https://www.bible.com/events/49374853

Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus

Healthy Me: Mind Made Up Part 2

Out of The Dark…

Today we are starting our new teaching series called Healthy Me: A mind made up.

Healthy Me is a compassionate invitation to seek healing and wholeness in the area of mental health. Believing that God sees us and he cares about how we are feeling.

Our goal is to provide a biblical approach to our mental health and to gain tools to begin a path towards a healthy me.

This is not about quick fixes, easy answers, or cliché responses. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling. These are tools for the journey of wholeness and healing through Christ.

Today we are talking about depression.

Depression is more than a bad day or being a little blue. It’s a sense of gloom or darkness that just lays over you. It’s persistent feelings of sadness or anxiousness. And often you cant pinpoint why.

You might feel like crying or you might have the motivation to even get out of bed, or you might feel overwhelmed by basic tasks

You might feel hopeless and helpless about the future.

You also might struggle to find any joy in life, even in things you once loved to do.

Depression doesn’t just manifest itself in crying and sadness, it can also show up as being really irritable, or easily angered too.

These feelings might last anywhere from several days, to several months or even years. And these feelings get in the way of your daily life.

We certainly here more about depression today, but it’s definitely not new.

People throughout the bible deal with feelings and seasons of depression.

Jeremiah, Job, King David, The Apostle Paul, just to name a few.

For our teaching text today, I want to look at a story from the life of the Prophet Elijah.

1 Kings 19:3-4

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

Depression can come into our lives through many different things.

It could stem from a physical issue with our bodies, or relational challenges we are facing. The loss of a loved one, getting let go from a job, a loss of friendship. Depression may even be a reflection of a spiritual battle we are facing.

And truth be told, we might not know why we feel the way we feel.

For Elijah, it was a threatening situation and fear for his life.

And Elijah does what many of us do when our emotions run away- he sought isolation. Elijah withdraws from his daily life, isolates himself, lays down under a tree, and asks the Lord to take his life.

It doesn’t end here under the broom tree, God doesn’t his prayer to die.

Far from killing him like he asked, the Lord sends and angel to feed Elijah.

Even when Elijah was running away, the Lord was there to care for him. And the Lord’s first words for Elijah in this season was not a lecture about his fear and actions. He didn’t give him a good talking too. No, the Lord simply asks Elijah a question

1 Kings 19:9 … And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:10-13

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

To the runaway prophet, hiding in isolation, dealing with feelings of depression and despairing of life itself, God shows up. Not in a big and dramatic way- but with a gentle whisper.

The Lord met Elijah in the midst of his depression, not with condemnation or judgement, not with a lecture, but with compassion and a plan to get him back on track.

Dealing with depression doesn’t disqualify you from being seen and heard by God.

It doesn’t have to define your future and it certainly doesn’t disqualify you from being used by God.

It means your human, and you need God’s help. And he is here, he is ready to help, and there is hope.

Part of our goal in this teaching series is to offer practical tools to help us on this journey towards a Healthy Me.

So I want to end with a simple invitation, a simple word to help guide us when our thoughts and feelings are dark and gloomy.

That invitation is to P.R.A.Y.

P-Pour out your heart to God.

Give language in prayer to how you are feeling. Name those feelings, tell the Lord what you are feeling.

We see Elijah do that within his story. He told the lord how he was feeling, of the despair, the fear, the hopelessness he felt about everything.

David does the same thing in the Psalms.

Psalm 31:9-10 9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

Friends there is power and healing in giving words to our feelings.

Pour it all out to God, tell him how you are feeling, what emotions you are experiencing.

And after you get it all out…

R- Refocus on him.

When we are pouring out our feelings, we are looking inside and doing an audible inventory of what we find- and that can be hard, and exhausting. We might feel like we are done in that moment. But if we stop there, we haven’t looked anywhere besides ourselves for help.

We must take the next step and look up to the Lord.

Psalm 31:14-16 14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

Don’t miss your privilege as a child of God to look to your heavenly Father and know that he is there, that he is good, and that he loves you.

Refocus on the Lord.

A- Sandwich, eat a sandwich.

A Sandwich is a way to remember we need to take care of our physical needs when we are feeling depressed.

