Beyond Sunday: Faithful Service

Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.

Service that Jesus models is justice, mercy, and reconciliation in a culture of injustice and division. When our focus remains on Jesus we can seek justice and mercy and work towards reconciliation in a world that is broken. The fruit of these things will come when we keep our eyes on Jesus and endure through the hardships.

Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.

• Transcript

  00:00:00 - 00:02:06

  [Music] Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Beyond Sunday where we desire to take the conversation deeper. And on this one uh and on this week uh this last Sunday, Sherea and I got to team preach uh amongst other things, baptism, ordination, celebration, all kinds of good stuff. Um, and so in I'm excited uh in this conversation to go beyond Sunday of what God's been stirring our hearts. Uh, before we do that though, take a look at this video. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music]

  00:01:30 - 00:02:30

  All right. On this week, um, Sheree, I want you, uh, share what was the big idea scriptures. Um, although we really, you and I only really touched one of the scriptures from the revised common lectionary. Uh but what was the big idea in the scriptures that uh were a part of it? Yeah, so we're we're towards the end of this enlarging the circle series and so this week was um this idea of faithful service and what it looks like to uh faithfully serve. Um so there were a number of scriptures as there are each

  00:02:00 - 00:03:07

  week, but we really just stuck to Hebrews 12, um which was actually just one portion of one of the scriptures. Um we just took the first those those first three verses of Hebrews 12. Um uh partly just cuz it really pertained to kind of the other elements of the service that day. You already called out baptism and ordination. Um and partly because there was plenty to cover in just those three verses it seemed like. So um yeah. Yeah. But and even in the those three verses of Hebrews chapter 12 um that

  00:02:33 - 00:03:52

  that did kind of uh lend itself to baptism. And the reason that we were baptizing on that day is that um the the two youth groups from from your church and from uh our our church that uh coming together on a youth event that that was where it was like I wanna I want to be baptized. Yes. But I also want my family, my extended family, myos to be there and to be a part of it. Um, which for me drew me back to Hebrews 12 of this like being surrounded by this cloud of witnesses that in that way this this one who has been baptized like now

  00:03:12 - 00:04:23

  she's a part of that cloud of witnesses of uh saying yes to Jesus and giving uh giving her heart to him. Yeah. Yeah, that was a really cool um it was a cool a cool experience to be part of, but it also was just a cool um like it's it's evidence of just the way that God uh works and and the goodness that he offers um to get to be there and and to and for somebody for a teenager to call out like, "Hey, I want to do this important thing, but I I want these people uh to be part of it." Um, and

  00:03:49 - 00:04:50

  that was the same thing even getting to be there for Aaron's ordination um, with our teens was like, "Hey, I actually there's something about our teenagers seeing somebody who they now like they they've gotten to know Aaron um, over the last couple years." And so to watch her walk this out and to be part of that and we had them um, we gave her we gave Aaron a gift from both youth groups. And so we had the teenagers like sign a bunch of stuff and write stuff. And so um it was cool to watch them actually

  00:04:19 - 00:05:13

  take time like in the middle of our youth event this last weekend to take time out. They were it was like hidden in the back room. So we were like one at a time like go back there and fill this out for Aaron. Um and we had like a picture of the youth groups and whatever. But um to to watch them actually like want to take time to write something and to say something and to congratulate and then um even in the prayer time for her ordination cuz I think you had invited up like her family and and I think you said anybody who

  00:04:46 - 00:05:57

  wants to. But when I opened my eyes after I prayed, I looked around and there was all these teenagers up there and so it just was a cool um just a really cool expression of the body but also a cool expression of like what God has offered and what what exists. um beyond what you and I could ever have planned or orchestrated for sure. I don't I don't plan that well. Um but I but one the one thing that that not one thing um while we're while we're team preaching um I was uh sharing that the

  00:05:20 - 00:06:27

  the verse one uh like really drew me like it's it's it's actionable or it draws me forward to move to do. Um and you're like yeah that's great but for me it's sits there like oh okay how do I do that? I didn't say it that way that's rude. How did you say it? Should we I can I can put a clip in here of I'm sure that I was like that sounds so smart and wise and I want to offer something as well. Is that how you think it came across? Yeah. How delightful. No. What actually what No, actually what

