I am currently involved with my family in international outreach through the band Airwaves, I have been studying the person “who promotes peace” mentioned by Jesus in Luke 10. I thought I’d pass a few thoughts along this morning.
In Luke chapter 10 verse 5 we read these words.
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.”
This passage was given as instruction by Jesus to the disciples, sent out in pairs, to give them encouragement and hope on their journey. The disciples were much like us in that they were still learning how to take baby steps. Short sighted and often without faith, they needed to know when they came to a new town that their efforts would not be waste of time. Jesus’ words were instructive to the twelve, and they are still instructive to us today.
Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Now guys, if someone believes your message, your peace will rest on them.” Let’s face it, it’s rare that a person totally buys into a message of someone they have never met, especially after just one conversation.
On the other hand, it is possible, even probably that the disciples could share their excitement about the Kingdom of God in such a way so as to cause the person answering the door to at least have their curiosity aroused because of their sincerity, enthusiasm and compassion. This is what Jesus means by a man of peace. It was someone who was at least somewhat sympathetic to the message of the disciples and therefore would be willing to let them stay at their home while they remained in a given town, eat their food and in general, be cared for.
Something to think about.
Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?
________________________________________
I’m glad Jesus wasn’t waiting in the air conditioned tour bus for the revival to start. In fact, the tipping point for revival in Samaria was ignited by a simple drink of water. Remember, Jesus was a “player” – a man of influence with places to go, things to do, people to see, right? It was risky going to the well where people were walking by. What if the paparazzi got a close up of him talking with a lowly Samaritan woman?
Jesus never did what was in his own best interest first. Even when weary, he was usually found with just one other person answering a question or issuing a challenge to spark deeper thought. And his Father often used these one on one encounters to ignite revival.
Practically, what can we learn by observing Jesus hanging out with an outcast in the heat of the day before a big gig?
1) We are to be a witness of God’s grace expressed through his son, Jesus no matter the size of the stage. We don’t go travel somewhere to share from a big stage, yet neglect opportunities along the way. It’s the “one on one” divine opportunities along the way that just might be where opportunity lies.
2) Obedience creates opportunity. Samaria, was a lonely place for a Jew…and a dangerous place. Yet, Jesus did not shrink back from the place he had to go through. And in responding to his Father’s instructions, Jesus found opportunity that led to multiple Gentile conversions – See the rest of John 4 and Acts 8:14-17.
3) Don’t get infatuated by public ministry. So often, I get enamored by big events. Just the idea of speaking to, or playing music for a big crowd jazzes me. Sometimes too much so. The lure of accolades coming from the crowd. The thrill of admirers waiting in line afterwards to shake my hand and tell me how wonderful I am.
Can yoiu feel my enthusiasm?
My mind plays tricks on me sometimes when I am on the program for a Christian event especially. For brief moments, the enemy of my soul whispers to me on the drive over. The monologue goes something like this.
“Tim, you know that the people attending tonight’s event think that you are a Super Christian because you get to “do ministry for a living.” You’re not like the “Common Christian.” You are something special. Oh, they still have value of course – but their life is just, well, common. They’re gonna love you, kid!”
I’m glad Jesus is loving and forgiving. I’m glad he loves me enough to humble me when I need it. I don’t do well when I’m full of myself.
I’m also glad that he didn’t succumb to this pathetic line of thought in his public ministry.
Jesus knows only too well that there is no such delineation between Super ministry, and Common ministry. We don’t see him rushing through his time with the Samaritan woman to get to the bigger event.
We are all Common Christians with a grace message. Some of us may be asked to perform before crowds but there is no extra merit awarded because of the size of our platform. We are either obedient or disobedient to our calling.
We have been forgiven by a God who sees us all the same and rewards, not by the size of the stage, but by the response of the heart. Consider that Jesus was great with the crowds because some of his ministry required it. But great is the leader who looks for all opportunities; who can turn a cold cup of water into a life-changing conversation.
Now he had to go through Samaria.
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
______________
This passage of scripture records one of the most popular “divine appointments” of Jesus’ ministry. I am struck by the opening phrase, “Now he had to go through Samaria.”
