FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES

Our minister was trying out a new toy -- a sound system with karaoke. He said he thought he shouldn't be caught singing Friends in Low Places. I told him, "Why not? It is a great song and it could lead to a sermon."

That is when some of the verses started rolling around in my head. I do have friends in low places, because sin puts you in a very low place. And we are all sinners.

Blame it all on my roots

== If only Eve had not taken the first bite and Adam the second, my roots would be way different.

Cause I've got friends in low places

== These friends are called sinners and the low place is where that ole devil wants us to stay.

Where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blues away

== Ok. I will have to change this verse to where "the Cross covers" and "forgiveness chases" my sins away.

And I'll be okay

== Yes. Yes I will

I will be okay. You will be okay. Why? Because God loves us enough to send His Son.

SIN

We are not walking around in the Garden of Eden because of sin. It started with just a small sin. Taking a bite from that pretty fruit on just one tree. NO. It started with the not so small sin of disobeying God. It went downhill from there, but God really did want His children to walk the straight and narrow.

First God sent prophets but His children did not listen to them and even roughed them up. People were out there doing all sorts of things. Worshipping other gods. Sacrificing children. Breaking those silly Ten Commandments. The Priests were in it for stature and power. Yup, a lot of sinning going on. Really big sins. Sins that required a big, larger than life sacrifice. God sent His Son.

Today we don't hear much about sin in church. We hear about a loving gracious God. And He is! Also, it seems we get caught in the trap of, "Well, of course I am a sinner. But I only do small, little sins. It is not as if I have ever done a big sin. I am not like (fill in the name) who has (fill in the sin)."

News flash! Sin is sin!!! Jesus came, suffered, died and arose for the tiniest sin each of us commits. Jesus came so we - you, me, and them - have a way to overcome sin. Without Jesus and the payment He made for our sins, we for sure would be with our friends in a low place.

A low place that gets very, very hot.

A LESSON TAKES A TURN

The lesson, for our adult Sunday School class, was based upon Matthew 20:17-19:

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”

I teach this class and I had studied the commentary. I had looked at the notes in the study Bible. I was ready and thought this would be a quick discussion, so I was also prepared for the next section. How long can it take to discuss three verses? Besides, this was the third time Jesus told the disciples about what was ahead of him.

The discussion started out with: Why had Jesus only told his disciples? (He was preparing them. Getting them ready so they would understand and be able to carry on. Jesus wanted them to realize this is what he came for.) Why hadn't he told everyone? (Really strong believers would have tried to stop these things from happening. Those new believers might have been scared off. Afraid of the trouble that was to come.) It was at this point that my mind went absolutely down another way (Not a bunny trail, but a full blown, paved, ten lane interstate). It was at this point that the lesson took a major turn.

I asked the class, "How many of you like to talk about death?" Followed with, "How many of you have talked to your children about your death?"

Those questions were followed by a you-could-have-heard-a-pin-drop silence. Until, I asked, "Isn't that what Jesus was doing? He was preparing his children for his death? Shouldn't we do the same?"

There was no quiet after that! It was close to being one of the best discussions our class has ever had. We talked about how hard this can be. Our children do not want to face the fact that their mommy or daddy will die. We talked about ways we can make it easier for them by making our funeral arrangements and making sure they know what we want.

We laughed about places where they now have "drive-by" viewings. One lady said if that was to happen she wanted a sign that said, "Do you want fries with that?" They all nodded, with compassion for the funeral director, who sent my obituary back three times for revisions. No, I did not revise it! If I have to pay to put my obituary in the paper, it will say what I want! (Yes, I can be stubborn. Just ask Bill.)

We were serious when the question came up, "Do you know what your children want if they were to die?" No parent wants to face the fact that their child might die first.

Often, in the middle of a lesson, an idea will fly right into my heart and I trust it is there for a reason. This idea absolutely changed the way our class looked at these verses.

Jesus was preparing his children. We should prepare our children.

Jesus was also preparing himself. He was acknowledging that the end was near. That he would die. We should prepare ourselves. We should look at our life to make sure we are not leaving important things undone or important words unsaid. We should prepare because we started dying the day we were born.

Jesus knew where he was going. That is the biggie question. Do you know where you are going? Do you think that life has been grand and the casket will be comfy? OR Do you know you can be with Jesus -- eternally?

Jesus prepared his disciples. Jesus prepared himself. Are you allowing Jesus to prepare you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and take you to be with me

that you also may be where I am.

John 14:3