A Disciple Who Follows

Christian ministry is not about us. We like to think that we might be more special to God because of who we are or what we’ve done. We think God rewards only the biggest and best ministries. We also think God is interested only in the “good guys,” the rule-keepers from the right tribe. Jesus’s disciples faced similar thinking when they reacted against some groups in Luke 9:46-56. One group wasn’t a part of them, but they were casting out demons in Jesus’s name. The other group wasn’t Jewish and rejected Jesus as He passed through. They wanted to stop the “unauthorized” exorcists, and they wanted fire to destroy the Samaritans. These attitudes misunderstood the nature of Jesus’s message. We don’t preach a message of exclusivity and self-righteousness, as if we are better than others. We point people to Jesus. The disciples also failed to understand their own human nature. When we forget that the only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that makes it necessary, our message loses any grace and mercy and focuses on ourselves and our tribe. But what we’re doing is about much more than us or our group. It’s about Jesus. So, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus. Let’s preach His mercy and show His grace to others, no matter what they’ve done or to whom they belong. Then, our ministry will be about Jesus, the One about whom God intended it to be. –Pastor Rory

Sunday at Liberty

9AM: Baptists in America–New Evangelicalism 

10AM: Pastor Nate–A Disciple Who Follows–Luke 9:46-62 (sermon notes)

11:45AM: Potluck

12:30PM: Members’ Meeting