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!