Are you Called to Play Golf?

Jude 17-25

 

Do you live in a bubble? Are you out of touch with the real world? Normally, we speak like this when we refer to a corporate office, or maybe those who are in an ivory tower; not ourselves. Recently though, I had a wakeup call.

 

About once a year, I have the opportunity to play in a golf outing through work that is sponsored by a vendor. It’s great to get out of the office for the day and to get paid to do it. In addition, the day we played was absolutely beautiful. The down side is my game, if you can call it that. I’m terrible.

 

Fortunately, I was put on a foursome with two brothers that apparently spend most of their work week on the course rather than behind a desk. However, as good as they were at golf, it was uncomfortable to play with them at times.

 

Throughout the day, one of them liberally sprinkled his comments with curse words and the other drank himself silly. Together, they made crude comments about women. They were a couple of “real sinners”. It was an eye opening experience.

 

The longer we are a Christian, the more likely it is that most of our friends, and as a result who we socialize with, are Christians. Therefore, it is important for us to be intentional about connecting with non-Christians.

 

Jesus was judged for spending time with sinners. He had dinner with tax collectors,

healed those who were unclean, hung out with prostitutes and common fishermen. I wonder if Peter cursed or if Matthew told dirty jokes? I wonder if it was uncomfortable for Jesus to hang out with them at times? I wonder if they were as crude and as lost as the brothers that I golfed with?

 

Jude, the brother of Jesus, wrote, “^20-21 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! ^22-23 Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.”

 

It has been suggested that maybe we need to replace some of our “religious” activities with secular activities. Based on this, I’m thinking that maybe Jesus is calling me to play golf on a regular basis, but I don’t think my wife will buy it.

 

What could you do to be intentional to connect with sinners? It may be uncomfortable, and you might even be judged for it. But if not you, then who?

 

 

What Will Your Next Step Be?

Ephesians 2:1-10

 

 

Have you ever felt like God was calling you to do something?

 

There are numerous stories of people in the Bible who were called by God to action. Abram was called to go into a land he had never seen. Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of Egypt even though he was an escaped criminal. Gideon, while hiding in a wine press, was called a Mighty Warrior to lead the Israelites against the Midianites.

 

One of my favorite stories is Isaiah being called by God in the temple. It was filled with smoke and the foundations shook from the voice of the seraphim as they called out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” When Isaiah

sees the holiness of God he also sees his own sin and repents. It was only then that he responded, “Here am I Lord. Send me.”

 

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “All of us also lived among them (the disobedient) at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

 

Like Isaiah, Paul recognized his sinfulness and that only God’s mercy and grace could save him. But to what end? Paul wrote, ^“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Like Isaiah, Paul responded to God’s saving grace by saying, “Here am I. Send me.”

 

As believers, we are called to ministry. “You are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do.” He has brought people and experiences into your life that make you uniquely gifted to share his love and the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

 

Like the stories in the Bible, we have been called to step outside of our comfort zone and go into a land we have never seen. We have been called to do things that we may not feel qualified to do. We have been called as a Mighty Warrior to battle even when we feel powerless and afraid.

 

God has gifted you, prepared you and brought you to where you are today. Now it is time for you to take the next step. What will it be?

 

 

The Giving Tree

John 15:12-17

 

 

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite children’s books. It is the story of a tree who constantly gives and the boy who always takes. The boy always wants more and the tree gives of herself until all that is left is a stump. But even as a stump, the Giving Tree continues to give because by then the boy is a tired old man so that all he needs is something to sit on.

 

You could say that the Giving Tree bears fruit by giving of herself whether it is leaves, apples, branches or even her stump. As Jesus said in today’s passage, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus was the ultimate Giving Tree.

 

Isaiah prophesied about Jesus when he wrote, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” Like the stump of the Giving Tree, this is a great visual. A nation will grow out of the stump of Jesse. Even though it is a stump, fruit will be produced.

 

From today’s passage, Eugene Peterson wrote in The Message, “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, He gives you.”

 

As a believer in and follower of Christ, we are called to bear fruit. We are called to be a Giving Tree. In doing so, you may find that you give and give and give while others take and take and take, until you feel like a stump. Either way, whether you are a full grown tree or a stump, you are called to bear fruit.

 

We don’t retire from being called to bear fruit. We don’t wait until we have perfected our lives to bear fruit. We don’t hold back from bearing fruit because others are just using us, or because we aren’t appreciated.

 

Like the Giving Tree, we keep giving and giving, even to the point of becoming a stump. And throughout it all, we give God the glory.

 

 

 

Strangers in a Foreign Land

Hebrews 13:1-3

 

Moses escaped Pharaoh and fled to Midian. While in exile he married and started his family. He named his first born Gershom (meaning “foreigner”), for Moses said, “I am a stranger in a foreign land.” Have you ever felt that way?

 

The Bible is filled with stories about people who felt like a stranger. God called Abram to go to a country he had never set foot in. The Israelites were nomads, a nation without land. After being enslaved in Egypt, they were later taken into exile. Even in Jesus’ day, the Jews were subjected to Roman rule.

 

The writer of Hebrews tells us to show hospitality to strangers. No doubt, part of the reason for that is that it is way of living out our faith; of loving others. However, I believe there is a deeper meaning.

 

As previously mentioned, the Israelites were aliens in a foreign land. Like the Israelites, we are aliens too. We are living temporarily on this planet. Paul put it like this in his letter to the Philippians, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”

 

Do you cross paths with people who may feel like a stranger? Are there visitors to your church who need a warm greeting? Do you know a single person who would enjoy a home cooked meal? Is there a coworker who could use an encouraging word? Are there opportunities to serve the homeless or those in prison? Hospitality simply means making others feel at home wherever you are.

 

However, Jesus expanded this definition of hospitality. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

 

From the very beginning, God’s people have been strangers in a foreign land. We are

not home yet either, and won’t be until we get to Heaven. But until that day, show hospitality to others, not only because the Bible instructs us to, but also because we are visitors on this earth, and it is a way of showing our love for Jesus.