One God - One Goal - One Glory

Thoughts on the Sabbath School Lesson for 11.24.12

Do you remember this song?

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

We will work with each other

We will work side by side

And we'll guard each man’s dignity

And save each man’s pride

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand in hand

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand in hand

And together we'll spread the news

That God is in our land

And they'll know that we are Christians by our love

By our love

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love [1]

That was one of my favorite songs as a young person. I hadn’t thought of it in years, but as I was thinking about ‘unity’ I found myself humming it. (And now it will be stuck in your head too. Ha!)

Did you read the lyrics? They provide an excellent picture of what unity among Christians should look like, don’t you think?

I was reading the dictionary definition of unity. It says, 

“1. the state of being one; oneness. 2. a whole or totality as combining all its parts into one. 3. the state or fact of being united or combined into one, as of the parts of a whole; unification. 4. absence of diversity; unvaried or uniform character. 5. oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement.” [2]

It’s a good definition – it covers all the bases. Number 4 bothers me a bit, though. I don’t believe that one describes the kind of unity we should find among Christians. What do you think?

My understanding of unity within the church with our common belief in a loving, creator God, includes our common goal of bringing as many souls as possible into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and our shared expectation of spending eternity with our Savior. One God -- One Goal -- One Glory

Beyond that, though, I believe that our methods can be quite diverse. God made each of us individual. There are as many methods of sharing the gospel as there are Christians – and I believe that’s a good thing.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12

Can you imagine a football team where, even though the entire team agreed that they all wanted to win the game, everybody wanted to be quarterback? Would that team be able to fulfill its goal to win the game? Probably not. There’d be 11 men throwing the ball around, but nobody would be catching it. That team would be everybody’s joke.

Look at Jesus’ disciples. They did not look like clones of Jesus or each other? Did they all have the same personality? Absolutely not! The disciples were vastly different from each other, weren’t they? But they were unified in their belief that Jesus the Messiah.

What’s the trick to finding unity within the body of Christ? How can we be like the disciples and be “all in one accord” and ready to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

“Notice that it was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord. All differences had been put away. And the testimony borne of them after the Spirit had been given is the same. Mark the word: ‘The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.’  Acts 4:32. The Spirit of Him who died that sinners might live animated the entire congregation of believers.” E.G. White, Counsels for the Church, p.  98

So, what are you doing to further the cause of Jesus Christ? Have you found your ministry niche? If not, why not? Don’t want to stand up in front and speak – no problem. Can’t sing or play an instrument? That’s ok. For everything you think of that you say you cannot do, there is at least one other form of ministry that you can do. You can help the pastor in his office, clean the church, help in one of the children’s departments, help with potlucks, be a greeter, or become a prayer warrior for your spiritual family.

Jesus has a specific and unique mission for you that will fit in perfectly with what everyone else in your church is doing.

When you feel like complaining that someone isn’t doing their job right, pray instead that God will show you how you can help? Maybe that person has been holding that job just for you. If you turn it down, who else will fill your spot?

“Strive earnestly for unity. Pray for it, work for it. It will bring spiritual health, elevation of thought, nobility of character, heavenly-mindedness, enabling you to overcome selfishness and evil surmisings, and to be more than conquerors through Him that loved you and gave Himself for you. Crucify self; esteem others better than yourselves. Thus you will be brought into oneness with Christ. Before the heavenly universe, and before the church and the world, you will bear unmistakable evidence that you are God’s sons and daughters. God will be glorified in the example that you set.
“The world needs to see worked out before it the miracle that binds the hearts of God’s people together in Christian love. It needs to see the Lord’s people sitting together in heavenly places in Christ. Will you not give in your lives an evidence of what the truth of God can do for those who love and serve Him? God knows what you can be. He knows what divine grace can do for you if you will be partakers of the divine nature.”  E.G. White, Counsels for the Church, p. 290-291        

You can’t be a Christian from the sidelines. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution. You’re either with Jesus or against Him. There is no middle ground. 

     

Remember, we share a belief in the “one, true God.”  Our shared mission is to introduce as many people as possible to our Redeemer.  And, by God’s grace, we will meet beside the Sea of Glass and spend Eternity in the presence of Jesus.  One God – One Goal – One Glory  

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[1] Peter Scholte, “We Are One In The Spirit,” HigherPraise.com, http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/p/peter_scholte/peter_scholte-we_are_one_in_the_spirit.html

[2] http://dictionary.reference.com/

212 Degrees

This concept may not be new to you.  It’s a big motivational campaign.  If you work in education I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the movie and all the merchandise.  I hear it’s very big in the corporate world as well.  But, in case you haven’t heard it, here it is as explained by the guy who wrote the book and is now making a bundle on merchandising:

“At 211 degrees, water is hot.
At 212 degrees, it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And with steam, you can power a train.
“One degree. Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference between something that is simply very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine - a beautifully uncomplicated metaphor that ideally should feed our every endeavor - consistently pushing us to make the extra effort in every task, action and effort we undertake. Two-twelve serves as a forceful drill sergeant with its motivating and focused message while adhering to a scientific law - a natural law. It reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous differences.” Samuel L. Parker, 212: The Extra Degree,  WalkTheTalk.com

I don’t know about you, but the first time I heard the presentation of this concept, I had a real “duh” moment.  It was like I knew it, but I never really thought about the science of it and the difference between boiling and not boiling.  211degrees is a comforting bowl of soup, but 212 degrees is real power!