Geographically, this was not true. Travelers could simply cross over the Jordan river, travel north until they were well past Samaria and then cross back into Galilee.
And philosophically, the exact opposite was true. The only route for a blood born Hebrew to take was the longer one. Jewish caravans always went around Samaria. with no regret. After all, Jews hated “half-breed Samaritan dogs” – no exceptions.
So why does it say, “he had to go?”
At least a few commentaries suggest that his unique path set the precedent for his challenge to his disciples stated later in Acts 1:8 “And you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” One commentary closes out by stating, “A real leader cannot lead where he has not gone. He cannot send others where he is not willing to go.” Jesus always led by example and this incident was no exception.
I agree with all of this and would add that his reaching out to the Samaritan woman was an object lesson for the disciples on exercising humility to get in the flow of the Spirit’s leading.
I mean, can’t you just hear Jesus saying this to Pete, Matt and the boys under that hot summer sun?
“Fellas, I know that me talking to that woman with the vase on her head over there doesn’t make much sense to you. In fact, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s more than just a little bit embarrassing to most of you guys given the fact she is a woman and from this area. But gentlemen, you need to learn that walking with me can turn common moments into divine appointments. As far as the hate that you feel goes, we’ll deal with that later. For now, I’d like you to take a seat under that shade tree over there and keep watching because by sunset my Father will turn the conversation with that woman into a Gentile revival!” (And if you read John 4: 39-41, you’ll see that this is exactly what happened!)
Something to think about.
More on the conversation at the water cooler…coming tomorrow!
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” Luke 10:1
How would our lives be different if we understood that Jesus only sends us to places where he is about to go? After all, Jesus didn’t go every place. He had human limitations. But today, we work through his Holy Spirit – a Spirit who has no such limitations. Could it be that potentially every encounter we face is a divine appointment to share God’s love?
I wonder if we’d be looking for more opportunities to love, to share, to listen and to heal in the places he sends us every single day. So often, I overlook opportunity to give of myself and to reach out to a hurting world because I assume that there is nothing special about my visit. I could smile, encourage or just listen to an aching soul that needs an ear but I let my agenda trump the need of the moment.
This verse reminds me that my journey in Christ is guaranteed to be exciting and full of adventure when I look for opportunity because Jesus always sends his followers to places “he is about to go.”
Something to think about.
It was raining last night.
No I mean inside the McLeod Center. Living Water washing and renewing. The presence of God when his people gather to worship. It was a powerful testimony of grace with Matthew West and Casting Crowns leading around 5,000 excited fans into the presence of the Lord. A night never to be forgotten by those in attendance.
Thanks Matthew for reminding us that the beauty of grace is that we don’t have to be “Strong Enough” and Mark for encouraging us that renewal is just a heavenly drink away when we “Come to the Well.”
Wow!
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23
Two days ago, I gave a copy of a Bible to a brother in Christ to give away to someone who didn’t have one. Yesterday, he called me with the great news that he already gave it away to a friend, as he shared with him about the new life that Jesus brings and he told me that he also had the privilege of praying with his friend to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
The parable of the sower found in Matthew 13 reminds us that not all seed that is scattered falls on good soil. And by experience, I would say that quite often, we really don’t know whether the seed we are scattering is destined for good soil or perhaps soil that isn’t yet prepared to bear fruit. I am reminded of a verse that instructs us to always be scattering seed regardless.
“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” Ecclesiastes 11:6
Apparently, the seed of my brother’s words, found good soil in the prepared heart of his friend and I trust that the seed of my gift of a Bible will grow a garden of fruit as our new brother in Christ walks hand in hand with the Creator of the Universe!
We have a tradition at our church. When someone crosses the line of faith and puts their trust in Jesus for the first time, we put a white rose on the altar. This Sunday, we will practice our tradition and celebrate this new life of a person who has walked from death into life. A simple seed planted in a prepared heart has become a beautiful white rose!
Something to think about.
This past week it was my privilege to attend the Christian Leadership Alliance seminar in Orlando. Our opening address was given by Mark Miller, a VP with Chic Fil A. He shared his humble beginnings of how Truett Cathy, Chic Fil A founder gave him his first job as a warehouse clerk 35 years ago. I think most impressive is the commitment that Mark has made to lifelong learning. In fact he based his entire presentation on one premise:
Your capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead.
