THINGS I DO NOT WANT TO PASS UP

January 2, 2020, I spoke at Timbercrest (a local retirement community).  I like speaking at their chapel.  No, I am not going to post the whole message, but I do want to share the last part.  (Yes, it is a bit longer than my normal blog, so get a cup of coffee, sit in your favorite chair, and read away.)

The message was about setting three life goals?

FINDING WONDER IN NORMAL THINGS

FINDING JOY IN OTHERS

KNOWING WHAT NOT TO PASS UP

The first two are pretty obvious.  We see normal things so often we miss the wonder.  An example is a child sitting on a parent’s lap, with their head gently resting on a shoulder.  BUT, when we look past the normal and see the trust and the feeling of being safe, we see the wonder.

Finding joy in others is not something new for me, but something I want to keep doing.  People have such stories.  Besides, Hebrews 13:2 instructs me:  Mary do not ignore strangers for you might ignore an angel.  Believe me – I do not want an angel telling God I ignored them.

Of the three goals, “Knowing what not to pass up” is the most important. 

KNOWING WHAT NOT TO PASS UP

That might be an unusual statement, but there are parts of our faith that are of no value if we pass them up.  Three of those parts are the Bible, Christmas and Easter, and Communion.

THE BIBLE

A number of studies show that 87% of American households have a Bible.  As a matter of fact, each of those households has three copies.  I like those numbers.  87% is pretty good.  Right?  And three copies in each home….

Then I kept on reading.  87% have a Bible but only 22% read from that Bible every day.  30% occasionally look up a certain scripture.  35% never pick it up. 

One report said, “Americans treat reading the Bible a little bit like exercise.  They know it’s important and helpful but they don’t do it.

I have news for you:  A closed Bible, dusted in case the minister stops by, is of absolutely no value.  A Bible is only good when it is opened and read!  For full disclosure:  There are days that disappear and when I lay my head down, I realize my Bible was not opened that day.

But I do not want to pass this opportunity up!  I want to find comfort!  I want to find salvation!  I want to know how to get through trials!  And I want to celebrate my joys with God!  I want to know about eternal life and I want to know how to get there! 

I want to find forgiveness, because only in those pages will I find the one person who can present me to God as forgiven. 

I do not want to pass this up. 

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  Revelation 1:3

The Bible is an opportunity I do not want to pass this up.

CHRISTMAS AND EASTER

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and I do not want to pass up this gift. 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.  The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7

Wonderful Counselor – Mighty – Everlasting – Peace – FOREVER.

I do not want to pass this up!

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:10-12

A baby – A Savior – for ALL!  For all – that means for you… and me.

Pass this up?  NO WAY!

It is so easy to look forward to Christmas.  A baby – who doesn’t like a baby?  But the gift of Christmas has no value without the gift of Easter.  And that gift is not so easy to accept.  The pain of Easter is real –

They stripped him.  They mocked him.  They spit on him.  They struck him.  They drove nails in his hands and feet. 

At about the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Again he cried out and gave up his spirit.  (parts of Matthew 27)

How I want to pass on this.  Maybe,   maybe, I can turn the pages very quickly.  Maybe I will not hear myself deny knowing Jesus.  Maybe I will not see myself in the crowd shouting “give us Barabbas” or holding a crown of thorns.  Because, in one way or another, at some time in my life, I have denied.  I have shouted.  I have held the thorns.  How I want to pass on this.

But I cannot.  To pass on the crucifixion would mean the resurrection would have no value.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for 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.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”  John 14:1-4

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.  Mark 16:19

Pass on Easter?  NO WAY!  I want my room!  I want Jesus to take me to be with him! 

COMMUNION

It amazes me that communion is always pictured with the cup full of wine and the plate full of bread.  Why?  Communion is of no value sitting on the altar and I do not want to pass it up. 

I want to see the cup empty because I drank from it.

I want to see the bread gone because I ate it.

Communion should be pictured with an empty cup and only bread crumbs left on the plate.  And even those crumbs should be gone.

I do not want to pass communion up.

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. ….. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

John 6:32-33, 35, 39-40

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.  Luke 22:19-20

I do not want to pass up communion.  I want to honor the sacrifice Jesus made for me.

During 2020 and beyond I hope you will also make these your goals because --

Finding wonder in normal things will make your day better.

Finding joy in others will enrich two lives – yours and theirs.

And – most important –

Knowing what not to pass up – will lead you to

The Word of God

The amazing gift of God’s Son

The opportunity to honor God’s gift and Jesus’ sacrifice through communion

It is a New Year.  Full of new opportunities.  Go forth – and don’t screw it up.