It’s interesting in Elijah’s story, the first way the Lord shows up in his story is through an angel giving him food and water. Before the Lord addressed his runaway and depressed prophet- he tends to his physical needs.

In the midst of our depression, we must take care of our physical needs.

Eating proper amounts of healthy foods- Resist the urge to over indulge in sweets or junk food.

Make sure you are getting physical exercise, fresh air, sunlight.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.

Keep a regular routine as much as possible.

Individually, these probably don’t amount to a lot, but together they are critical in helping us work through our feelings of depression.

Y- Yes, Lord. I will.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Practically everything that will help us get out of depression goes against everything we are feeling in the moment. We have to push through and say yes, I will. This is probably the hardest part.

We might feel like we want to be left alone, but we know isolation is NOT good for us in these moments. So we push against that feeling and go spend time with a friend. Yes, I will

You might not feel like going to the Doctor to talk about how you have been feeling- You might not feel like doing medication or counselling they recommend. Yes, I will take that step.

We might feel like quitting it all, our jobs, our families. Yes, ill go to work tomorrow, ill go home on time.

We might not feel like praying or reading the bible Yes Lord, I will, even though i don’t want too right now.

P.R.A.Y.

What you are feeling is serious and real, and we can’t fight it passively. We must say yes to the solutions the Lord leads us to.

Depression is real, but so is God’s power to heal.

Will you PRAY through your feelings of depression?

· HAPPY NEW YEAR- NEW SERIES

· WHY-WE LOOK AROUND AND SEE/HEAR PAIN

NEXT FEW WEEKS SCRATCH THE SURFACE LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

A FEW THOUGHTS

1. NOT MEANT TO BE IN PLACE OF A COUNSELING SESSION

2. WE ARE NOT TRAINED PSYCHOLOGIST

3. TOPICS- LONELINESS/DEPRESSION/ANXIETY/ANGER

4. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN PRAYER- TODAY WE PRAY

5. WILL NOT PRESENT IN A WAY THAT YOU LACK FAITH

IDEA- PRESENT A PROBLEM- PROVIDE AN ANTEDOTE

· I WAS A SENIOR IN HS-PARENTS WERE MOVING

· THEY WERE MOVING IN JANUARY

· I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE IN THE FALL

· LIVED IN DOWNTOWN SECTION-WEST CHESTER PA

· MOVED TO A FARM IN LOWER DELAWARE

· SUNDAY NIGHT- DARK- WAKE UP NEXT DAY-HOUSE

· WALKED INTO NEW SCHOOL NOVEMBER

· NEW LUNCH WAS COMING- 11:50AM- SCENE

WEBSTER DEFINES LONELINESS:

WITHOUT COMPANY- CUT OFF FROM OTHERS-

PERCEIVED FEELING OF ISOLATION

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE? ARE YOU THERE NOW?

LONELINESS DEFINED

“AN UNHEALTHY STATE WHERE WE DESTRCTIVELY FEEL THAT WE ARE ALONE, NOT RECOGNIZING GODS PROMISE TO BE WITH US ALWAYS.

 REASONS FOR LONELINESS

5. TECHNOLOGY

4. RELOCATION (CHANGE OF JOBS/STATES/COLLEGE)

3. LIFE TRANSITION/AGING (DIFF ACTVITITIES)

2. LOSS OF LOVED ONE

1. FOCUS ON SELF

STATEMENT FROM NY TIMES ARTICLE

EVEN BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE US ADULTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING MEASURABLE LEVELS OF LONELINESS.

RIGHT NOW STATISTICS SAY BETWEEN 25-33 % LONELY

GENESIS 1:3-5

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” EDITSLIDE

GENESIS 1:9-10

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

 SCRIPTURE GENESIS 1:12

12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,

 GENESIS 1:18

18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

25 God made all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

GENESIS 2:18

18. THE LORD GOD SAID, “IT WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR MAN TO BE ALONE. I WILL MAKE A HELPER SUITABLR FOR HIM.

POINT NEMO

· FURTHEST POINT FROM LAND

· MAYBE YOU ARE SICK OF PEOPLE?

