03/31/20 Fellow Workers & Co-Workers in the NT. The Greek work is SYNERGOS, from which we get the word SYNERGY. In a Horse Pull Competition few years ago, the winning horse pulled 14,000 pounds; the 2nd place horse pulled 10,000 pounds. Someone had the bright idea to harness them together. Combined they pulled 49,000 pounds, more than twice as much as they each pulled combined! That’s the magic of SYNERGY—amazing things happen when people pull together on a task.

The apostle Paul was perhaps the best example of all—in his letters, he named over 100 people who helped him! That’s what real Christianity and Church is about: combining our gifts, talents and energies to accomplish otherwise impossible things for our Lord! Biblical Christianity is a T.E.A.M. effort—Together Everyone Accomplishes Ministry! Let’s Do It!

03/29/20 Pastor John Green’s Message: In Luke 9:57-62 Jesus confronted three men who expressed SOME desire/intention to follow Him. In each case Jesus shocked them (and us), rejecting their seemingly reasonable expectations and excuses. Jesus wanted them and us to know that “Discipleship Demands Sacrifice, Urgency and Priority”—SUP! 

Near the end of His scolding letter to the self-satisfied Laodiceans, Jesus said (in the King James Version Revelation 3:20) “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will SUP with him, and he with Me.” (cf. Habakkuk 1:9; Luke 17:8)

Sharing a meal was and is an intimate experience (or at least, it’s supposed to be!). Jesus desires to have that kind of intimate relationship with His followers. But His true disciples know that His path for their lives demands Sacrifice, Urgency and Priority”—SUP!

Near Disaster: I was in high school. At my summer construction job, we were demolishing tall buildings in downtown Richmond, VA. The police showed up to warn us that some of dangerous debris was falling over onto the sidewalk. The foreman sent me and two friends to the top floor with screwdrivers!? We climbed into the claw/shovel of the crane; he left us with two floors to climb up in the middle of all sorts of pipes, wires, etc. We straddled the outside wall, only two rickety bricks thick, and pried loose the bricks with our “tools,” one at a time. That was scary enough, but, suddenly, the claw came down about six feet behind us and chomped up a big chunk of the remaining wall. Not only were we trapped now, but next chomp would be us! They forgot about us! I started throwing bricks at the cab down below, hoping someone would remember where we were (it never crossed my mind that I could have hurt/killed someone). It worked! The foreman yelled at us through a bullhorn and the shovel appeared near us. All we had to do was jump about 6 feet onto it from the sixth floor! When we landed, I wanted to kiss the ground!

My two buddies let everybody know—they were convinced I had single-handedly saved their lives. Nothing I or anybody else said could talk them out of it. The rest of that summer I never had to buy a drink, a snack or my lunch; they gladly, promptly jumped in front of me and paid for me. And if anyone said or did anything unpleasant to me, the instantly leaped to my defense. To me their constant gratitude was both awkward and amazing.

It’s really strange. Most people I know who call themselves Christians don’t seem all that grateful that Jesus gave His life to save their lives single-handedly. They rarely mention it in conversations with believers or unbelievers. Believers, let’s try harder to appreciate what Christ did for us and be overjoyed to tell others about Him!

Near Disaster: Years ago my daughter Teri and I were swimming at the Municipal Pool in Oak Ridge, TN (FYI: probably the coldest municipal pool in America—it’s fed by an underground stream!).  We stopped at the crowded float out in the deepest water, where the lone male lifeguard was busily “saving” good-looking girls!? Suddenly, a few yards away, we both saw a young boy drowning—repeatedly struggling to stay afloat long enough for a brief breath, then disappearing beneath the surface. At that moment he didn’t need a good example, a teacher, a doctor, a “forever” friend, or even a special relationship. He desperately needed a “savior,” someone to save him from imminent, certain death! I swam to him; Teri and I dragged him onto the float and helped him breathe. Then a very strange thing happened. Maybe he was embarrassed, but without a word he suddenly jumped up and dove back in the water, struggling back toward the shallow water. By the time we could alert the lifeguard (still awfully busy), the boy was standing near the edge of the pool.

Sadly, far too many Americans have been told that they need Jesus Christ to be their Good Example, Teacher, Doctor, Forever Friend, or they need to establish and enjoy a really unique relationship with Him. Scripture tells us Jesus came to SAVE us FROM the horrible, temporal and eternal penalty of our sins and to SAVE us FOR the “Good Works” God has prepared for us before He even created us (Eph. 2:8-10).

Everybody is “spreading something.” Believers, as we spread the Gospel, the Greatest News of ALL in Jesus Christ, let’s tell the TRUTH for a change and see how that works!

