clearly a number of people consider him to be either the best player in college football or one of the best. Yet, here he was winning an award for his good works. ESPN did a story on Tebow traveling to the Philippines on spring break to minister to orphans. Tebow's parents are missionaries in Asia. Tebow's faith in Jesus came through. And the media treated this with great respect.
After the story was run, ESPN correspondent Lee Corso asked Tim Tebow's mother when she knew that she had a special son. She said that she thought back to her fourth month of pregnancy when doctors told her to abort her child to save her life. She and her husband rejected their advice. In doing so, she chose to believe that if their child lived, God would have a special plan for his life. What a testimony to life over abortion!
When Corso completed his interview, he said to Tebow's parents, "I think our country's future is in wonderful hands because of men like Tim Tebow. I congratulate you both on raising such a wonderful human being."
I've got to admit, I want Colt McCoy to win the Heisman Trophy. He, too, is a wonderful human being and outstanding Christian example. But, if Tim Tebow wins, I won't be quite so cranky.

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