· JESUS SOUGHT SOLITUDE (DIFFERENT ISOLATION)

2 TIMOTHY 4:9 APOSTLE PAUL IS WRITING FINAL WORDS

Paul wrote 2 Timothy a dark and damp Roman prison cell, just before his death in AD 67. (NERO LOSING IT)

Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to

Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (PAUL IS USED TO COMPANIONS)

12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth

PICTURE OF TOM HANKS AND WILSON

· SCREENWRITER WILLIAM BROYLES JR

· WENT REMOTE CARRIBEAN ISLAND-SURVIVALIST

· SOCCER BALL WASHED UP ON SHORE

· KNEW ENOUGH TO

SOLOMON THE WISEST OF MEN WROTE 5 BOOKS

ONE NAMED ECCLESIASTES WHERE WE GET EKLESIA

ECCLESIASTES 4:10

10.TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD RETURN FOR THEIR LABOR. IF EITHER OF THEM FALLS DOWN, ONE CAN HELP THE OTHER UP.

BUT PITY ANYONE WHO FALLS AND HAS ONE TO HELP THEM UP.

ECCLESIASTES 4:11-12

11. ALSO, IF TWO LIE DOWN TOGETHER, THEY WILL KEEP WARM ALONE? 12. THOUGH ONE MAY BE OVERPOWERED, TWO CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES. A CORD OF THREE STRANDS IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN.

SCHOLARS DON’T JUST THINK THIS WAS FOR MARRIAGE

PASTOR RICK WARREN SAID MOST DEAL LONELINESS BY/WITH

WORKING-WORK MYSELF TO DEATH/WAKE UP REPEAT

MATERIALISM-I WILL PURCHASE ENOUGH THINGS TO REMOVE THE LONELINESS IN MY HEART

ALCOHOL-DRUGS- ISOLATING MORE

SEXUAL ESCAPE-SLEEPING NEXT TO ANY WARM BODY

FANTASY-PORNOGRAPHY- LIVE A LIFE THAT’S NOT REAL

HAS YOUR SADNESS ERASED YOUR JOY?

HAS YOUR LONELINESS ECLIPSED YOUR FAITH?

 ARTICLE HEADLINE

RESEARCHERS FROM AARP AND STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS MORE THAN 6.7 BILLION ANNUALLY ON ADDITIONAL MEDICAL COSTST FOR MEDICARE RECIPENTS WHO LACK SOCIAL CONTACT

SLIDE 16: VIVEK MURTHY

LONELINESS IS LIKE SMOKING 15 CIGARETTES A DAY IN TERMS OF ITS IMPACT ON OUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

 SOLUTIONS SLIDE

1. RECOGNIZE/REALIZE GODS CONSISTENT PROMISE TO BE WITH US. (MATT 28:20)

2. GODS DESIGN FOR US TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY

GENESIS 1:26

Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness (ESV SAYS AFTER OUR LIKENESS)

GOD HIMSELF IS IN COMMUNITY

PARACHERESUS (DIVINE DANCE FATHER/SON/HS)

3. SERVE-IS ANYONE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM MY LONELINESS?

4. THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES TO SERVE IN THE CHURCH- TO SERVE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH)

 CONNECT

· JUST OUR CHURCH-CONNECTING POINTS

· MENS STUFF/WOMENS STUFF

· KIDS MINISTRY (NOT JUST BABYSITTING)

· YOUTH MINISTRY

· JOY GROUP

WE ARE THE CHURCH-WE ARE COMMNUNITY- WE ARE NOT PERFECT- WE CAN’T MEET EVERY NEED

MAIN ANTEDOTE TO LONELINESS IS- COMMUNITY

· ELIUD KIPCHOGE-RUNNER FROM KENYA

· 2016 WON GOLD MEDAL

· WANTED TO RUN 26.2 MILES IN 2 HOURS OR LESS

· 2017 NIKE HOSTED BREAKING2 EVENT (25 SECONDS)

· 2019 VIENNA WITH 120,00 FANS AND TEAM TO HELP

· ELUID BREAKS THE RECORD

YOU SEE CELEBRATION BY THOSE RUNNING WITH HIM?

DIDN’T COUNT.