FAITHFUL OR FOOLHARDY: Many churches have followed our leaders’ demands by canceling most or all of their gatherings. Others have cited their faith in Almighty God to justify ignoring the “social distancing” edicts. So, who is right? Whether or not a church cancels its gatherings, if several of their members contract Covid-19 and one actually dies, does that prove they were wrong? Of course NOT! We would NEVER know for sure who infected them. Or suppose no one gets the virus. Does that prove they were right? NO! We may never know for sure which other people these attenders may have infected as they stayed away from church.

So… Which decision is FAITHFUL, which is FOOLHARDY! We may never know for sure down here. Surely this decision is NOT one of the essentials of our faith. Scripture tells us our first priority is to worship and obey God. But it also tells us to obey our government authorities, since God appointed them (NOT elections, coups, etc.). Romans 14:1 (CSB) says “Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters.” Paul is specifically talking about believers who disagree about dietary restrictions. He says we should tolerate other believers’ decisions concerning nonessential things that they truly believe please the Lord.

Final observation: Whether or not you can GO to church right now, you are still commanded to GO into all the world and BE the church. Let’s Figure Out How and GO Do It!

They say "Necessity is the Mother of Invention!" (whoever "they" are). Well, I desperately needed a haircut, but no hair salons were open. So... I bought a clippers set and Linda cut my hair. She and I think I look about the same as if if were a "professional" job (not necessarily a compliment for me!?). So, because of this crisis, for less than the cost of two haircuts, we stand to save more than $300 a year from now on! PTL!

Genuine Disaster--September 1, 2001: “911”—Terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers in NY; tried to attack the Pentagon. Thousands of American civilians killed. Dr. Jerry Falwell suggested that those attacks were part of God’s judgment on America’s ever-growing godlessness. While some have cried foul, let me remind us all that Billy Graham once said that if God didn’t punish the USA pretty soon, He would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah! No way around it—we have earned God’s fury and wrath. Only His undying faithfulness and deepest mercy keep us alive a moment longer!

Near Disaster: ~1993 Summer Mission Trip to Binghamton, NY: We spent 2 days knocking on doors, sharing the gospel and inviting folks to our evangelistic drama on Sunday afternoon. Less than 2 hours before our “show,” a serious car wreck right outside the church interrupted our practice. Then the female star of our show fainted; Linda rode with her to the hospital in an ambulance. Somehow our subs filled in at the last minute.

The next day our youth pastor took us to Niagara Falls. He told the kids they had earned a day off—just have fun. But all day long, several of our teens kept asking me to answer some questions visitors had asked as our kids were sharing their faith, even on vacation! Praise the Lord!

More Dry Heat: Psalm 64 also reminded me of another super-hot day. I was 10 or 11 in Richmond, VA. Our dads packed my baseball team up in cars one Saturday morning for a game at a school out in the country. We arrived so late there was not any time for pregame practice. It was miserably hot, about 100 I bet! I played catcher, so by the time the game was over I was covered head to foot, inside and out, by mud from sweat and red clay dust. I ran as fast as I could toward the old-fashioned foot-pedal water fountain. I jammed down hard and waited, desperate for a drink. When it finally squirted out, I took the biggest mouthful I could. YUCK—it was piping hot, sulphur water! I not only spit it out, I thought I might lose my breakfast.

     In Rev.3:14-20 Jesus told the Laodicean church that they were like lukewarm, sulphur water—they made Him sick to His stomach! Everything they boasted about He said was worthless. The only cure for them was to invite Him in. He said He was already at the door knocking. He still is!

One of the Scripture passages Linda and I read this morning reminded me of a past encounter. My very first seminar class was a Theology class (eons ago!). The professor began by quoting Exodus 34:6-7a (CSB) 6 “The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord — the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” He went on and on proclaiming God’s amazing love. At some point I asked him why he didn’t finish verse 7. Exodus 34:7b “But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.” 

     I think we make a grave mistake when our gospel conversations talk about how much God loves us and nothing else. Maybe that’s why there are so many casual, cultural, carnal “Christians” in America.

     Other passages which express nearly the same truths include Exo. 20:6-7; Deu 5:10; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17; Psa 86:15; 105:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2; and Nah. 1:3. Sure, these are all OT, but they are God’s own description of Himself. And He does NOT change (Mal. 3:6). 

    How many times does God need to say something for it to be true and applicable to us? Once! Why does He repeat anything? Because He thinks it is VERY IMPORTANT and we continually seem to be forgetting it!

Moist vs Dry Heat: This morning Pastor John Green preached from Psalm 63, written by King David when he was in the Judean desert running from his son Absalom, who was out to kill him and take over the throne. He noted that the “wilderness” David mentioned was actually the hot, dry desert where almost nothing can live.

