Sunday, July 20, 2008

 

Communion -- Don & Kathryn Stamas
Kathryn -- doesn't consider herself high maintenance - likes to be clean, comfortable, doesn't like to cook and clean
They served at the Swamp for a week -- not a "vacation"
Started with a thunderstorm, they were soaking wet
Serving with her brothers and sisters in Christ
They studied the same scriptures, it's an incredible bond
The counselors - 17 -25 years old, same standards
No phones, no computers, no TV
The way life is supposed to be
She has never been to camp, ever, in her life, but she made a best friend -- Kelly Stevens, hanging out with the nurse
James 1:17  every good and perfect gift from above
one of the best "vacations" she's ever had
Don -- the Swamp is like what God intended the earth to be like
a question in their devo:  what level of resolve do you have today compared to the day you were baptized in areas you resolved never to cross?
The word resolve reminds him of Jesus - his mission, not to rationalize his will above God's
2 Cor 5:21  Jesus' resolve shows how much he loves us, our resolve shows our weakness
when we resolve, we will fail
But the blood of Jesus allows us to go on

 

Rick Maule
Americans have given great sacrifice to enjoy the freedoms we have
Rom 13  God teaches us to pray for the upcoming election
There are famous stories, there are brave men and women who died
Rick went to school with John Paul Jones, who fought in the American Revolution -- had a rotted ship, his own cannons blew up
"are you going to lower your flags and surrender?"
"I have not yet begun to fight"
Civil rights movement - Rosa Parks helped our world and country to change
Martin Luther King - crossing the bridge in Selma  -- his willingness to go to jail in Birmingham,  AL
he wrote an eloquent letter from the Birmingham jail cell to African American preachers
see http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=40 for a copy of the letter
Valley Forge - there's always someone writing down what George Washington said and someone painting him
Winter - below freezing all day for over a month, no food to eat (eating bark, shoe leather)
these are the sacrifices they made
Movie "The Patriot"   Mel Gibson, Waxhaw massacre, unarmed, untrained, surrendered and they were butchered - these men were unnamed
Don't you think they would be discouraged?   What's the point?   The Americans saw the British brutality, enlisted, inspired by other's sacrifice

 

Rick just moved from Charlotte to Fort Mill - realized he saved everything -- Rick's prayer list from 1971 vs. 2008 (campus needs vs. church needs)
Life gets more complicated -- Every day is a challenge that takes me to and beyond my limits
Daniel, in captivity, enslaved for a generation in  Babylon -- all the opportunities to praise God seemed to have been taken away
King Darius appointed these guys to lead the kingdom
Daniel 6:6-9  decree passed to pray only to the King
vs. 10   Daniel continued praying as before
we remember Daniel in the lion's den    Meshach, etc. in the fiery furnace
"prayed as he always did"
everything you do matters
sometimes we are tempted to think it doesn't matter
"I'm on vacation"  "no one else is on time"  you think "I shouldn't say that" but then you think it doesn't matter & say it anyway
Noah -- told to build the ark - it took 100 years, surely he was tempted to take a day off
Moses   Ex 3:11  "who am I that I should go to the Pharaoh?"   
Joseph  tempted sexually -- what does it matter?
in Acts, the church was blown up and scattered, surely they could have thought it doesn't matter, but they preached everywhere they went
Daniel didn't know how it would end

 

Sometimes we think too much
Rick thinks more now than he ever did and he's not proud of that
stories of people he invited to bring your neighbor day in college -- the blurry invitation of Wolfman
when you give what you've got, God can use it
Moses tells God he couldn't do it
Ex 3  God said what is that in your hand ?-- his staff
Gideon - God said "go in the strength you have "
The Bible is a book of stories of people using what they have
John 2  Jesus' mother at the wedding  "do whatever he tells you to do"
put that on our walls   "Do whatever he tells you to do"

 

John 20:26-29  Thomas was there to see Jesus   "stop doubting and believe"
It's simple --  That's God's advice to us, too

 

1)  You have to give your doubts a shove
when you're first studying, you have all these questions, but it comes down to "do you believe?"
you can believe, but your doubts are always available
James 1:6  like a wave of the sea
we're waiting for a moment that it's convenient, the moment the camera is rolling
Most of the things we are called to do happen while we're waiting to do something else
Will I wake up and have a quiet time?
It's a little moment, but that is a life or death decision
God knows that we doubt -- stop doubting
Will I say something nice or critical?
will I invite someone?   will I love?

 

Acts 24: 25-27  (summary of 1-24)    Paul was preaching about Jesus, got in trouble for it, taken before Felix
same kind of response we give
Felix was afraid, when it's convenient, I'll call you back   "not right now"    we do the same thing
vs. 22  postponed him earlier too, waiting on the commander
This is important, but not right now
How many of you feel like they're in the middle of things this weekend?   
the things that keep us busy
you have to shove your doubts aside
God doesn't need the full day
things in our mind say "no, God can't use the little bit I've got"   we plan to do it later when things aren't so crazy
you need to have time every day
pray, read, meditate on your life
People need to be at midweek
There are valid reasons that we can't be there, but there are other times we look for reasons not to be there
We can help each other to make excuses to not be like Daniel, faithful

 

2)  Give God a chance
we're busy every day, we make plans and sometimes God blows up those plans
The widow who gave all she had was commended for what she gave
when all you've got is a little bit, give a little bit
Greatest untapped resource in the church, singles and marrieds with no children
they have more time to devote fully to the Lord
Rick wants your dreams to come true -- Rick appreciates Mike & Ann Dames getting in there and taking care of the singles

 

We need to simplify - marrieds with children - use what we have, give what you've got

 

God asked Moses "what is that in your hand"
there are some things Rick just can't do anymore -- but he can always pray
If you're stuck in a 3 hour line at the DMV, upset because you can't serve God, then serve him there
There's always something you can do
Paul, the most successful Christian, spent most of his time in a jail cell
Those letters not only changed the church then, they change the church now
Give your doubts a shove
Give God a chance
Do what you can and God will do what He can