· SURROUNDED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE- HE WAS ABLE TO DO WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE

· WHAT IF WE SURROUNDED OURSELVES WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE GOD AND LOVE OTHERS

TODAY I’M SORRY

· APOLOGIZE FOR THE LONELINESS

· WE WANT TO CLOSE BY OFFERING YOU A CHANCE TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE PRAY WITH YOU/FOR YOU/OVER YOU.

· ONE PRAYER DOESN’T ELVIATE LONELINESS

· JESUS UNDERSTANDS LONELINESS

LAST WORDS TO HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED MOST IN JOHN 16:32

“BUT THE TIME IS COMING-INDEED ITS HERE NOW WHEN YOU WILL BE SCATTERED, EACH ONE GOING HIS OWN WAY, LEAVING ME ALL ALONE. YET I AM NOT ALONE BECAUSE MY FATHER IS WITH ME.”

https://www.bible.com/events/49370939

Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus

Healthy Me: Mind Made Up Part 1

Never alone…

Today we are starting our new teaching series called Healthy Me: A mind made up.

Healthy Me is a compassionate invitation to seek healing and wholeness in the area of mental health. Believing that God sees us and he cares about how we are feeling.

Our goal is to provide a biblical approach to our mental health and to gain tools to begin a path towards a healthy me.

This is not about quick fixes, easy answers, or cliché responses. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling. These are tools for the journey of wholeness and healing through Christ.

We begin today talking about loneliness.

Loneliness is an unhealthy or destructive feeling of sadness due to a perceived lack of companionship, friendship, or any social connection.

Loneliness is not necessarily a reflection of how big our social circles are, our marital status, or even how many calls and texts we receive each day. Rather, loneliness is a reflection of how connected we feel to others and how supported and seen we feel in relationship.

So, loneliness is not simply about being alone. It’s not limited to those who are single, orphaned, or those who have lost a spouse. Loneliness can be a challenge for ANYONE who is missing connections with others.

As we turn to the bible, loneliness appears sooner in the story than you might think.

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Loneliness is literally the first “Not good” in the creation account.

From Genesis onward, we see different people facing loneliness.

King David for example. He was wealthy, he had a large family, he even had multiple wives, all of the officials surrounding him, and he still dealt with loneliness. (See Psalm 27:16-17)

The Apostle Paul, as he is imprisoned and facing the death penalty, he is also facing the weight and reality of loneliness. (See 2 Timothy 4:9-12)

And let’s not forget Jesus powerful yet lonely words from the cross…

Matthew 27:46

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

As we look at loneliness in our day, it’s a challenge for many people.

Studies indicate that 1 in 4 people face loneliness on a regular basis. And this is just as true within the church as anywhere else.

Loneliness can come into our lives in a variety of otherwise normal life events.

We might change schools or change jobs, and suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by people, but feeling all alone. Family or friends might move away. We might loose a loved one and be left alone. We might even be rejected by others, whether by divorce, or by disagreement.

Loneliness often shows up in our story as an unwelcome and un-invited guest and it doesn’t just affect our mood, it’s effecting our health.

The surgeon general says that insufficient connection can lead to some serious health consequences.

29% increased risk of heart disease a 32% increased risk of stroke

50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.

Loneliness also increases risk of premature death by more than 60%

The Surgeon General likens the health effects of loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, that’s nearly a pack per day, or they relate it to consuming 6 alcoholic drinks per day.

Of course, we arent oblivious to that pain, so people often try to self-medicate to offset the loneliness.

We might throw ourselves into our work. We might try “retail therapy”.

Others might turn to Drugs, alcohol, or prescription pills to dull the pain.

Some might even seek to fill the void with one night stands.

Sometimes we will build walks to protect ourselves from ever being hurt again. The pain of loneliness is not as bad as the pain of past rejection, so we reside to living there.

It’s not hard to imagine how feelings of loneliness can become a spiral of destructive thoughts and emotions.

Our loneliness drives isolation, producing depression and anxiety, which leads to avoiding people, which leads to loneliness. Around and around it goes.

Loneliness.

So, what do we do? We may not have chosen loneliness; we certainly don’t like it. What are some things we can do to help with those feelings?