That reminded of my own experience with different kinds of heat. We lived in Oak Ridge, TN for more than 20 years. I was an avid tennis player, but the summer humidity made things so uncomfortable that hardly anyone attempted to play tennis whenever the temperature climbed above 80 degrees—you just couldn’t breathe! Once on a business trip to Tucson, AZ, I played tennis when the temperature was 115! I felt great, no trouble at all to breathe in the super dry heat. However, after a couple of hours both of my feet began to hurt—bad! When I took off my socks all the skin peeled off each of my feet in one piece! What a mess! I had no choice but to cancel my meetings and return home ASAP!

You and I need to learn what King David did: Wet or dry, whenever life turns up the heat, you can rely on our Heavenly Father! Like David, we should Pant for God, take Pleasure in God, and Praise God.

Near Disaster #2: March 1983, 3am, Oak Ridge, TN: A tornado pushed over 15 large trees on our property, several destroying much of our roof! I hustled all 5 of us into a basement bedroom stuffed under the hill—our safest place! Praise the Lord—no one was hurt, not even a little! A few weeks later there was another wicked electrical storm with scary lightning, thunder and wind. Linda told our frightened kids to listen to their daddy—he would take of them. They said I had not been able to stop the tornado a few weeks earlier. I reminded them that we were always in God’s hands; He can be depended on even when our human parents could not.

20.004——Near Disaster #1: ~1981 we were at Dollywood on a “world-record crowd” day; It was wall-to-wall people, “’Scuse me, pardon me!” every second. We were just about to cross the railroad tracks when the gates suddenly came down and stopped us. At that moment I looked up and saw that our 5-year-old son Greg had somehow grabbed the wrong dad’s hand. He was on the other side of the tracks, walking happily, speedily away from me. I yelled as loud as I could for him to stop. He heard me and began to move back toward us. I was afraid he might try to cross the tracks and be hit by the train. Thankfully he heard my cries and waited for the train to pass and for me to reach him. All of us were overjoyed to be reunited.

Greg wasn’t exactly “lost.” But he was in danger because he had let go of his father and wandered away, much like the Prodigal Son in the Bible. Anyone who deliberately or accidentally turns away from God the Father and goes his/her way is in serious trouble. When trouble comes, run towards God, NOT away!

20.003——More feedback from Sunday 3/15/20: My mind raced as I recalled several dramatic “near disasters” my family and my church groups have endured and through which we experienced God’s faithfulness and redemption.

1975 Christmas holidays in Lafayette, IN: “Wall to wall” people crowded into Tippecanoe Mall. Suddenly our 3-year-old daughter Teri’s hand slipped from mine and she was “lost.” We searched frantically for what seemed like hours. Then an announcement was broadcast that the parents of a little girl named Teri should come to the office. As we rushed down the hall, there she was, standing with her hands on her hips. “Where have you guys been?” she asked.

Teri did not even realize that she had been in grave danger, separated from her father. So many people today fail to grasp the temporary and eternal danger they face, separated from their Heavenly Father! We need to get their attention, explain their desperate plight and tell them the Best News of Jesus Christ! Let’s get busy!

20.002——More Feedback: For some reason I have been reluctant to embrace social media. But as I was inspired last Sunday I remembered Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:22b-23 (CSB) ^22bI have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. ²³Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings.

Surely my Facebook page and my “Refreshing God’s Church” blog (http://refreshinggodschurch.blogspot.com/) are two of the “possible means” by which I may “save some.” Verse 23 is especially interesting and encouraging. Though most believers seem to think that sharing their faith is a difficult task, mostly to be avoided, Paul said that by sharing our faith we actually receive some of the blessings of the gospel. And I, for one, hate to miss out on any of the goodies!

Please cut me some slack! As a longtime professional computer geek, I now find myself little more than a rank novice. Try to laugh WITH me, NOT AT me, as I try to update my “social media skills.”

2020.001—Feedback from WallaceKnox’s 3/15/20 Worship videocast (wallaceknox.com) during the Corona Virus Pandemic: About 9:10am I hooked up my Laptop to TV via HDMI cable. To adjust the sound I watched/listened on YouTube to Newsboys United sing my newest all-time #2 Favorite Praise Song, “The Greatness of Our God”! At 9:30am the WMBC videocast began. Our Praise Team sang my most recent all-time #1 Favorite Praise Song, “Waymaker”! Great job, brothers and sisters! Then my favorite “Pastor of Disaster,” John Green, preached an awesome message from Psalm 57 about how David found and we can find Refuge and Resolve in our mighty God.