He challenged his audience that it all starts with a decision to become a lifelong learner. The four points are easy to remember because the first letter of each of the four points spell the word G.R.O.W.
Here they are:
Gain Knowledge. Do it in three areas.
Self knowledge. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Other people knowledge. Specifically know the people you want to lead.
Industry knowledge. Both trends and historical data
Reach out. Have a sharing mindset. Be a teacher, blog, tweet, give out content, mentor others.
Open Your World-Spend time with people who know more than you. Be mentored, Mark calls this putting paint on your palette. Don’t just paint in three or four colors, Mark suggests ideas such as doing one thing each year that stretches you, Get out of your comfort zone. Read something new occasionally on a topic your not interested in.
And finally…
Walk towards wisdom. This is about getting feedback from those you trust. Allowing people to be brutally honest with you. Mark shared how he recently sent an email to several of his trusted friends. In that email he asked his closest friends three questions: What should I start doing? What should I stop doing? And what should I continue doing? He said his responses invited valuable feedback that has helped him focus recently.
He recommended a book on discontinuing activity by Henry Cloud called “Necessary Endings.”
Mark was inspiring and gave us a simple yet profound beginning to our week. Thanks Mark. You gave me a lot to think about. Not only will I “Eat More Chikin’” in the days ahead, but I’ll think of you every time I do.
This morning I said goodbye to a special man. He was our families’ eye doctor and my long time friend and he was like few people I’ve ever met.
Rich Noyes made an impact. He was a lover of everyone. As a patient, I always felt he was as interested in me as a person as he was my eyes. He was a giver; a man of passion and compassion. He had a great sense of humor and changed his world for the better everywhere he went.
Rich was a family man above all else. He regularly coached his kids baseball, basketball and soccer teams. And when he wasn’t coaching, he was always cheering loudly from the sidelines. He loved his kids and his beautiful wife, Martha. As badly as I feel personal loss today, I ache even more for his wonderful family. His unexpected passing from an apparent heart attack Sunday evening left a hole in the family that will never be filled. May God grant them joy, peace, and comfort in this most difficult of seasons.
He had money but his money never had him. He understood he was only a steward of the resources he had been given and he was very generous. Case in point, he made thirteen trips to Haiti to provide free eye care to hundreds of families who could not afford it. This alone, would be more than enough giving for the lifetime of most people I know. But believe me, this one example is just the tip of the iceberg of Rich Noyes benevolence! It goes on and on and on and on.
He was a terrific businessman and entrepreneur who grew Iowa Eyecare from a small fledgling optometric practice, to a robust operation with multiple offices in Cedar Rapids, Marion and Robins providing eyecare to thousands of patients in Eastern Iowa. En route to his success, he often did things that didn’t make business sense if only to encourage a fellow traveler or two down on their luck.
For example, from time to time, he would hire struggling individuals who were going through a financial reversal to do non-medical, behind the scenes work. After all, there’s lot’s to do at a growing optometric practice in retail, marketing, eyewear production and even public relations, right?
Well maybe.
Sometimes these jobs he offered were permanent jobs; sometimes temporary and sometimes quite possibly, unnecessary to the success of the practice. As an onlooker, I always had the feeling that Rich hired a handful of fortunate folks because they needed him, more than he needed them. Yet, he had the ability to see a person’s potential irrespective of their past or present track record and he seemed to always be looking for an opportunity to give a broken but willing person, a fresh start.
As I said, these things didn’t always make fiscal sense, but to Rich they made perfect sense. Giving a struggler a job was his way of saying, “Regardless, of your present circumstance, I believe in you. Now, whether you are with us for days, months or years, I hope you’ll be willing to at least stay as long as it takes for you to see what I see. I want you to see that YOU are a child of God who has a unique purpose to fulfill in this world. You are like a snowflake, different from any other ever created. Once you see that and are convinced that you have a part to play, you are free to leave.”