I would invite you on the journey of P.E.A.C.E.

I believe P.E.A.C.E can help us on the path of healing and wholeness.

P- Presence

We must recognize the Lord’s presence and his promise that he is with us, ALWAYS.

It’s the very promise of Christmas in the name Emmanuel given to Jesus to remind us, that he is God WITH us. Friends as we begin to deal with loneliness, we must remember God’s presence, that he is with us.

Those who are in Christ, are NEVER, EVER, truly alone.

John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Matthew 28:20 …”and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I am with you always…You are not alone.

When we are in relationship with Christ, His spirit is literally alive within us- we are not alone. He is with us. He is with you.

E-Every thought captive.

We must engage the battle of loneliness within our minds by recognizing those unhealthy and spiraling thoughts that are pushing us farther into isolation.

We must recognize, resist, and redirect those thoughts.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says “5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Arrest those runaway despairing thoughts, and redirect them towards Christ. Remember, you are not alone.

A-ask the Lord to help you in your feelings of loneliness.

That’s what King David did in Psalm 27 “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.”

David made his lonely feelings a matter of prayer and petition before the Lord. I think it’s ok for us to do the same

Ask the Lord to help you in your feelings of loneliness. Remember, you are not alone.

C-Connection

We must seek out deep, meaningful connection with others.

Acts 2:46-47 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is way beyond our typical “Hey how are you doing?” conversations. We must be intentional to invest in getting to know other people, and getting them to know us.

We must invest real effort in seeking connection with others. Remember, you are not alone.

E- Engage in Ministry

1 Peter 4:8-10 says 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.10 Each of you (Who did he say?) should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Part of a meaningful and connected life is serving others, espesically when you feel alone.

If we find ourselves in a season of loneliness, can we prayerfully ask the question “Who can benefit from my season of loneliness?”

Remember, you are not alone, and THEY are not alone either.

P.E.A.C.E.

This is not a “one pill prescription” this is not an “easy as 1-2-3” process. This is an invitation to a journey. A journey out of loneliness and isolation and into a Healthy Me.

There is hope. Loneliness does not have the final answer. You are not alone.

http://bible.com/events/49368657

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

Steadfast Loyalty

Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ. – Oswald Chambers

WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM ME THIS YEAR?

We are stuck in a generation where loyalty is just a tattoo, love is just a quote, and lying is the new truth.

2 Kings 3:1-15

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” “By what route shall we attack?” he asked. “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered. So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.” Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha

GOD’S UNDERSTANDING OF LOYALTY

Matthew 22:34-38

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

DEMONSTRATING STEADFAST OR FAITHFUL LOVE IN (COVENANT) RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

Andy Mineo

We want a god we don’t have to trust

We want a god that’s ok with lust

We want a god that doesn’t ask for much

Some of us serve a god by the name of “us”

Oswald Chambers

Our danger is to water down God’s word to suit ourselves. God never fits His word to suit me; He fits me to suit His word.

Are we loyal to the One who redeemed us?

HOW HE WANTS LOYALTY TO BE LIVED OUT

1. Completely undivided

2. Daily, over a lifetime

Luke 9:23-25

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

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https://cotnaz.churchcenter.com/home

Today we are going to continue a teaching series that we began back in August called “For One”

The “For One” teaching series was all about seeing Jesus’ one at a time approach to engaging with people.

We believe that Jesus came to save the whole world, and that through His life, death, and resurrection, He has made the pathway to salvation and eternal life open to everyone.

In that sense, Jesus is for everyone.

But during his earthly ministry, often times we see Jesus fulfilling this worldwide redemption one person at a time.

Jesus is ‘for the one’.

Throughout this teaching series we asked the question:

“What would it look like for you and me to adoptthis same model for our lives?”

What does it look like to be “for the one” like Jesus was?

For me, “my one” was a man named Buddy.

On January 31, 2016, I was called by Steven and Sandy and asked to go visit Buddy, Steven’s dad.  This was the beginning of my relationship with Buddy, “my one”.

Buddy was 92 years old, and he had recently received a bad medical report.  

Buddy was a pre-Christian and his family was concerned about where he would spend eternity.