So as I read through all this stuff, I noticed something very important:  the difference between just hot and boiling comes from within each individual.  Hm.  Anybody see a problem?  Yeah, me too. 

Don’t ya hate it when that happens?  A person with a really good idea all of a sudden dives off in the wrong direction.  You and I both know that the final degree does not reside in any of us.  We will forever be bowls of soup – good, but innocuous.  That 212th degree can only come from one place…say it with me…the Holy Spirit.

When we look at the intensity of the disciples, we can see the moment they crossed the line.  In the upper room, at Pentecost, the disciples became Spirit driven.  The power spilled out of them just like steam out of locomotive.  From that moment on, the people who were filled with the spirit had one goal:  to tell people about Jesus.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be consumed with preaching the truth about Jesus where ever we go?  You wouldn’t worry if it made some people uncomfortable, or even angry; you’d tell anybody who would listen that Jesus loved them and died to pay the penalty for sin.  Nothing else would matter.

So, where are all the 212 degree Christians today?  Are you a 212 degree Christian? Am I?  How would we know?  What does a 212 degree Christian look like?  Can you tell just by looking? 

“The same intensity of desire to save sinners that marked the life of the Saviour marks the life of His true follower.” E.G. White, Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 10. (1902)

It looks so easy on paper, doesn’t it?  But I’m afraid that in practice it’s not so simple.  Maybe it’s just me, but it’s even a little bit scary.  It conjures up some disturbing images.  Think about it.  What happened to all those folk who lived with that kind of intensity and focus?  Not many of them lived to be old.  None of them lived safe, comfortable lives.  That’s hard to think about, isn’t it? 

And that’s one of the main differences between the secular way of thinking about two-twelve and the Christian’s way of thinking about it.  Secularly, when you add the extra effort, you’re life just gets better and better.  But for a Christian, accepting the mission of telling as many people as possible the truth about Jesus can be an uncomfortable, even dangerous, proposition.  It takes the analogy of steam quite literally.  Hot water can be comforting and soothing, but when it begins to boil, it not only becomes powerful, it becomes dangerous.

 “Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’  … But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’" John 12:23-28, 32.

Mary or Martha?

How many times have we heard the story of Mary and Martha?  Jesus is visiting and Martha is rushing around making sure everything is just right and then she realizes that Mary is not helping but sitting with Jesus like one of their guests.  Martha gets upset and wants Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help, but He doesn't.  In fact, He pretty much tells Martha that she should be sitting with Mary.

Have you ever had a hard time with that story?  I have.  Maybe because I have always wanted to be more Martha-like in general...and maybe because I've always kind of mis-read the story itself.  I've always felt that Jesus was telling Martha that she was doing the wrong thing by making sure dinner made it to the table and all.  It wasn't until right now that I realized that Jesus was not so much telling Martha she was altogether wrong but that Mary was altogether right (at that particular moment).

I guess my point is that if all we ever did was sit and study, nothing in the way of Gospel sharing or soul winning would ever get done.  But we have to have the quiet time getting to know Jesus and building that relationship first, or our attempts at sharing Jesus will fail.

If you look back at the beginning of Luke chapter 10, we see Jesus sending out the seventy apostles or missionaries or whatever for the first time.

“After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” Luke 10:1-2

The first verse says, “After these things...”  Well I looked back at chapter nine and most of that chapter is Jesus showing the disciples who He really is and what His mission really is.  Then He sends them out to spread the good news.  They couldn't have been effective witnesses for Jesus if they hadn't spent that time learning about Him and getting to know Him.

Something else that I don't believe I fully understood about the the Mary and Martha story is that Mary is not just sitting and listening; she's not being passive in any way.  She is trying to soak up every word and every truth that Jesus is speaking.  She's drinking in His truth because she doesn't want to forget anything.

How many of us study our Bibles like that – trying to wrap our brains around every little tidbit of truth and hang onto it?  How often do we pray to get closer to Jesus instead of to ask Him to get us out of our latest tangle?  When was the last time we prayed and then waited to hear what Jesus had to say to us, instead of a quick prayer: “Thank you for another day; keep me safe.  Amen”?