I guess you could say Rich Noyes healed those who were physically vision-impaired as well as those who were emotionally vision-impaired. How appropriate that the verse on the cover of the funeral service program this morning was Proverbs 29:18 which says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
Ask any consultant if this kind of hiring practice makes sense. Of course, even common knowledge says it’s a bad idea. But then again, I guess that heavenly acts of grace rarely do make earthly sense, do they? And fortunately for me and a few blessed people I know, Rich took advice from just one consultant. That would be Jesus Christ, his CEO and Board Chairman. Jesus, the “Eye Doctor” who healed a blind man with mud made from his own spit.
Once I was a recipient of Rich’s generosity so I know first hand about Rich’s unique hiring practice. About ten years ago, when I was out of radio and out of work, Rich hired me for a six month window. He and Martha took Marilyn and me out to a nice dinner and offered me a job that I was barely qualified for but one that we needed desperately.
Rich Noyes showed faith in me when my personal confidence was at an all time low. He had no real reason to do this. I knew nothing about optometry but that didn’t matter to Rich. His act of kindness provided for my family during a difficult time and also restored my dignity and relaunched me into radio. Rich believed I was created for a purpose – professionally, that purpose has always been Christian radio broadcasting. Rich knew I had a relatively successful career in Christian broadcasting. He apparently remembered what I was meant to do at a time when I had lost sight of it. His act of generosity to let me work for him simply bought us enough time to catch our financial breath, and see what he saw. Because of Dr. Rich Noyes, I am happily back in Christian broadcasting and better off for having fallen off the path, albeit temporarily, just so I could feel the love from my brother Rich Noyes.
Everyone should know a Richard Noyes. They are the rarest of breeds, but if you find one, you’ll know it. They are the people that allow God’s love to permeate them so deeply that their lives change everyone they meet. Movers and shakers who proclaim the Kingdom of God through faith in action.
I will miss you Rich. I’m sorry that I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. I know you are dancing with angels in the presence of Jesus today. I look forward to many more times together when I come to meet you in that eternal place, reserved for the saints of God.
Goodbye Doc. It’s time for you to enjoy the life that has been promised to you by our Lord and Master. I love you Bro. I will never forget you nor your acts of kindness to me and my family.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant!
Dedicated to the St. Patrick’s 8th Grade Graduating Class of 1963
(Hoping to see some of you at the Bishop Ward High School Class Reunion of 1971 on April 21st!)
When I was in grade school, I learned that St. Patrick was a good man and that he brought the truth about God’s Son Jesus to many during his lifetime. I learned that he used the three leaves of the one shamrock to explain the “three persons in one God” fact of the Trinity.
Now, fast forward to this morning. ..
A local Cedar Rapids station (not us) was playing Irish bar songs and making typical merriment all morning long in preparation of St. Patty’s Day tomorrow. But it’s was not the St. Patrick that I first heard about at St. Patrick’s Grade School 50 years ago. What happened to the Shamrock?
Not surprising that a culture that lives under the weight of unbelief would fail to tell the truth about Patrick. I thought to myself, this is not what this man stood for. When I could stand it no longer, I decided that he deserves some vindication and validation as one of the great evangelists of the Early Church.
To this end, I found an article worth reading if you care to know the truth about brother Pat.
Enjoy:
http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/the-life-of-saint-patrick-1129354.html
Something to think about.
I am learning to pray. It’s hard but it really brings joy. Here’s how this new challenge came about.
It is my privilege to visit and thank the many friends of Life 101.9 who make significant contributions to this ministry. The Lord has prompted me to pray for each one. Pray intentionally; pray specifically by name and sometimes as was the case this past week, I am called to pray with them when they are obviously broken and in need of a personal touch from God. Praying is hard because it is not natural, but I am learning to walk by the spirit and deny the lies of the flesh that try to remind me that I don’t belong.
“You’re too tired; you don’t really care; you’re not a prayer warrior, who do you think you are?” All you readers who are also learning to pray know that these accusations sound familiar, don’t they? We’ve heard it all from the enemy of our souls because he knows how effective we can be when we walk in the spirit and trust a God who is faithful. Once accused, we rest in the truth that our Redeemer lives and he calls us to pray without ceasing no matter how tired or weary we are. So we pray and we trust God to help us in our weakness.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26