I asked them when they wanted me to go visit.  Sandy said “Tonight if you are able.”  

It was cold, single digit temperature with snow covered on the ground with ice.  My precious husband, Thomas thought it would be best if he drove me since the roads were so bad. Thomas waited for me in the car while I visited Buddy.  

Steven’s sister, Karen, was there for the night to help Buddy with his care.    

Buddy was direct.  He asked me why I had come to visit him on a night with such bad weather. It seemed as though our relationship was off to a bumpy start.

I told Buddy, You matter to God and to your family.  They are concerned that you are going to die and go to hell.  They are concerned about your salvation.”  

I remember asking Buddy if he believed in heaven.  “Yes”, he answered.  I asked Buddy if he believed in hell.  “Yes”, he answered.  I asked Buddy if he believed in Jesus. “Yes.”  But that was the end of the discussion.  

Buddy quickly told me:

1. I am not interested in all that stuff.

2. I’m 92 years old. I have made it on my own all these years, AND I am going to continue to make it on my own.  

3. I’m not a religious person.  I don’t need religionAND I don’t want religion!

I remember Buddy’s words like it was yesterday.  I toldBuddy, we were going to get along just fine, because I wasn’t a religious person either, and that I was all about relationships NOT religion!

I explained to Buddy that Jesus desired a personal relationship with him so bad that he would send a little red head out on a cold winter night, to tell him that Jesus loves him and that He died on the cross for his sins.  

As Buddy and I were talking, I noticed many blue ribbons hanging on the wall.  I asked him to tell me about the ribbons, and immediately I hit a home run.  

Buddy began to talk. He smiled and told me about the Field Trials at Melrose.  Buddy had fond memories of hunting with his bird dogs and training them.  

He boastfully told me about a puppy he raised up to be an award hunting dog.  

It was approaching 9 p.m. and Buddy told me that his bed time was always 8:00 p.m. Buddy was ready to go to bed.

Before leaving, I asked Buddy if I could pray for himand we did.

I didn’t know it at the time, but God had put Buddy in my life to be “my one”.

Together within our “For One” series, we prayed that the Lord would show us who ‘the one’ was in our lives.

Someone that the Lord had put into our lives, that he wanted us to cultivate a relationship with and show them the Love of Christ.

For those of you who were here for that series, can I ask you, how’s your relationship with your one going?

It’s been a few months, are you still praying for them?  Have you gotten to check in to see how they are doing this Christmas season?

I understand it’s been a while since we talked about this and life has a way of getting busy.  So, today isn’t about making you feel guilty, or shaming anyone into action.

This is a reminder as we step into the new year we want to be for ‘our one’.

Today we are going to look at the life of Jesus where he pursued ‘the one’ named Zacchaeus.  

Today we are going to be in Luke 19:1-10, but before we unpack it, let us pray.

Please join me in praying this prayer:  

“Dear God, we welcome You here.  We need You Jesus.  Lord, please help me, help us to go for ‘the one’. Father, please prepare the way for me. Lord, I also that with every breath that I take, please help me, help us to surrender all to You.   Even if I have surrendered all yesterday, I want to surrender all today, and to surrender all every day. Wonderful Counselor please speak.  In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.”

Verses 1, 2, and 3:  Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem just before His crucifixion. He is always about seeking and saving the lost.  Jesus was on mission to save ‘the one’, named Zacchaeus.  

Zacchaeus was more than a tax collector, he was the chief tax collector.  

Although Zacchaeus was Jewish by birth, by employer he was hired by the Roman Empire.

He worked on commission, but he got rich by corruption. For example, if Rome was charging 20%, the tax collector could charge 30%.  Tax collectors made themselves rich by gouging their fellow Jews, therefore, he was considered a traitor to his people.  

Zacchaeus was desperately curious about Jesus.    

He had heard that Jesus healed the sick and had the power to raise people from the dead.  People called Jesus Master, Lord, Teacher, Messiah, and Jesus was a friend to sinners.  

Zacchaeus wanted to see this man, Jesus for himself.

Zacchaeus was short. He was vertically challenged.  

God wants to take our disadvantages, our weaknesses, our ashes, and turn them into something beautiful.