  00:05:54 - 00:06:49

  I think I said was that tracks because uh we talk about this often, but my brain tends to go application always whether whether we're preparing a sermon or if somebody's talking I want to know like okay what's the thing I'm supposed to uh the the doing piece of this? And so as you were talking about verse one, yeah, let's just throw off the sin that easily entangles us. Let's run with perseverance, the race marked out for us. Let's just do those things. And you're like, that's great, but how are

  00:06:23 - 00:07:30

  you going to do that? Yeah, that sounds super great, but like I don't know if you've ever have you ever tried that? How do you do? Like you run really well? Yeah. Okay, just leave that there. Okay. Um, and so then that for me was the second verse because it starts out with a like we do this by and I'm like tell me more. We do this by what? Um, and that's the thing actually, like I know we're not even to Chyros yet, but um the keeping our eyes on Jesus piece um that that's the thing that stuck out for

  00:06:56 - 00:07:58

  me on Sunday and it's the thing that even throughout this week that reminder um this is sounds so simplistic, but whether it is like, hey, I'm trying to set down the weight or or um not get tripped up or I'm trying to like not grow weary. the end of verse three talks about um don't not being weary and giving up and whatever the thing is or even if it's just like man I could use a little joy which also shows up in in verse yeah it does two it's there in two yeah so all of those things whatever the

  00:07:27 - 00:08:33

  thing is it's like hey actually the answer is like just keep your eyes on Jesus like duh um but that that piece um yeah that that sticks for me like because that's also something that's like, okay, that's actually not that hard. I mean, it is hard. It's hard and it's it's that simple easy thing, right? So, so, uh, it's easy to get distracted and to forget to do that, but actually all that all he's asking us to do is like just keep your focus on me. Um, you're going to be okay. So, there's

  00:07:59 - 00:09:00

  something in that that's like very um, okay, I can't if if nothing else, I can just keep looking at Jesus. Yeah. Because in the other scriptures we didn't read um there is a tie into when we aren't fixating our eyes on Jesus, when we don't have our gaze set upon him, when we get distracted with other things or we we we get off course and we start doing things that that look foreign to the kingdom of of God that in fact God even calls it out in in scriptures like Psalms, scriptures like

  00:08:29 - 00:09:38

  Isaiah that are in in in this um groupings of scripture of um like you you missed the mark. You you you you were focused on something else. And what ended up taking place was injustice. What ended up taking place was sin. What ended up taking place was the brokenness that you've just ushered in because you've you you missed the mark and you got your eyes off of me. Yeah. Well, and I think I guess that's the thing is like missing the mark sin or whatever. Um, actually, anytime that I'm not just

  00:09:04 - 00:09:56

  doing what God's calling me to do or inviting me to do, anytime that my focus and my gaze has shifted, um, the things I'm like the the literal things I'm actually doing, they might still be good things that like things that we would consider good or even things that may look um may look like kingdom on the surface level, right? Because that's what we saw the Pharisees do over and over again. Like they they know how to follow laws like nobody's business, but they miss the heart. And so that that

  00:09:30 - 00:10:22

  piece I guess that's the other that's what even even with like um the ordination tie in there for me was like um there's any number of good things that I could take care of in front of me. There's any number of injustices in the world around me. So, there's this tendency to either like, I'm so overwhelmed, I'm just going to do nothing because there's so much brokenness around me. Or there's this like, okay, well, I'm going to do these things over here because I've decided

  00:09:57 - 00:10:52

  like those are the good things I'm going to do. But if that's not what God's calling me to, if that's not what he's he's inviting me into, or if my focus or my gaze is anywhere other than him, um, then I've missed I've missed it. And so that that piece like it's not just to keep me from the sin that ens snares me or uh the weight that I've carried although that's some of it too. It's like um I want to do the right good thing. I want to do the the good thing

  00:10:24 - 00:11:15

  that you're asking me to do. Um because I think that's where and and the there's a definite tiein for me the end of uh so Hebrews 123 the like um then you won't become weary and give up. Right? So there's that reminder to Galatians 6:9 of like don't grow weary in doing well. Um and and how often there is like trying to do the good things. I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to do, but I'm tired and I'm weary. And it's like I wonder if in those spaces if Jesus is

