Train to Live on Mission – Week 13
Iron Sharpens Iron: Biblical Friendship
Today is a cool day for a lot of reasons- it was 20 years ago, in May 2002, that I accepted the job as the youth pastor here at FBC, moved to NC, and started out as a young person in her first full-time ministry role. Also it was 18 years ago today, May 8 2004 that I married Daniel who I met at this church. I’m really thankful for the way FBC has been supporting Daniel and me in ministry for years, and I’m so grateful to be able to live out God’s calling on my life in ministry while still being firmly rooted here in our local church- that’s a blessing! Thank you for supporting and encouraging us to keep following God’s leading.
Today I am not going to talk about motherhood or Mother’s Day, but I do want to say a couple things about Mother’s Day before I get started. First off, I will say that being a mom is incredibly rewarding even when it’s also really hard. To the moms in the room, I know what you had to do to get your people and all their stuff together just to arrive here today, and you younger moms who are pretty tired from this week, but you still got your kids up and going today and probably took care of the gifts for your own mom and mother-in-laws, way to go, you are absolute champs. To all of you in the room that are moms, I want to say thank you for all the work you do and have done to keep the humans in your house alive- you’ve done a great job. To the moms, stepmoms and grandmothers, spiritual moms, single moms, all of you in this room who are helping to raise or who have raised kids, thank you for what you do- you are amazing and you make the world keep running. I also want to acknowledge that Mother’s Day is a painful day for some of us in this room, and if that’s true for you, I want you to know that you are seen and you belong today just as much as those who are celebrating. Mother’s Day can be hard for
those of us who miss our moms, or whose moms hurt us. It also might be a hard day for those of us who have lost a child, or whose kids have caused us heartache and motherhood has not been like we wish it was. And I know some of us have desperately wanted to be moms and it just hasn’t happened. You are seen and you belong in this room and we honor you as well. Scripture says that we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. And so if you’re celebrating today, then happy Mother’s Day- your mom life is something to be proud of! And if you’re hurting today, we love you and we care about you. However you showed up today, you belong here and we are in this together. So I’d like to pray in that spirit.
I want to invite you to get out your bible and expect to open it and actually read it today. If you don’t have one, use your phone and I would suggest you look it up in the New Living Translation because that’s what I read and then my words will match what you’re looking at.
Today we are going to talk about friendship, biblical friendship. We have been going through the book of Proverbs, and today I picked Proverbs 27:17 as our key verse. And since it is only 10 words long, we’re going to look at several other passages and see what the Bible has to say about being a good friend and having good friends, the way Jesus intended for those who follow him. So let’s look at Proverbs 27:17 as our jumping off point today- it’s so short it’ll take way longer for you to find it than to read it but I still think it’s a good practice to actually read the words for yourself so please turn there with me.
TURN to a person near you and share, what do you think that means? in your own words, what does this proverb talking about?
When I was a senior in college, just a few months before I graduated and moved here actually, that spring my grandpa died. It was my first grandparent to pass away, and really the first person close to me at all to die. I went to school in Anderson, and I drove home from school to be here for a few days. The hardest part for sure was seeing my own dad grieve- and it just rocked my world a little, like it does when you lose a grandparent. I missed a couple days of classes, and was here in town for a few days, and I remember very distinctly something that happened the day of the calling. My senior year, I lived in a house with 6 other girls that had been close friends all through college. And I hadn’t been there all week of course, and I was really looking forward to seeing my friends because it had been a hard week. And that night, at the calling for my grandpa, not a single one of my roommates showed up. Thankfully, my closest friend from childhood and high school actually came, and I remember how thankful I was when Tiffany walked in the door. It meant even more to me because others hadn’t come. That same friend was the first person to arrive at the hospital the day my son Caleb’s heart stopped and she was the first person to come to the hospital the day he finally got word that he was going to receive a new heart. When a friend shows up for you and loves you like that, you never forget. But not only do you not forget it, it impacts you deeply. Being loved by a true friend shapes who we are as people. Being loved like that increases our own capacity to love and care for others- love produces more love. A good friend produces more good friends.
Having true friends and being a true friend is possibly the most important part of our human lives and yet it’s something that so many of us struggle with. We want to have great friendships and we want to be terrific friends but so often that’s not how it goes. And the thing is, God actually cares a whole lot about the quality of our friendships. In fact, our relationships with each other are so incredibly important that the Bible is full of instruction on how we are to treat each other- In John 17, Jesus went so far as to say that for Christians, the way we love and treat each other will show the world what God is like. So friendship is a big deal and its an area of our lives that we need to be intentional about.
- I want to look back at the early church and see how the first Christians did friendship and community.
- I want to address how different friendship and community are in our own current culture. and
- I want to see how we can actually obey God’s design for us and have the kind of friendships He intended for his people to have.
Temple together, then ate meals in each others’ homes. They shared their needs and helped each other. They prayed and worshiped together. They experienced amazing fellowship with each other and had sincere unity.
Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:32-36, Acts 5:12-16
The Church grew and grew and grew until there were thousands of Christians. But their mountaintop experience didn’t last forever. In Acts 8, we see that persecution began, and Christians were being arrested and even killed, so they fled Jerusalem and were scattered all throughout the region. But God was at work in this! Acts 8:4 says “the believers who were scattered preached the Good news about Jesus wherever they went”. Christianity spread and new, smaller Churches were popping up. We read letters Paul wrote to these believers, and the Churches that were eventually formed because of their scattering, and one of the most common themes was Paul urging the Christians to stick together and continue to help and love each other well. You can’t read the NT without seeing the overwhelming message that Christians are supposed to function as one unit, just as Jerry preaches each week! We train together, we learn together, we obey Jesus TOGETHER. This is a team sport, guys!
When we read the first few chapters of Acts, it’s not hard to see how the church has changed. And I’m not talking about the logistics of how worship services were conducted- I’m talking about how the early Christians oriented their life around the life of their community, their church. They didn’t have church buildings, that’s not what they were about- they were about each other. They were together and they went through life together as a family.
- we treat church as a once a week activity that is mostly about what happens on the stage, while we sit and view the program.
- people like to be anonymous, or now more than ever “watch” church online. That’s like going to the fieldhouse and watching a basketball game and saying you played basketball! Let’s be honest- we want church to be like this because it costs us so little. It’s low-energy, low-time, low-investment of ourselves.
- we are individualistic to our core. Life is about me and what’s best for me and what I prefer and what makes me happy.
- we are proud and independent- I don’t want to need people. I depend on myself and that way I won’t be let down. And heaven forbid I let people see what needs I really have in my life, that would be humiliating.
- we are BUSY and disconnected
So how can we obey Jesus and have the kind of friendships he intended his people to have?
- HEBREWS 10:24-25 — Be here and make it a priority: we have to be present, in the life of the church and in each other’s personal lives. Be there! Be here!
- MARK 5:24-34 Ñ> Take a risk and allow yourself to be known: we have to be vulnerable
- Make an effort to connect with people: we have to initiate
- Evaluate yourself and your life and see your stumbling blocks: we have to be honest with ourselves. Are you afraid and trying to be self-protective? Are you too busy and really need to re-think your commitments and how you spend your time? Are you spending time with the wrong people? Are you convinced that you’re introverted or a homebody and you just don’t need much from other people?
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Seize the Moment – Day 781
Today’s hymn focus will be
Holy, Holy, Holy
Psalm 95:6-7(ESV)
“Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.”
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty
God in Three Person, blessed Trinity.
YOUTUBE:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth, and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
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Seize the Moment – Day 780
David’s First Order of Business!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, May 6.
Politicians seek votes by making campaign promises. They do so to gain popularity, but it is not until they are in office that we see their true priorities. Second Samuel 5:6-10 gives us David’s first order of business as the newly installed king of the united kingdom of Israel:
Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, “You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away”; thinking, “David cannot enter here.” Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David. … So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the Millo and inward. David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was with him.
This was not the first time the Israelites had tried to seize the high ground of the Promised Land from the Jebusites. We find them mentioned as far back as the spies’ fearful report to Moses in Numbers 13:29, and then in two failed attempts in Joshua 15:63 and Judges 1:21. David had his eyes on establishing a unified kingdom with Jerusalem as the capital and because of God’s favor he was able to fulfill his first order of business as the king of Israel.
God continued to bless David’s priorities because David gave all glory to God as evidenced by verse 12, “And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.”
Seize the moment by putting God’s glory as the first order of business in all that you do. Just as Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
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Seize the Moment – Day 779
Have Courage and Encourage Others!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, May 5.
Courage is an important quality to be found in a person, especially a leader. When people speak and act with conviction in the face of fear, they put courage in others, which encourages them to speak and act likewise.
The political intrigue continued as the king responded to the death of his general in 2 Samuel 4:1, “Now when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed.” Therefore, Ish-bosheth was assassinated and the nation of Israel found itself leaderless and grieving with the only living heir to the throne described in verse 4: “Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the report of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.” Saul and his lineage were now effectively cut off from the kingship.
Ish-bosheth’s lack of courage in the face of Abner’s death sent a ripple effect throughout the nation, which ultimately led to his own assassination and the discouragement of his people. Contrast that with David’s behavior.
The two assassins brought news of their treachery to David, hoping for a reward and a place of honor in his entourage. David, now the king of Judah, remembering his vow to Saul to not cut off his line entirely, executed them instead for their cold-blooded actions against the king (9-12).
David showed courage in the face of political intrigue. He remained steadfast to his convictions and faithful to his vows. Therefore, as we will see in the next chapter, David was installed as king over all of Israel. His courage encouraged the nation!
Seize the moment and “be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Have courage and you will encourage others!
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Seize the Moment – Day 778
Live above Reproach!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, May 4.
Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? How did you prove your innocence? In 2 Samuel 3:6-8 there is an exchange between Ish-bosheth, the king of Israel, and Abner, the general of Israel’s armies:
It came about while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hands of David; and yet today you charge me with a guilt concerning the woman.”
The context was that Abner was “making himself strong in the house of Saul.” The king did more than accuse him of sleeping with one of Saul’s concubines. He was accusing him of a military coup because that activity was considered a public signal of an attempt to overthrow the king (e.g., 2 Samuel 16:21-22).
Abner was furious and he moved against the king to put David on the throne of Israel. Abner soon died at the hands of Joab and Abishai, who sought revenge for the death of their brother Asahel in the battle of Gibeon (2 Samuel 2:23; 3:26-30). David grieved Abner’s death and was frustrated with his men for killing him (31-39). It was a mess of personal agendas and political intrigue!
Seize the moment and live above reproach. “Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16).
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Seize the Moment – Day 777
Embracing the Twists and Turns of Life!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, May 3.
Don’t you ever wish that your story had less twists and turns? While we may wish that for our lives, the reality is that none of us would enjoy a movie or book that had no plot twists. A story without drama doesn’t have opportunity for human intrigue, adventure, crisis, and redemption, the ingredients of all great epic stories.
The story of Israel becoming a united kingdom under King David’s reign is a twisted story, just like all great stories. King Saul was dead, and while we were led to believe that his sons were dead alongside of him in battle, a twist appeared in 2 Samuel 2:8-11:
But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, even over all Israel. Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was king for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
The great general of Saul’s armies, Abner, propped up Saul’s living son, Ish-bosheth, as the rightful heir to the throne. Was Abner using him to keep himself in power and to continue the fight against David and his men? Time would tell, but for the meantime David continued to be forged in the twists and turns of Israel’s toxic political environment. This drama served to prepare him for his kingship, one that would unite the twelve tribes.
Seize the moment and embrace the twists and turns of your life. Trust that God is sovereign and “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
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Seize the Moment – Day 776
Bless Your Enemy!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 2.
Have you ever rejoiced at the death of an enemy?
Welcome to the 10th book of the Old Testament. Second Samuel 1:17-18 begins with David doing a surprising thing: “Then David chanted with this lament over Saul and Jonathan his son, and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the song of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jashar.” We understand David’s grief over Jonathan, but why Saul? While Saul was the anointed of Israel and his king, Saul was also the mad man who had made the last eight years of David’s life miserable. Burning with jealousy and fueled with anger, Saul had relentlessly sought David’s life.
But David, a man after God’s own heart, not only would not raise a hand against his king, the anointed of God, he lamented his death through this psalm, as recorded in 2 Samuel 1:19-27. David set an example for us to follow. Don’t dance on the graves of your enemies but grieve for them and pray for their salvations.
Jesus commanded us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44-45. Peter taught the way of Jesus to the early church in 1 Peter 3:8-9: “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” Paul commanded the same in Romans 12:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:15.
Seize the moment and seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness by being a blessing to all – this is the way of Jesus! Do no return evil for evil, rather seek to be a blessing because you never know how God is preparing you for even greater things.
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The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me
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Seize the Moment – Day 774
Today’s hymn focus will be
Near the Cross
Galatians 6:14(ESV)
This is another beautiful hymn given to us by Fanny Crosby. Her friend, William Doane, wrote the music then gave it to her to write the text of the hymn.
Combining vivid imagery and powerful biblical metaphors of the Cross, free grace, healing streams, rest and a daily walk of faith with God, she wrote these words that we sing today.
In the cross, in the cross, be my glory every
Till my raptured soul shall find, rest beyond the river.
YOUTUBE:
Near the Cross
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me. [Refrain]
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me. [Refrain]
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river. [Refrain]
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Seize the Moment – Day 773
Respond to Defeat with Resilience!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, April 29.
How do you respond to defeat?
The King was dead! As foretold in 1 Samuel 28:19, Israel’s army was defeated by the Philistines, with Saul and his three sons killed in action. In the face of defeat, three communities of Israel, who lived close to the enemy, abandoned their cities to the Philistines. The Philistines, in an act of defiance, desecrated Saul’s body, and declared their gods as victorious of Israel’s.
Israel responded to defeat by giving themselves over to their fear and that made their circumstances worse. By all appearances, the book of 1 Samuel was ending in utter ruin as defeat led to despair, except for a small group of valiant men who responded to the Philistine’s disgraceful abuse of their king’s body in 1 Samuel 31:11-13:
Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
Recently, one of my track athletes was tested mentally in a big competition, her first two efforts in the discus throw did not go well. She was on the verge of giving herself over to defeat, and despair was knocking on the door of her heart. But through some positive coaching (and unbeknownst to her a lot of praying) she won the mental battle and came back to throw a seasonal best to earn an unexpected third place. She fought off despair and responded to defeat with resilience! I am so proud of her for learning this life skill at a young age!
Seize the moment and respond to defeat with resilience! Don’t let defeat lead to despair; rather, allow it to bring out your very best!
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