Verses 4, 5, and 6:  4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Pause for a moment and consider how strange of a sight this was. A Jewish Middle Eastern man never —ever — ran.  Running required men to hike up their robes and expose their legs, which was considered humiliating and disgraceful.

On top of all of that, grown men never climbed trees.

Yet here was the most infamous man in Jericho in a tree!

SOMETIMES you have to be willing to break away from the crowd to see Jesus.

Jesus saw the one.  Jesus always sees the one seeking Him.

Jesus did not see Zacchaeus as a problem or an interruption. Jesus saw Zacchaeus as part of His mission, so Jesus invites himself over for dinner.

It’s important to know that in Jesus’ day, the act of eating with someone acknowledged that person as an equal.  

Religious folks ate with religious folks, and tax collectors ate with tax collectors. The rich ate with the rich. The poor ate with the poor. And the lines were never crossed.

But Jesus knew in order to change the lives of people, it required spending time with them, teaching them, and welcoming them into a new way of living and being. Jesus was all about ‘Relationship Ministry’.  That’s what this dinner was all about.  

Verse 7:  7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

As you could imagine, all the people that Zacchaeus had cheated were not pleased that he was the one having dinner with Jesus.  They were grumbling.

So during the meal…

Verse 8:  8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Seizing the moment, Zacchaeus responded to this gracious act of Jesus by repenting.

Repenting is a churchy word.  What does the word repent mean?  Turn from the direction that you are headed and go in the opposite direction, turn from what is wrong and turn to what is right.

This turning away from, is the result of changing one’s mind and agreeing with God that His way is best.  True repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action. 

Zacchaeus changed his mind about the importance of money. He turned away from defrauding others and he turned towards the restoring to others.  He demonstrated his repentance in his actions.

Verses 9 and 10:  9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus went for “the one”.

And Jesus’ commitment to reach ‘the one’ changed everything for Zacchaeus.  And friends, Jesus can still change everything for people in your life and mine.  

Just like the story of my friend Buddy.  

Let me tell you the rest of the story regarding my dear friend Buddy. “My one” came into my life by a phone call from a friend on a cold winter’s night.  

After meeting Buddy that night at his home, the very next day, Buddy fell and he was taken to Sentara. I visited Buddy in the Emergency Room.  

Buddy remembered meeting me the night before.   He was glad to see me.  I asked him if I could pray for him and he said “okay”.

Buddy was admitted into the hospital, and he stayed in the hospital for several days before moving to Harrisonburg Rehab and then to MonVue.  

I visited Buddy while he was in the hospital, and then faithfully in both rehab facilities.

Over the next five months we became friends. We had great visits, talking about hunting, fishing, basketball, his kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  

During this time, I had the opportunity to meet Buddy’s entire family.  

We had conversations about heaven and hell, and ‘Why he should ask Jesus to forgive him of his sins and for Jesus to come live in his heart?’

Buddy would often respond by saying:

• “I don’t need anyone, and I certainly do not need Jesus.”

• “I’m okay with hell.  I’m not afraid of it.  If I burn then I burn.”

• “When I die, I die.  What I do and say is my business and no one else’s.”

• “Not today.”  “I need to think about what you have said.”  

• “I need some more time.” “I’m not ready!”

Before departing Buddy, I would always express my concern about him waiting; and I would say “What if you die today and go to hell because you chose to wait?”

Buddy got use to my visits and would always ask me if I was coming again and when.  

Although I was visiting Buddy usually twice daily, in the morning and in the evening, it wasn’t until almost a month after we met, that one morning we began to talk about our mom’s.

Buddy loved his mama. I learned that Ms. Lucyattended church, and she loved the Lord. Buddy told me that Ms. Lucy was in heaven.  

Buddy shared that as a young adult, he had accepted Jesus, and then he went to serve in the U. S. Army Air Force.

Buddy told me that when he returned home from the military, his life got busy, and he didn’t have time for church, and he gradually fell away from God.    

Buddy told me that he enjoyed having a drink of alcohol.  He shared that he was a mean person when he drank.  He told me that God could never forgive him for the things that he had done to people and the things that he had said.