  00:10:50 - 00:11:57

  like, "Yeah, you stopped looking. You stopped looking at me." Um you got distracted, lost your focus. Yeah. And isn't that uh that part of that community piece of we talked about this uh a few weeks back, but like where um and maybe it was with Aaron in in the in the podcast of like I actually need people in my life to to to help me uh and remind me of where my focus is, where where my eyes are fixed and if they're fixed on Jesus or not to, hey, are you looking at the right thing? Or

  00:11:23 - 00:12:26

  if you're distracted by this thing, do you recognize it? Do you know it? Do you do you do you see that that's actually pulling you uh away from Jesus and not actually towards him? I need I need those witnesses around me. And the beautiful thing that you even called out on Sunday was for the teenagers of and the where I I for the one who got baptized was like now here's an opportunity where you are this encourager, this witness of the glory of God, this witness of giving your life to

  00:11:55 - 00:12:55

  him and following him with all that you are and all that you have. And now this is the that part of the entering into his glory until we meet him face to face. But it's like now this isn't this doesn't you have to wait um until you're with Jesus. You don't have to wait for some sort of legacy piece. It's now you get to live out as being this witness. Even though maybe in Hebrews this cloud of witnesses I would say is more akin to the um what we read back in Old Testament and scripture and people have

  00:12:24 - 00:13:45

  come before um the the champions of faith if you will the hall of faith. Right. Yeah. I think I mean there's a both and in that I think for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Shay, what's your chyros for this week? Um okay. Well, I kind of already said so this idea of keeping your eyes on Jesus, but I'm trying to pull up this um this thing that I read earlier this week. Um because the the keeping your eyes on Jesus is definitely the thing that's sticking. And I have this image in my mind even um after Sunday of like

  00:13:06 - 00:13:59

  you know when you've seen like a little kid on a bike or whatever. I guess it's not just a little kid, but a a kid on a bike and they start to wobble and there's this like oh shoot like this they're going to go down and the handlebars kind of thing and then sometimes they do but but if they can just like there's this like lock in steady kind of thing and so the I have this image of like the spaces in my life where um sometimes it feels a little bit like this like I'm I'm going to go like

  00:13:32 - 00:14:34

  I I don't know things are not quite um things aren't just steady where they're supposed to be. And so in those moments or even like when you're doing when you're doing like working out, stretching, yoga, whatever, that idea of like keeping your eyes on a fixed thing helps with balance. So there was that just that that idea of like when things in life feel a little off or like unsteady or unstable, um that image of like it actually just takes kind of like one look to just like steady yourself.

  00:14:02 - 00:14:54

  Um so that was kind of in in mind. Um, but then I read this thing earlier this week and so it says it's kind of um it's kind of long but the gist of it uh it's it's written like by a mom of young kids and she says she's talking about God and she says I told him let's meet early just you and me before the chaos before the noise before the house wakes up coffee quiet connection. I sat down, uh, pajamas on, Bible open, coffee in my hands. Okay, I'm here. I whispered. And

  00:14:29 - 00:15:12

  I felt him say, "I've been here. I'm glad you came." And then she goes on throughout the day because then her kids wake up right away. And so she's like, "Just a second, Lord. Let me get this kid settled." Um, and then, you know, the next kid wakes up and then they need breakfast and then whatever. And she goes through the day and all day long she's like, "Sorry, God. I'll be right back." Just like whatever. And then by the end of the day, um, and and in this,

  00:14:51 - 00:15:39

  she's imagining in this imagined conversation, God speaking back to her like, "It's okay. I'm right here. It's okay." Um, and so by the end of the day, it's like, uh, it's she says, "At 9:00, the house is finally quiet. I sit down again. Did I miss it?" I ask, and he says, "Never. I've been here all day, but then I get lost in a show. I scroll too long." Da da da. And still he stays. Um, and then she says, "When I finally come back, a little embarrassed, a

  00:15:15 - 00:16:05

  little scattered, I whispered, uh, where were we?" and he smiled and said, "Right here, still with you, still for you." Because that's who he is. Not keeping score, not giving up, just faithfully showing up in the early mornings, the undone afternoons, the bedtime quiet. He doesn't need my performance, just my presence. Um, and that that landed for me because I I think that in the moments where I realized like, oh, my gaze might have drifted a little bit, there's this

