Monthly Archives: July 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on July 29, 2015
Tags: ,   

Strength is for Service, Not Status — Rev. David J. Schreffler

image

July 29, 2015

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves… Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of G*d.” Romans 15:1,

“By facing our own faults, we’re able to interact with others. When we see others straying from the faith…we can…try to understand the reason for their drift from the faith. We can address the needs and concerns God reveals to us, instead of condemning them in their weakness and leaving them trapped in their sin. Both Paul and James teach that those strong in courage are to take their courage to the weak. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help?’” (Rick Warren)

Jesus was always standing up for the last, lost, least and little of his society. Luke is the gospel that tells this aspect of Jesus’ ministry most evidently. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus comes across as the Son of Man — as the champion of the outcast, the weak, and the lost. In Luke’s gospel we have the story of Jesus and his teaching focused on the outcasts of society. It is the gospel of the poor and of social justice. Luke features marginalized people — and people who others would have given up on — like the story of the prodigal son, and the story of the ten lepers.

It seems to me that we, then, as followers of Jesus, should also see a large part of our ministries focused on the marginalized and the outcasts of our society. Who would this be? Who are the marginalized in our society and in our communities? For each one of us, that depends on where we live — and who we see as the outcasts. But we remember that our strength comes, not from ourselves, but from the Holy Spirit. When we are strong in faith, then we have the strength to help the weak: the weak in faith, and the marginalized of the world.

G*d’s Word is a reminder of where our strength comes from, and leads us to live lives of bearing other’s burdens.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on July 28, 2015
Tags: , ,   

The Glory of Humility — Rev. David J. Schreffler

July 28, 2015

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:69 – 75

“The disciples were men who had been led to despair of themselves. At the beginning of their three years’ class of instruction they had to give up all they possessed; but it was only at the end of that time that they began to give up themselves. They had given up their nets, their homes, their friends — and that was right; but all the three years how strong (the) self was. But Christ taught them and trained them. He revealed to them, time after time, what the sin of pride is and what the glory of humility is, and when He died upon the cross, they died a terrible death too.” Andrew Murray (1828 – 1917) Daily Thoughts on Holiness – “For All The Saints” volume IV (p. 348-349)

Humility is a difficult thing for most of us. It is really a challenge for us to deny ourselves — put others first all of the time — swallow our pride constantly — and to kill the ego within us. We see how difficult it was for the disciples — these men who left everything to follow Jesus — who denied themselves of family, jobs and homes — and yet argued among themselves about who was the greatest. But Jesus would not give up on them — even to his own death. But it took the death of Jesus for them to finally get it — finally see what Jesus had been trying to teach them all along…..”no greater love is there than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” (John 15:13)

Andrew Murray (who by the way, was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian pastor who considered missions to be “the chief end of the church”) wrote “Jesus revealed to his disciples….what the glory of humility is.” Jesus’ death was the ultimate lesson — a lesson you and I would have a hard time repeating as a lesson plan for others. But, instead of dying a physical death, we can die to ourselves each and every day, and put others first — by maybe considering how we can be involved in missions, for example.

How can you focus your life more on Jesus and/or others today, rather than to focus your thoughts only on yourself?

Pastor Dave