The Community Ministry

Weekly Message: Learning from Jesus

March 12, 2024 

This past week I have been reading various news reports about the health of the Church in the United States.  Depending on who you believe, all would say that there are fewer believers today then there were 20 or 30 years ago.  Pew Research, a well-known consumer research group has been reporting on the state of religion in the world for many years.  A recent article reported that in the 1990’s, 90% of the United States would have reported themselves as believing Christians.  That number has dropped to less than 60% today.  This change is mostly due to many adults choosing to be identified as religiously unaffiliated.  When asked why they no longer have faith or want to be connected to a church, many would site learning about the theory of evolution, too many Christians doing unchristian things, and the lack of sufficient scientific evidence as major reasons for their unbelief. 

While there is no doubt that some people who say they are believers do unchristian things, much of the time, the willingness to believe or not isn’t based on who Jesus really is or what He taught.  We have sufficient historical evidence to support that Jesus was a real person who lived 2,000 years ago.  We also have good insight into what the first century church looked like and what they believed.  Jesus’ followers were so committed to their belief in Him, that most were killed as they faced persecution for sharing what they believed.  What did they learn from Jesus that inspired them to dedicate their lives to sharing about Jesus and what they knew?  How were their lives transformed from hiding from the authorities right after Jesus’ death to preaching and teaching within a few weeks? It was because they spent time with the risen Jesus after his death, and they were empowered with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The time the resurrected Jesus spent with his Disciples solidified for them that Jesus had overcome death and was the promised Messiah foretold in the Hebrew bible. There were still some followers that had difficulty believing in the risen Lord. One of the Disciples, Thomas would not take the word of the Disciples and was quoted as saying “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” John 20:25. Thomas would get the opportunity to do just that. “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:26-29.

What are the key teachings from Jesus that people are walking away from? I think the best summary for us is captured in a talk Jesus gave to his followers called the sermon on the mount.  “And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:2-11.

Jesus made it clear that we should live in a different way than other people because we should hold to a much higher standard of conduct.  Love and selflessness should be at the center of our thoughts and actions rather than selfishness.  It is through our faith in Him and the power of the Holy Spirit that all of it becomes possible.  So, as we approach Easter this year, take a closer look at the thoughts, words, and deeds of Jesus, rather than what society or the media has to say. There is no better way than to read some of Jesus’ own words by reading one of the Gospels like Luke.  Check out the free You Version bible in your app store.  Please give us a call if you have questions or would like us to pray with you at 305-306-7842.  Your friends at The Community Ministry.

There is not much debate about whether Jesus

While Jesus was with us, He gave us great insight into how God thinks, and what His expectations are for those that believe in Him. God chose to give us the freedom to make our own decisions and knew that we would need His help to make good choices.  Those who believe in Jesus are given the ability to receive insight from the Holy Spirit so that when we are faced with difficult choices, we can receive direction from God through prayer and reading the Bible.  God speaking through the writers of the bible has given us great insight into some of the key elements of a what a saving faith in Jesus looks like.  Although I can’t cover them all today, we will look at some of the more important ones like loving God, becoming more like Jesus by following His commands (obedience), demonstrating good works, and sharing the Gospel.

We live in a world that has become very self-focused.  For those who are believers is Jesus, we are to become God focused.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  2 Corinthians 5:17. “And he died (Jesus) for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:15. This transformation happens when we place our faith in Jesus, but many times it takes longer for our behavior to change.  Knowing the right thing and doing the right thing can be difficult, particularly when our culture promotes a “me first” approach. Our life also begins to change as we try to follow Jesus’ instructions of obeying the bible. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.”  1 John 5:3-4.  Overcoming the challenges of the world is a lifetime process.  We make progress as we decide to put the things of God, ahead of the things that are just for me.  We won’t get everything right, and that is why we need forgiveness.

So how do we know where we should put our focus? As much as our laws try to help us understand our boundaries, they do very little to help us understand what God honoring behavior looks like.  Of all the stories that Jesus told, one of my favorites is about the Good Samaritan.  Despite the conflict that existed between the Jews and the Samaritan’s, Jesus told the story of where a Jewish man came to the rescue of a Samaritan man that had been beaten and left for dead.  Not only did the Jewish man assist the Samaritan, but he also paid for his medical expenses and for his recovery.  He showed us that our love for one another crosses all boundaries, race, religion, ethnicity, and that we need to love others as we love ourselves.  Jesus taught us that our lives should be full of service to others like He demonstrated while he was here.  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10. Finally, a life well lived for Jesus means that we are not fearful of sharing the good news of the Gospel.  “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15. Our role is to tell others of what Jesus has done for us, and let others choose for themselves if they want to believe.

Please give us a call if you have questions or would like us to pray with you at 305-306-7842. 

Your friends at The Community Ministry.