  00:15:40 - 00:16:35

  tendency to like like I'm sorry, God. Um, and then also there's this uh there's this tendency in me to think like the conditions have to be perfect for me to keep my focus. And so there's something in that um that that thing the way that she wrote that that was this reminder of God like I'm actually going to like I I'll actually go with you in all that mess and all that chaos. And it's great when you can sit down and in the morning in the quiet with the coffee and the

  00:16:08 - 00:17:08

  whatever, but also um I'll meet you in the mess and or while you're like on the bike and it's wobbling or in the not when the not in the calm but in the storm. Yeah. Like I'm never too far away for you to actually just like make eye contact. Just look at just look right. I'm right here. Um, and then also that image of like when you do, um, I'm not I'm not mad. I'm not mad that your gaze drifted. I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting here. Like if you just look, I'm

  00:16:38 - 00:17:32

  right here. Um, so I think the thing for me that's sitting actually this week is just what that reminder of who God is. Um, so there's the piece for me of like, yeah, I keep my eyes on Jesus, but there's more than that. I think there's this reminder of like that's the God that's the God that um that's the God I follow. The one who's like I'm right here and it's okay. It's okay when you've lost focus, when you've lost uh your sight. Um I'm just waiting

  00:17:05 - 00:18:24

  right here in the mess. That's good. I love I love the visual. Um the chyros for me this week. Um, so I did do some exercising exercises on a paddle board with a kettle bell. Um, and uh, out on the river. I did with a kettle bell. Yeah, with a kettle bell. Um, and then idea, let's tie a rope to this. We'll use the kettle bell as an anchor. We'll tie that to the paddle board and then I can really work out. I mean, rest on the river. Yeah. What What are you even saying right? Nobody believes you. Nobody

  00:17:45 - 00:18:52

  that's Nobody that's listening to this believes you. That's true. I did I did some kettle bell over my head. Right. Is that what you do? Okay. So, I tied it to the to the paddle board as an anchor and then haded the paddle board in the in the current um of the river and um Lori was there sitting on the rocks um just like a feet away and uh paddle like drifted off out of the current. She got her feet up on the end of it and I'm just laying in there. Part of me in the current, part of me not. And I put my

  00:18:18 - 00:19:35

  arms out into the water on the other side on either side of the the paddle board. And um it was this like sensation is like washing away the things that were tangled around. Um, like when I put my arms in the water because I was in the current and everything's flowing by me, it was just had a sense of this like, "Okay, God, whatever is um sin is entangled around me, whatever is distracting me that's keeping my um focus off of you." It was just it was a a moment there in the river like is

  00:18:56 - 00:20:28

  washed away and being washed away. Um that I wasn't the one doing it. Yeah. I simply I simply had to stay there long enough for that to take place that that I think that was the piece um of this you know typically when I read verse one it's like yeah you just you know don't fall in the cobweb or the spiderweb that's where all the bad stuff is and it's like no actually um it's trusting God that he's um detangling me or washing me clean. It's simply just like, "Okay, Lord."

  00:19:44 - 00:21:07

  Mhm. You know, and and then he's faithful to do so. I think in the same kind of way like I've been here all along and I'm this is what I want to offer you. Yeah. Just waiting for you. Yeah. So it did it felt very um the sense was a lighter a lighter a lightness in that. So uh it's good reminder um that took me back to to Galatians 12. Yeah, it's good. So because too often I'll like want to just take off and run the race with all the things. With all the things. Yeah. And God's like, "Wait, first, this

  00:20:24 - 00:21:39

  will actually really help. It'll It's be easier." You know, it's like, "Devon, you love efficiency. Let me help you. I This will really be efficient if you if you just sit if you just sit here long enough, lay here, be here with me. Um you it'll really help the the running. So, yeah, it's good. Here we are. Here we are. Thanks, God." Yeah. I thank you guys for uh um listening in and being with us. And we hope and pray that your conversations are going beyond Sunday and that God is

  00:21:01 - 00:21:38

  stirring in your heart. Um and that that stirring in your heart and soul is moving you closer to him. Um and so we hope that for you, desire that for you as we desire and hope that for ourselves. So we'll see you guys next week. Take care. [Music]