Maybe it's only me, but it's not so much the physical busyness but the mental static that keeps me from “sitting at the feet of Jesus” and, consequently, stunts my ability to witness for Him. 

“Be still, and know that I am God...” Psalm 46:10

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Psalm 37:7

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,...” 2 Thessalonians 1:7

Jesus wasn't telling Martha she shouldn't be serving but that she shouldn't be worrying and fussing over things that were temporary.

Think about Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  How many hours/days do some of us spend planning and shopping and cooking because we want everything to be just right?  And how long does the meal itself last? Thirty minutes, tops!  And then you have to start cleaning up...yech!

"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:41-42

Have we chosen that better part that can't be taken away from us?  Have we filled our hearts and mind with Jesus?  Or are we still rushing around (physically or mentally) worried and upset?

I think that I've always gotten distracted by the visuals of Mary and Martha...Mary sitting quietly; Martha rushing back and forth.  But this isn't about movement or non-movement.  I know I can be sitting absolutely still, but my mind is going every which way, trying to figure out the solution to this, wondering about that, worrying about this other thing.  Or, I could be going through all the motions of my day, which might be physically hectic or demanding, but as long as my mind is fixed on Jesus, I can be calm and at rest.

We have to be the best of both Mary and Martha to be able to spread the good news about Jesus.  First, we have to learn to sit quietly with Jesus and learn the truth about Him, but then we have to share what we've learned.

“All who work for God should have the Martha and the Mary attributes blended--a willingness to minister and a sincere love of the truth.”--E.G. White,Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 118.

“Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.”

Warrior Spirit

Do you know anyone who could be described as a warrior?  Would you know a warrior if you met one?  How would you describe a warrior?

This is how the dictionary defines a warrior:  “person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier.” warrior. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved July 09, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/warrior  What do you think?  Does that sound about right to you?  Does that mean that every person who is a soldier is automatically a warrior?  Does it mean that everyone who is a warrior is automatically a soldier?   Hmmmm…

What would you think if I told you I believe that a person doesn’t even have to be part of an army or a war to be considered a warrior, doesn’t have to hold or use a weapon? Can you picture anybody who could be a warrior then?

What about John the Baptist?  Wait, don’t laugh yet; think about it.  John the Baptist…no he never wielded a sword, but he fought everyday of his adult life to get people ready to meet the Messiah.  John knew his mission and he met it head on.  He didn’t stop to think about whether or not people would like what he had to say.  He didn’t worry that he wasn’t dressed in the latest fashions.  He called the Pharisees and the Sadducees who came to check him out a “pit of vipers”.  He told Herod exactly what he (Herod) was up to and that it was wrong and that he needed to stop it.  John didn’t stop to think of a polite way to say what he needed to say; he just said it flat out and let the people who heard him make their own decisions of what to do next.  If they agreed with him great; if not, too bad.  But this was the message he had been given and he went with it.

“But when the Baptist saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he was stirred to give them a decided message. These men held themselves as a power among the people. Though they held different theories regarding some Bible subjects they were united in their desire to hear the words of the wilderness prophet. Some who came from curiosity, arrested by his words, became interested in the message he was giving, and were moved to be baptized. To them John said, "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Christ was about to appear as the revealer of the character of God. His very presence would make known to men their sin. Only as they were willing to be purged from sin, could they enter into fellowship with him. Those who were corrupt in heart could not abide in his presence.” E.G.White, Review and Herald, November 28, 1907

Can you imagine what the news media would have had to say about John the Baptist?  It would certainly not have been sympathetic.  But John didn’t pay any attention to what was being reported about him.  He stayed right on topic and never wavered.

And then Jesus showed up and, would you believe it, John’s disciples and followers took off after Jesus, for the most part.  And John was okay with that.  He had led the way the whole time and then he got left behind and thrown in prison.  What kind of thank you is that?

I would venture the opinion that John the Baptist was a warrior spirit.  He fought his battle everyday and never worried about public opinion and making people comfortable.  He fought to make sure that everyone who could possible hear his voice would know that the Messiah was coming and each person needed to be ready.

We’ve got to be warrior spirits too.  We have a mission—to tell people that Jesus is coming again and they need to be ready.  We can’t worry about what people think of us or if we make them uncomfortable; we have a message that must be delivered!

“The work of John the Baptist represents the work for these times. His work, and the work of those who go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah to arouse the people from their apathy, are the same in many respects. Christ is to come the second time to judge the world in righteousness. The messengers of God who bear the last message of warning to be given to the world are to prepare the way for Christ's second advent as John prepared the way for his first advent. If the kingdom of heaven suffered violence in the days of John, it suffers violence now; today the blessings of the gospel must be secured in the same way. If form and ceremony were of no avail then, a form of godliness without the power can be of no avail now.”  E.G.White, Youth’s Instructor, May 17, 1900

Well?  We have a mission; let’s get on it!