The Community Ministry

Mensaje Semanal: Estar preparada

5 de marzo de 2024

Durante las últimas semanas hemos estado mirando más de cerca el tiempo que nos lleva a la Pascua conocida como Cuaresma. La biblia está llena de información que nos ayuda a comprender las enseñanzas de Jesús y decidir dónde debemos considerar hacer algunos cambios. La semana pasada hablé sobre la importancia de la fe y las buenas obras y la dirección que Jesús nos ha dado para amar a Dios y amar a los demás. Nuestro viaje desde el enfoque en uno mismo hasta el enfoque en Dios y en los demás es un proceso que se llama santificación. Aunque sepamos las cosas que Dios quiere que cambiemos, a veces ese proceso puede ser difícil y llevar mucho tiempo. Sabemos que Dios es paciente con nosotros y que con la ayuda del Espíritu Santo, estos cambios sucederán y estaremos donde Dios quiere que estemos cuando lo veamos cara a cara. “Porque la gracia de Dios se ha manifestado para salvación a todos los hombres, entrenándonos a renunciar a la impiedad y a las pasiones mundanas, y a vivir en este siglo una vida sobria, recta y piadosa, esperando nuestra esperanza bienaventurada, la aparición de gloria de nuestro gran Dios y Salvador Jesucristo, que se entregó a sí mismo por nosotros para redimirnos de toda maldad y para purificar para sí un pueblo propio, celoso de buenas obras”. Tito 2:11-14.

Mientras Jesús estuvo con nosotros, nos dio una gran comprensión de cómo piensa Dios y cuáles son sus expectativas para aquellos que creen en él. Dios eligió darnos la libertad de tomar nuestras propias decisiones y sabía que necesitaríamos su ayuda para tomar buenas decisiones. Aquellos que creen en Jesús tienen la capacidad de recibir información del Espíritu Santo para que, cuando nos enfrentemos a decisiones difíciles, podamos recibir dirección de Dios a través de la oración y la lectura de la Biblia. Dios, hablando a través de los escritores de la Biblia, nos ha dado una gran idea de algunos de los elementos clave de cómo es una fe salvadora en Jesús. Aunque no puedo cubrirlos todos hoy, veremos algunos de los más importantes, como amar a Dios, llegar a ser más como Jesús al seguir sus mandamientos (obediencia), demostrar buenas obras y compartir el Evangelio.

Vivimos en un mundo que se ha vuelto muy egocéntrico. Para aquellos que son creyentes es Jesús, debemos centrarnos en Dios. “De modo que si alguno está en Cristo, nueva criatura es. Lo viejo ha pasado; he aquí lo nuevo ha llegado”. 2 Corintios 5:17. “Y murió (Jesús) por todos, para que los que viven, ya no vivan para sí, sino para aquel que por ellos murió y resucitó”. 2 Corintios 5:15. Esta transformación ocurre cuando ponemos nuestra fe en Jesús, pero muchas veces nuestro comportamiento tarda más en cambiar. Saber lo correcto y hacer lo correcto puede resultar difícil, especialmente cuando nuestra cultura promueve un enfoque de “yo primero”. Nuestra vida también comienza a cambiar a medida que tratamos de seguir las instrucciones de Jesús de obedecer la Biblia. “Porque este es el amor de Dios, que guardemos sus mandamientos. Y sus mandamientos no son gravosos. Porque todo aquel que ha nacido de Dios vence al mundo”. 1 Juan 5:3-4. Superar los desafíos del mundo es un proceso de toda la vida. Progresamos cuando decidimos anteponer las cosas de Dios a las cosas que son justas para mí. No lo haremos todo bien y por eso necesitamos el perdón.

Entonces, ¿cómo sabemos dónde debemos centrarnos? Por mucho que nuestras leyes intenten ayudarnos a comprender nuestros límites, hacen muy poco para ayudarnos a comprender cómo es el comportamiento que honra a Dios. De todas las historias que contó Jesús, una de mis favoritas es la del Buen Samaritano. A pesar del conflicto que existía entre los judíos y los samaritanos, Jesús contó la historia de donde un hombre judío vino al rescate de un hombre samaritano que había sido golpeado y dado por muerto. El judío no sólo ayudó al samaritano, sino que también pagó sus gastos médicos y su recuperación. Nos mostró que nuestro amor mutuo traspasa todas las fronteras, raza, religión, etnia, y que debemos amar a los demás como nos amamos a nosotros mismos. Jesús nos enseñó que nuestras vidas deben estar llenas de servicio a los demás, como lo demostró mientras estuvo aquí. “Porque somos hechura suya, creados en Cristo Jesús para buenas obras, las cuales Dios preparó de antemano para que andemos en ellas”. Efesios 2:10. Finalmente, una vida bien vivida para Jesús significa que no tenemos miedo de compartir las buenas nuevas del Evangelio. “Id por todo el mundo y proclamad el evangelio a toda la creación”. Marcos 16:15. Nuestro papel es contarles a los demás lo que Jesús ha hecho por nosotros y dejar que otros elijan por sí mismos si quieren creer.

Llámenos si tiene preguntas o desea que oremos con usted al 305-306-7842.

Tus amigos del Ministerio Comunitario.