I told Buddy that ‘in my day’ up to 31 years old, I ENJOYED having a drink and using drugs, and then I encountered Jesus.  

Buddy shook his head in disbelief.  

I can still see Buddy’s bright blue eyes, with a smile that covered his face as I continued to share ‘my story’,and how Jesus rescued me.  

I told Buddy IF Jesus could rescue me, then there was no one outside of God’s reach.

Something special happened that day.  Buddy and I embraced, and for the first time, Buddy knew that I was visiting him because I cared, and not because his family had asked me to come.  

From that day forward, Buddy called me the ‘little red headed fireball’.  

On February 23 during my morning visit, I can still hear Buddy saying “This could be the day!”  I immediately asked him if he wanted to pray to invite Jesus into his heart.  Buddy said “not right now.”  I prayed for Buddy before leaving and he wanted to know if I was coming again soon?

Throughout my day, Buddy’s words arrested me, “This could be the day!”  

That evening when I arrived, Buddy looked intently into my eyes, waiting to hear my normal question.

I asked Buddy if he remembered what he had said that morning, “This could be the day?”  He shook his head “yes” and with a smile, Buddy said “I remember.”

I asked Buddy if he wanted to pray and ask Jesus to forgive him of his sins, and to come live in his heart.

I told Buddy I would pray and if he agreed with my words to ask Jesus to forgive him, to come live in his heart, to help him live his life for Jesus, then at the end of the prayer, all he would need to do was say “Yes I do!”.

We closed our eyes, and I prayed.  And, at the end of the prayer, I opened my eyes and looked at Buddy, and Buddy was looking at me, and he said “YES I DO! Amen!”

When I arrived the next morning, Buddy was waiting for me to come.  As soon as I walked into his room, Buddy told me, “I accepted Jesus into my heart last night.”

I heard from many family members that during the last five months of Buddy’s life, he was a different man.  His words were different, and he was kind to his family.

On April 10, Buddy got baptized. He wanted his family to know that he had given his life to the Lord.  

Since my first visit with Buddy, the Wonderful Counselor guided my words, and He used me to love Buddy and point him to Jesus.  

I will remember our friendship FOREVER and that God allowed me to be Buddy’s friend.

The family and I were with Buddy on June 29, 2016, when he crossed over to heaven to live with Jesus forever.  

These ribbons are two of many that were part of Buddy’s trophies.  The family gave me these ribbons ‘in memory of Buddy’ as they knew that Buddy would want me to have a reminder of our friendship.  

These ribbons remind me that I MUST always go for ‘My One’.  Praise the Lord I have the JOY that one day I will see Buddy again in heaven.  

Church family, how’s your relationship with your one today? Which of the following best describes your answer?

1. I want others to know Jesus, but I have too much going on in my life.  I am too busy.

2. It’s going good.  We are talking and growing in our relationship.

3. Today, I want to prayerfully consider who ‘my one is’, and I want God’s help to reach my one.

We must not sit back and hope for the conversion of the world.  We must go “for one” as Jesus did.

Church, please go for “the one” that God is calling you to faithfully pray for, and give your time and energy to be a part of their lives, so that they will come to know Jesus.

Today there are two ways to respond to this message:  Up front there are cards on the table, and while the band is playing, please:

1. Walk up and write the name of ‘your one’ on the card and then pin your card to the cross.  Pastor Jared, myself and our Leadership Team, will join you in praying with you ‘for your one’.

2. Or perhaps you sense that the Wonderful Counselor is guiding you to ‘surrender all to Jesus’. The Holy Spirit is moving you to get out of your chair.  Don’t wait until another day, for that day may never come.  Simply move forward. Write your name on the card, and the words “I surrender all” or be anonymous, and simply write ‘I surrender all’, and we will join you in praying for God’s will in your life.

Let us pray:

“Dear Lord, thank You for ‘My One’.  God we pray for ‘our one’, that like Zacchaeus they will be transformed, and they will come to know You as their Lord and Savior.  Please give me favor with ‘my one’.

Please help me to surrender all to you.  More of You and less of me.  Jesus, I surrender all to You.  Please help me, help us to honor You in our thoughts, words, and actions.  We love You Lord.  In Jesus Name, Amen.”